The more seat time, road time, and overall real-world exposure I get with the 2016 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, the more surprises I’ve found inside its smart, uniquely utilitarian interior. Here are seven interior details that surprise and delight.
Cooled Glove Box
The air conditioning is piped into the glove box. Although VW has offered this on the Golf (and other models) for many years, it remains a unique and practical idea, which allows me to keep my lunch grub at a colder ambient temperature than if it were shoved my backpack in the back seat during the warmer months.
Hidden Storage
There is a hidden drawer at the base of the driver’s seat that can act as a secondary glove box. More often than not, I would use this drawer to hold my sunglasses when not in use.
An Actual Knob
As simple as it sounds, I really like the volume knob. It’s easy to reach by both passengers, is in the shape of an actual knob, and has well-sorted detents. All this is refreshing in an era when lots of volume knobs have turned into virtual sliders or arrows that often don’t work well.
A Smart Bin
The storage bin in front of the shifter housing is deep and lined with a grippy rubber surface that holds my phone in place and prevents it from sliding when taking fast corners. When closed, the bin hides valuables from sight.
A Physical Button
The tripometer is reset by a standalone button mounted in the instrument panel in between the tach and speedo. It’s in my line of sight, easy to find, and for as often as I use it is a much better solution than burying it in a digital menu.
Easy-to-Close Hatch
The inside of the rear hatch door has hand divot/grips on both driver and passenger sides, both of which are optimally placed for needed leverage to close the hatch with one hand. This and a lightweight hatch make for quick and easy shuttering of the nonpowered hatch.
Seat-Folding Functionality
The rear seats can be lowered from the cargo area using the remote releases mounted on the sides of the cargo area. Being able to fold the rear seat backs from the back of the vehicle instead of the rear passenger doors is an underappreciated convenience.
