VW Golf Match revealed: more kit for not much cash

VW has killed off the mid-range Golf SE and replaced it with the Golf Match, which adds a few more toys to the specification at no extra cost from the SE.

The new VW Golf Match is priced from £19,680 for the three-door version, powered by a 120bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine with cylinder-deactivation and a manual gearbox. The Match wears a new set of 16-inch ‘Dover’ alloy wheels, but it’s the extra kit that’s more enticing.

As standard on the Golf Match, VW is throwing in front and rear parking sensors, and a ‘mirror pack’, which includes auto-fold door mirrors with puddle lights. The Golf Match also has standard-fit front foglights, though xenon headlights remain cost options.

There’s nothing new to play with inside the Match, so you still get a 5.8-inch touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and air-conditioning. Above and beyond the entry-level Golf S, Match buyers also get adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, automatic wipers and lights and VW’s ‘Driver Profile’ selector, which lets drivers tailor their engine and steering behaviour between Eco, Normal and Sport modes.

Two turbodiesel engines, a 1.6 TDI with 104bhp and a 148bhp 2.0 TDI are also available for the Golf Match, which can be ordered now for September 2014 delivery.

An equivalent Audi A3 three-door with the same 1.4-litre engine is £100 cheaper than the Golf Match at £19,580, but does without rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensitive lights. The cheapest petrol-powered Mercedes A-Class, meanwhile, is a full £20,045, but its premium is somewhat offset by the fact it’s only available as a more practical five-door.