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The Golf Bluemotion is powered by a 1.6-litre TDI pumpe duse engine, which isn’t as sophisticated or refined as the newer common-rail units, but is still decent enough to use. Compared to the standard powerplant fitted to the base diesel-engined car in the Golf range, there are a number of special components fitted to make it more efficient, including a new crankshaft, cylinder head and oil pump, an alternator that contributes to the regenerative braking, plus a starter-generator that acts as the basis for an automatic stop-start function. The five-speed manual gearbox has also been tweaked to provide the best available economy: a fairly long fifth gear means that you’re only using about 2,000rpm at 70mph, so motorway cruising isn’t too noisy. However, even with all these modifications, don’t expect too much in the way of performance: a modest 104bhp and 185lb-ft of torque at 1,500rpm combine to allow a 0-62mph time of 11.3 seconds, which gives a pretty good indication as to its slightly sluggish pace. But as speed isn’t the point of a Bluemotion, most owners shouldn’t be too disappointed.

The good thing about an ‘eco’ Golf is that it’s still a Golf. As such, it still has the superb package of ride and handling that has made the German hatchback a market leader for so long. The handling is outstanding: the steering is perfectly weighted for a small family car, although it’s not quite as feelsome as its Focus rival; it’s agile and well balanced in bends; the high levels of grip means it adheres to the road; and the body is taut and controlled. This Bluemotion is unlikely to be chucked into corners in the same way a GTI is, but even if it is, it would remain composed and surefooted. The ride is slightly different from that of the standard Golf, thanks to a sports suspension that lowers the ride height and uses slightly stiffer dampers. However, it’s still perfectly compliant and sufficiently comfortable for most road surfaces, so any intrusive harshness is negligible.

Volkswagen has a very good reputation for reliability, although some surveys and studies suggest that this might not always be justified. That said, Volkswagen came 11th in the league of manufacturers in the most recent JD Power customer satisfaction survey, with the Golf the 35th in the table of cars. Warranty Direct also scored the last-generation Golf as better than average in its Reliability Index, with average repair costs of £286.07. Build quality is very good indeed, the Golf being made from some of the best materials available in this segment of the market. The body looks solid and sturdy, and the cabin is, despite being stripped of some of the fripperies to save weight, still very comfortable, functional and practical. The plastics on the upper part of the cabin are soft to the touch, with the harder ones consigned to the lower areas, where they’re likely to be abused by stray feet.

The new Golf has an excellent five-star rating from Euro NCAP, scoring 97% for adult occupant protection, 84% for child occupant protection, 61% for pedestrian impact protection and 71% for safety assist. The Golf Bluemotion is equipped with the usual array of active and passive safety kit fitted as standard, including ABS anti-lock brakes with Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA); ESP electronic stabilisation with Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) and ASR traction control; seven airbags (front and side ‘bags for driver and front passenger, full-length curtain airbags and driver’s knee ‘bag); Isofix child seat anchor points; plus driver and front passenger active head restraints to reduce the effects of whiplash. For security purposes, there’s an electronic engine immobiliser, remote central locking and an alarm with interior protection.

The Golf is a well-packaged car for its size, with plenty of space fore and aft. In the back, there’s enough head-, shoulder and legroom for two, and even three, grown-ups to undertake most journeys (although long trips with three in the back might be a bit of a stretch). The 60:40 split rear seats also fold (but not entirely flat). The boot has a capacity of 350 litres with the seats in place, or 1,305 litres when folded – one of the biggest in the segment. At the front, the driving position is excellent, with manual adjustment of the seat (including height) and steering wheel. All the controls are to hand and are easy to use. The Bluemotion might be slightly stripped back in the name of saving weight, but there’s still a decent level of equipment fitted as standard. So, for example, there’s air conditioning with dust and pollen filters, trip computer with an optimal gearchange indicator, electric windows, radio/MP3-compatible CD player, 15-inch alloy wheels, and special body kit including sports bumpers, side skirts and a spoiler.

The Golf isn’t exactly cheap compared to most of its rivals in the family hatch market. You also end up paying slightly more for the Bluemotion’s green credentials, so an original purchase price of £18,130 (£18,715 for the five-door version) might initially feel a little daunting. However, the comparable Ford Focus, the Econetic 1.6 TDCi, is £20,445: against that, the Golf seems like good value. And it gets better. Running costs should be very low, especially if you drive it in the manner in which it should be driven (ie frugally). So the official fuel consumption of 74.3mpg on the combined cycle – which is achievable if you’re very careful – means that visits to the petrol pump should be infrequent. The 99g/km CO2 emissions also mean it falls just below the magic 100g/km threshold, below which cars are exempt from vehicle excise duty. Tax-free motoring therefore beckons. Servicing costs are usually a little on the pricey side at VW dealerships, but the company is currently offering buyers three years’ worth for a one-off £250 payment. Residuals for the Golf are also among the strongest among its rivals, with the Bluemotion faring even better, thanks to the higher demand for its green credentials and lower running costs: expect to get around 45-50% back after three years and 60,000 miles.

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