31 Volkswagen new car reviews

Volkswagen rocked the motoring world in 2015 when it admitted cheating in emissions tests, and the German giant is still feeling the effects of the scandal through diminished customer trust, not to mention the potential costs of recalling millions of cars globally. Despite this, the VW brand's line-up remains one of the strongest in the UK, with several of its models either at the top of their class or very close to it. The Up city car - our Car of the Year in 2012 - starts the line-up, offering a premium finish and excellent driving dynamics compared with the slightly cheaper Hyundai i10. The VW Polo and VW Golf remain at the heart of the brand, though; they continue to both sell strongly, thanks to reputations for excellent interior finish and quality, and accomplished, comfortable driving dynamics. The Golf Estate is a further extension of this, adding a huge load bay to a car that is already an excellent choice for families. The range also contains a couple of SUVs: the Qashqai-rivalling Tiguan and the larger Touareg. Volkswagen has spread its range into plenty of niches in recent years, too. The company still sells the ageing Scirocco in the UK, although it's outgunned by the Audi TT. And style-focused customers can still buy a VW Beetle, in both hard-top and cabriolet forms. There's also the CC, a four-door executive coupe based on the previous Passat, the commercial vehicle-based Caddy, the Sharan MPV and the enormous, rugged Amarok pick-up.