Yes, the Volkswagen Golf's engine, new for 2019, is less powerful than last year's larger-displacement unit—but the news isn't as bad as you might think. The 147-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, which replaces the previous 1.8-liter unit, is 23 horsepower weaker but makes the same 184 lb-ft of torque as did the lower-torque version of the old 1.8-liter. (Stick-shift 2018 Golfs carried that torque rating; opting for the automatic netted a stronger 199 lb-ft rating.)
Given how the new 1.4-liter engine pairs with new six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions, its effect on the Golf's acceleration could be minimal to nonexistent. After all, the 2019 Jetta sedan, which uses the same engine, posted a 7.7-second zero-to-60-mph time in our testing (equipped with the '19 Golf's available eight-speed automatic transmission)—matching the acceleration of a 2018 Golf with the now-defunct 1.8T and a six-speed automatic.
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Official fuel-economy figures for the 2019 Golf aren't yet available, but we expect an improvement from the 2018 model's 28 mpg combined and 33 mpg highway EPA estimates. The Jetta, for instance, earns an EPA-estimated 34 mpg combined and 40 mpg highway, and the updated Golf also benefits from a new fuel-saving engine stop/start system (on automatic-transmission models) that can shut the engine down when the car is stopped.
Nearly every 2019 Golf variant uses the new 1.4-liter engine, including the Golf hatchbacks and front-wheel-drive versions of the Golf SportWagen. The only Golfs that keep the old 1.8-liter engines are wagons equipped with VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive and the all-wheel-drive-only Golf Alltrack. The Alltrack's top SEL trim level, previously automatic only, is now offered with a six-speed manual, too. Beyond their engine bays, the 2019 Golfs receive more standard active-safety features along with a slight price hike. The S hatchback is now $935 pricier, starting at $22,740, while the SE rises $490 to $25,040; the eight-speed automatic is a $1100 option.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
