THE BENCHMARK, REBOOTED

THIS IS the generational model that will take the Volkswagen Golf to its 50th anniversary in 2024.

The question is whether the prospect of such a milestone prompted the German brand to abandon decades of evolutionary approach to the world’s most renowned hatchback.

VW’s designers have certainly tried to be braver with the Golf’s exterior. While few will confuse the shape – including that trademark thick rear C-pillar – for any other five-door, the sheetmetal has lost some of its typically clean lines.

The conjoined grille and headlights