DRIVEN: Volkswagen Kombi is a perfect people mover

I affectionally call the VW Kombi the “people mover” and it lived up to that title for the two weeks I had it over the festive period.

For a family that stayed back in Johannesburg this year, we really didn’t feel like we missed much as we used the Kombi to our various destinations.

My brother-in-law, his wife and mother came this side from Durban and instead of using two vehicles, the Kombi got all seven of us around in comfort and style.

You can’t help but feel like you are on holiday the moment you enter the Kombi, with two sliding doors on both sides, which comes in handy on camping trips.

We used the vehicle on a twoday trip to Sun City, a day trip to the Lion and Rhino Park in Lanseria, and the Christmas lunch and dinner parties at a family home.

The vehicle’s interior is built around passenger comfort, with individual climate control and seats that accommodate both adults and children, without skimping on legroom.

The driver’s and passenger seats, coupled with the decent ground clearance, gave us a great view on the road and an advantage at spotting the wildlife in the game reserve.

The modern and versatile Kombi is spacious and easy to drive. It definitely didn’t feel like an eight-seater and didn’t feel as bulky as some of its competitors I have had the opportunity to drive.

I am a big VW DSG gearbox admirer as it makes driving these larger vehicles easier and a pleasure for both city and open road travel.

This 2.0 litre TDI was responsive and powerful and together with the DSG box, made the road trips fun and comfortable. The fuel consumption on the Kombi produced slightly more than VW’s official combined city and country consumption of 8.1 litres per 100km.

Our actual combined 8.7 litres per 100km with full load was, in my opinion, pretty much acceptable.

The interior of the Kombi is fitted with large windows which makes road trips and wildlife viewing so much more interesting and enjoyable.

The cabin offers elegant and durable finishes, made with quality materials.

The infotainment centre with touchscreen is nestled between the driver and front passenger for ease of use.

The other fascinating feature is the boot space, and anyone with a large family could easily fit more than necessary there.

What the boot lacked in floor space, it made up for in height and if packed smartly, one could easily get away with just about anything inside it.

My only criticism with the boot is that the tailgate is quite heavy and could pose a problem for certain individuals.

Maybe VW could look at those fancy automated, push button features that close the boot lid – but then again, methinks, that would then push the price up.

With that said, the VW Kombi is everything it represented back in the ’80s with beach holidays and the family road trips exploring South Africa’s natural beauty.

And in today’s terms, it still is that – but in a much more tech-filled way. It’s the perfect vehicle for a larger family.

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