Stepping inside you immediately notice the key facelift changes, with a much more acute attitude to sustainability and quality compared to before. On cars specified with bucket seats, the cloth upholstery is made from a 73%-recycled vegan textile, while other cars use leather that has been described by the firm as “environmentally conscious”.
Admiring the dashboard and taking in the largely unchanged but still attractive design, bronze trim and surfaces that look to have been designed with nothing but a ruler, you’re immediately aware that this is a car with some genuine character. It just about differentiates itself enough from other Volkswagen group products to make you aware you’re sitting in something with sporting – but still luxurious – intentions; even more so than the previous car.
Quality wise, while the glossy trim pieces are nice to hold and intricately-styled dashboard materials plush to the touch, there is evidence of general cheapening in the not-so-lower reaches of the dashboard and the glossy trim that will be behest to scratches and fingerprints more easily than textured materials. And while you could apply this to many cars on sale today, the particular car that we tested had some interior panels that felt slightly loose and unfinished.
Tech levels have taken a noticeable step up, though, with illuminated trim pieces, matrix LED lights giving you a welcome dance upon unlocking and most notably, a larger 12.9in infotainment display fitted as standard across the range. Its size has ballooned to the point of visual intrusion, but its usability has taken great steps forwards, because it runs Volkswagen’s new fourth-gen MIB operating software.
The screen is now slick to use and, once you get used to it, easy enough to navigate. It would help if controls for the HVAC, heated seats and radio were physical because they’re still hard to see and hit on the move, but at least the buttons mounted on the steering wheel are physical and the system features permanent shortcut functions that can be used to quickly jump between menus. The touch-sensitive sliders for the audio volume and cabin temperature are also now backlit, helpfully.
Practicality has also remained unchanged, which is to say it’s quite good. It’s roomier in the back than a typical hatchback and, although not quite rivalling the likes of the Skoda Octavia or Honda Civic for outright space, it has good everyday practicality and carrying versatility.