The list of options on new cars can be pretty extensive these days - tinted glass, panoramic sunroof, 12-disc CD autochanger, big alloy wheels . . . but imagine if you could get, as an option, some extra head and luggage room for just £500. With the new Volkswagen Golf Plus that went on sale at the start of June, that's pretty well what you do get.It's built on the same chassis as a standard Golf, it has a similar range of engines, and it has an identical suspension system. Yet it's taller, it has sliding, folding and vanishing seats, it's possessed of no fewer than 43 stowage areas about its diminutive frame and its cargo area is more flexible than Colin the Cornish Contortionist.My test car has the larger of the two petrol engines available from launch - a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder unit turning out up to 113bhp and 114lb/ft of torque. It has a smaller 1.4-litre sister, and there's a two-litre version waiting in the wings, but the 1.6 has a good blend of useable poke and fuel economy.According to the official figures it will do the 0-62mph sprint in just under 12 seconds and yet still turn in an average of over 38 miles of motoring in exchange for one gallon of unleaded. Putting that into context, it's four seconds quicker to 62mph than the 1.4 yet only half a mile per gallon worse off in the economy stakes.Being in the SE specification, it's two steps up the four-rung ladder. That means it adds a mass of extras like a nicer sound system, rain sensors, a multifunction computer and cruise control to the S spec which has a rake of useful stability, braking and traction management technology, loads of airbags and climate control as part of its package.The clever stuff with the Golf Plus is with the seats. The options are so vast the man showing me round them had to hesitate and think of the ones he'd missed. Basically the rear seat base can be split 60/40 and slid forward or backwards to adjust the knee/cargo ratio. The seat backs are split in three (40/20/40) and when you fold the back seats down they drop into the floor to make the resulting cargo hold almost entirely flat-bottomed.The worry with all this added gadgetry and height is that it could give the car hippo handling. Not so. At the first gentle toeing of the light fly-by-wire throttle, the little car whipped off up the hill through the trees and out on to the main road without any hesitation. Any fear that top gear in the six-speed manual gearbox was only an overdrive for this relatively small engine was dispensed out on the motorway: up near the speed limit it was even capable of accelerating up gentle hills in top gear.The roofline is about four inches higher than the standard Golf and the occupants sit a bit more upright, but because all the weight of the engine, chassis and drivetrain are still down near the tarmac, the centre of gravity for the Golf Plus can really only be fractionally above its more sporty hatchback sister. Certainly on a combination of twisting country lanes and busy motorways, I never had concern about stability or roll.Progress is relatively peaceful. There is just enough engine noise to let you know it's running and if there's a little wind rush from around the front windscreen, none of it is obtrusive.The one thing that did bug me was the dangling key-fob draped onto my right knee and digging into it when I lifted across from throttle to brake. Why is this still such a common oversight these days? Answers on a postcard.It has to be said that many compact multi-purpose vehicles these days look either bland in the extreme or simply plug ugly, but the Golf Plus, even if it isn't going to turn any heads, has a nice cohesive feel to it. There isn't much of a bonnet but there's enough to make it more-car-than-box shaped, the air-scoop under its chin is gaping enough to give it a purposeful look, and the lack of unnecessary folds or lumps on its flanks and round the back keep it looking clutter-free.For me the mini-MPV is as much of a mystery as the urban 4x4. Most have more features than are ever used by their owners - much like the Swiss Army Knife with 48 tools, only two of which (the large blade and the nail file) you ever use. But they're selling points so you pay your money and take your choice.That said, it's difficult to fault the Golf Plus 1.6 FSI SE on any substantial point to do with comfort, flexibility, safety, image, practicality or even value for money when you consider the still strong residuals for Volkswagen. The main competitors are seen by the company as Ford's Focus C-MAX, the Peugeot 307, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the car that began the concept, the Renault Megane Scenic. For me it wins on looks, carries the German quality badge well and gives more flexibility than most people could be bothered to use in a year. Engine 1598cc, 4 cylinders Power 113bhp Transmission 5-speed manual Fuel/CO2 34.9mpg / 178g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 11.8 seconds Top speed 116mph Price £15,585 Details correct at publication date
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