Volkswagen Gol MSi Tiptronic

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Few know it, but there was a time in the development stage when the new Volkswagen Polo and Virtus were going to be called Gol and Voyage. The original idea of Project MQB-A0 was that these hatchbacks and sedans from Segment B (boy) be replaced, not coexist.

However, there came a time in the cost analysis process in which VW had to make a difficult decision: the new Polo and Virtus would be more expensive to produce than imagined and their selling price would be uncompetitive. In a nutshell: it would have been impossible to achieve values similar to those of veterans and amortized Gol and Voyage. There the decision was made to stretch the life of the two older models and position the newcomers a little higher in price.

The Gol and Voyage, presented in 2008, thus gained a couple of years of unexpected life, although they will not be eternal. Volkswagen developed the MQB-A00 Platform (cheaper and simpler than the MQB-A0 of the Polo, which in turn is simpler than the MQB-A of Golf) and the final successor is expected to be presented in 2020 or 2021 (read plus).

To endure so far, VW made a final update on the Gol and Voyage. Last July, the MSi Tiptronic Gol that you are seeing here was released.

It is the usual Goal, but with the mechanics of the Polo, Virtus and T-Cross: 1.6 16v (110 hp and 155 Nm), with six-speed automatic transmission (Tiptronic, with torque converter). This version is offered only with Comfortline equipment level and one step is positioned above the other Gol, which continue to offer the old and well-known 1.6 8v (101 hp and 154 Nm). The Tiptronic box, in turn, evicted the unhappy and automated I-Motion from the Gol and Voyage range.

We handle one week this unique version of 944,891 pesos. The full review is reproduced below.

OUT

Almost ten years ago, I joined a coffee in San Isidro with the designer Rosario Juan Manuel Díaz. Manu was already a consecrated designer in Alfa Romeo, he had put his signature on Mito and was passing through Buenos Aires, on his usual vacations that have Rosario as the base of operations.

We had already talked about classic, modern, European and Chinese cars. Then it occurred to me to ask him the following.

-Let's talk about the cars you are seeing in Argentina. Which ones do you prefer?
-The Volkswagen Gol Trend caught my attention. It is a very harmonious car. They say it was designed in Brazil, but it has lines that make me think rather than they did in Germany. Likewise, I am not informed on the subject. It is a personal intuition.

It was only a year since this third generation of the Goal had been launched for sale and, although it did not have a spectacular or revolutionary design, Díaz was right: it was harmonic. All a virtue, in a market where old cars reigned, with several layers of restyling on top: Peugeot 207 Compact, Renault Clio Mio, Fiat Palio Fire and Ford Fiesta One.

Of course, today this Goal suffers the same condemnation: it is already difficult to remember how many evolutions it received in these ten years (four, according to the Autoblog file) and it can no longer even be said that it is harmonious: the grill and the headlights of the latter Update seem to have been designed for another car. They do not fit. From some angles, they even seem out of squad.

This MSi Tiptronic version is offered only with the Comfortline equipment level. It comes standard with halogen headlights with daytime running, front fog lights and 15-inch alloy wheels (with Goodyear Efficient Grip 195 / 55R15 tires).

It is the most expensive Goal that is sold at the time and all its competitors from a decade ago already retired. There are no more Compact, Mio, Fire or One. For price, two of its most direct rivals are the Toyota Etios Hatchback (with automatic transmission, from 878 thousand pesos) and the Ford Ka Hatchback (with automatic transmission, from 963 thousand pesos) ).

Why don't we mention other models in this segment? Because only the Etios and Ka come with serial stability control. And Autoblog only recommends buying cars with ESP.

INSIDE

The big news is the lever of the automatic transmission Tiptronic. Although it does not even have cams on the steering wheel, as it does with the Polo, Virtus and T-Cross. Everything else was already known, including the 6.5-inch touch screen (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), which comes from the times of the "calls to the epilator."

Despite VW's efforts to make up and apply some new technologies, the interior of the Gol aged almost at the same pace as the exterior. The rear seats are not among the most generous, the backrest is only full and there is no button to open the trunk from the outside. It opens only from the remote control of the key ring (you will have to turn off the engine and remove the key from the drum, if the vehicle is running).

The trunk has 285 liters of capacity and, under the cargo floor, there is bad news: smaller, temporary help wheel. When in use, it cannot be circulated at more than 80 km / h.

The driving position is the best of the cabin. The steering wheel adjusts height and depth. And the armchair is comfortable, in addition to having height adjustment. However, it does not approach the excellent ergonomics of the new Polo, Virtus and T-Cross. We highlight it every time we test a car with that MQB-A0 Platform: they are very well thought out from the point of view of the occupants.

The quality of the Gol's materials is still low-cost: all hard plastics, with different textures, although the inserts are good and seem designed to withstand several years. That is a historical bastion of the Golcitos: cheap, but enduring.

SECURITY

This is the worst aspect of the "new" Goal MSi Tiptronic. It is unacceptable that, in 2019, a car is launched for sale that offers as a single safety equipment the double front airbag and ABS brakes. It does not even have three-point seat belts for all occupants: the rear center must conform only to a two-point ventral belt.

There is no stability or traction control or option to add more airbags. And we say that it is unacceptable because, with the same mechanics and platform, VW came to offer the versions of the Fox, Suran and Saveiro with stability and traction control.

The last time a Gol Trend was subjected to an independent crash test was in 2010. It was done by LatinNCAP, with the protocol of that time. A version with two airbags then received a three-star rating for adults and two stars for child protection.

This year, LatinNCAP crashed as a farewell to the discontinued VW Suran. It would be interesting to see the same informative effort on this veteran Gol, which is still for sale.

MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION

Here lies the main novelty of this model. The well-known MSi 1.6 16v engine has already been applied in models as varied as Fox, Suran, Saveiro, Golf, Polo, Virtus and T-Cross. This is the first time it has been offered in the Goal. It delivers 110 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 155 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. It has timing belt distribution.

It is combined only with automatic Tiptronic gearbox (torque converter), with six gears and sequential mode. Unlike other models with this mechanic, in the Goal there are no change cams on the steering wheel. The traction is forward.

BEHAVIOR

The last time we tested a Goal in Autoblog was in May 2014 and it had the 1.6 8v engine (101 hp and 143 Nm), which still offer the entry-level versions. And how did the benefits change with respect to the "new" MSi?

The acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h improved by just one tenth. It dropped from 10.9 to 10.8 seconds. And the maximum speed increased from 171 to 180 km / h. However, the average consumption also increased: it went from 7.2 to 8.4 liters per 100 kilometers.

The most curious thing, however, is the improvement in performance of this Goal with respect to the MSi Tiptronic Pole, which threw the following numbers: 12.2 seconds, 180 km / h and 8.5 liters per 100. Why are these differences, if they use the same mechanics? It's simple: the goal weighs 140 kilos less than the pole. They are almost two passengers of “ballast” less.

But let's not forget that a good part of that “ballast” that the Polo carries comes in the form of more structural reinforcements, better soundproofing, more airbags and a greater number of safety devices.

Beyond that, it must be remembered that this MSi engine must be carried very high in turns to get a good response. That is why consumption is higher than in 1.6 8v.

This impeller is interesting only after 3,000 rpm and many times the computer system stretches the changes to beyond 6,300 (full red zone), to deliver the thrust that is demanded from the accelerator depressed thoroughly. The engine noise becomes deafening and unpleasant.

In a more relaxed handling, however, it can be crossed at 120 km / h in sixth and at 2,500 rpm.