I celebrated Volkswagen Golf’s 50th by driving the new Life – it moves effortlessly and is full of excellent touches

EVERY birthday party needs cake, obviously, and balloons.

Lots of balloons.

2

2

So Volkswagen went big for Golf’s 50th by heading to Cappadocia in Turkey where a sky-full of really big balloons take flight every morning.

That’s the original 1974 Golf you can see on the left and the latest Golf 8.5 on the right.

But I’m sure you know that.

Just like you know Golf has always been the go-to family car. Hatch or estate.

Read more on Volkswagen

HAPPY CAMPER

I turned my '80s camper van into a tiny home - it even has its own 'garden'

NEW DISCOVERY

Best-selling car brand set to radically reinvent its longest-running model

Sensible or spicy. Petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid. 2WD or 4WD. There’s a Golf for everyone.

We tried the new Golf “Life” for a week, 1.5-litre petrol with a six-speed manual, and every mile was a pleasure.

We like the way it drives. We like the way it changes gear. We like the way it steers. Everything effortless. Everything on point.

You can tell 50 years of engineering excellence has been poured into this car. As for the cabin, the infotainment screen is slicker.

Most read in Motors

CARAVANTASTIC

Incredible £200k caravan ‘swivels like a USB stick’ & boasts outdoor cinema

CARN'T BELIEVE IT

Iconic Classic Jenson so rare only 50 were ever made hits auction

TIME CAPSULE

Classic 80s cop car that took Moors Murderer to find victims sells for £22k

HO HO NO

Millions brace for record Christmas traffic - from major A-road to M1 chaos

There’s a new 360-degree camera system. They’ve gone back to proper buttons on the steering wheel.

The door pockets are still carpeted. All things that please.

Finance from £272 a month. Just watch out for the big balloon payment at the end.