Photo: Guido Ten Brink/SB-Medien
The minivan segment has seen better days, and since people are still having kids and using cars to move them around, the blame for that has to lie with the vehicles themselves.
That's only partially true. While the traditional symbol of family cars has never really tried to outdo itself and relied solely on its practical qualities, the final nail in the coffin came via the SUV revolution. All of a sudden, dads everywhere in the world had an option that was roomy enough, but also kind of cool.
The marketing departments want us to believe that an SUV says its owner is an adventurer that doesn't shy away from taking the unbeaten path, but all know that isn't the case. More often than not it's either that they feel safer, they offer a higher driving position or, as we've said, they are a more attractive alternative to the old minivan.
Volkswagen has two dedicated MPV models in its lineup - the Sharan and the Touran - plus the Golf Sportsvan which is essentially just a taller version of the hatchback with more interior space and uglier exterior design.
Its direct link to VW's iconic model meant that the smallest of the Wolfsburg minivans had to undergo its own facelift after the Golf made the switch from 7 to 7.5. The refreshed Sportsvan was revealed ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, but here we see it in the same yellow paint job used to advertise the Golf facelift earlier this year.
The outline of the vehicle leaves no question about its purpose, but the new details - as well as the color - manage to make it look less uninspiring. The huge GTI wheels might also play a part in this newly found vibe of the Golf Sportsvan.
The interior is definitely a nice place to be thanks to impressive glass real estate and the large amounts of light that gets through. The dashboard features the new infotainment system with its upgraded display (9.2 inches) with gesture control, but no digital instrument cluster.
That isn't to say the Golf Sportsvan isn't packed with modern technology. Since people driving this kind of cars care even more about safety than most others, the new MPV offers numerous driver assistance systems such as Pedestrian Monitoring, Traffic Jam Assist (follows stop-and-go traffic at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) or Park Assist for automated parking.
It's not exactly revolutionary stuff, but it does make the Sportsvan a more attractive proposition than it used to be. However, it doesn't make it an SUV, so don't expect sales (which start this fall in Germany) to go through the roof.
The marketing departments want us to believe that an SUV says its owner is an adventurer that doesn't shy away from taking the unbeaten path, but all know that isn't the case. More often than not it's either that they feel safer, they offer a higher driving position or, as we've said, they are a more attractive alternative to the old minivan.
Volkswagen has two dedicated MPV models in its lineup - the Sharan and the Touran - plus the Golf Sportsvan which is essentially just a taller version of the hatchback with more interior space and uglier exterior design.
Its direct link to VW's iconic model meant that the smallest of the Wolfsburg minivans had to undergo its own facelift after the Golf made the switch from 7 to 7.5. The refreshed Sportsvan was revealed ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, but here we see it in the same yellow paint job used to advertise the Golf facelift earlier this year.
The outline of the vehicle leaves no question about its purpose, but the new details - as well as the color - manage to make it look less uninspiring. The huge GTI wheels might also play a part in this newly found vibe of the Golf Sportsvan.
The interior is definitely a nice place to be thanks to impressive glass real estate and the large amounts of light that gets through. The dashboard features the new infotainment system with its upgraded display (9.2 inches) with gesture control, but no digital instrument cluster.
That isn't to say the Golf Sportsvan isn't packed with modern technology. Since people driving this kind of cars care even more about safety than most others, the new MPV offers numerous driver assistance systems such as Pedestrian Monitoring, Traffic Jam Assist (follows stop-and-go traffic at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) or Park Assist for automated parking.
It's not exactly revolutionary stuff, but it does make the Sportsvan a more attractive proposition than it used to be. However, it doesn't make it an SUV, so don't expect sales (which start this fall in Germany) to go through the roof.
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