Volkswagen Golf hatchback 2013 pictures

Volkswagen’s compact family hatchback, the Golf, has been setting standards amongst its rivals for the past forty years. 

The Golf comes with a range of refined diesel and petrol engines as well as a petrol-electric hybrid version.

A high quality interior and plenty of standard equipment in the Golf contribute to an upmarket feel.

The rear seats offer plenty of space and can handle three abreast without too much of a squeeze. 

Dashboard design is conservative, but it's solid and easy to use. VW's touchscreen infotainment system is clear and easy to use. 

The six-speed manual gearbox is slick. VW's DSG twin-clutch transmission is also available. 

The looks won't set pulses racing, but its conservative design is part of the Golf's universal appeal. 

The 380-litre boot is easy to load and can be extended to 1,270 litres by folding the rear seats.

The electric e-Golf and GTE hybrid versions have slightly less boot space than the standard car thanks to the batteries taking up room under the floor. 

The 1.6-litre BlueMotion diesel is the most efficient engine in the line-up, returning an impressive claimed economy of 88.3mpg and CO2 emission of 85g/km.