VW VARIANT 1600 "S"

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31088, 17 June 1966, Page 12

VW VARIANT 1600 "S"

rrHE Volkswagen range has A been expanded considerably in recent years, and one of the latest models to arrive in Christchurch is the 1600 “S” Variant (station waggon), which we tested this week.' The 1600 “S” is the most, powerful Volkswagen engine available, and the Variant is also available with a 1500 c.c. single-carburettor engine. The test car was German-; assembled, and the finish was excellent It is a two-door vehicle, with the engine, the familiar air-cooled flat four, under the floor at the rear. The engine is reached by opening the one-piece rear tailgate, which is hinged at the top, and by lifting a rubber mat and a hinged metal cover. The oil level can be checked by removing a cap which is visible when the tailgate is opened. Thus the "hatch” to the engine need only be opened for more major servicing.

Under the bonnet is a shallow luggage boot, the spare wheel and the jack, and fillers for fuel, screen washers and brake fluid reservoir. The battery is under the rear seat. The additional load space is obtained by pulling up and forward the squab of the rear seat, and by folding the seat’s backrest down. There is then plenty of space for luggage, but not quite enough for sleeping. The rear load space is covered with a practical rubber mat, and the floor is covered with a carefully-fitted carpet. The dash is padded, and there is a grab-handle for the frontseat passenger. Assist straps on the door pillars are provided for those in the rear. SEATS

The individual front seats are adjustable for both reach and rake, and a locking device holds the folding backrests firm when the doors are closed. There are seat-belt mountings for all seats. Oddments can be stowed in the large glovebox or in the door map-pockets.

Three dials are visible through the steering wheel; the left containing a large clock, the centre containing the speedometer and odometer, and the right bearing a fuel gauge and warning lights for park lights, turn indicators, main beam, generator and oil pressure. A knob with a push button centre controls both washers and variable-speed wipers, and another knob controls the lights. The indicators are operated by a stalk on the left of the steering column: when the lights are switched off pulling the stalk towards the driver operates a headlight flasher. When the lights are on, it operates the dipswitch. The half horn-ring operates very weak horns. The pedals are offset towards the centre of the car, but one soon becomes used to this. The gear lever, handbrake and two heater levers are between the two front seats. The driver’s sunvisor, which is of the soft “safety” type, has a useful built-in pocket for such items as sunglasses or a small pad. The ignition switch is combined with a steering lock which operates when the key is turned to the position where it can be withdrawn, rendering the car thief-proof. The door-handles are recessed into the door where they cannot cause injury in an accident. HEATING SYSTEM

Screen heating and demisting is controlled by three vertical slides on the dash: the outer slides controlling the air-flow to the screen, and the centre one regulating the temperature of the air. The greater airflow through the passenger-side demisters betrays the car’s left-hand drive origin.

There are four demisting vents, and by adjusting the slides it is possible to have cold air only coming through two of them, while the feet are still being warmed. The other two vents continue to emit warm air, so it is not possible to have cold air only on the face while having warm air on the feet. The two levers between the seats control heating to the body of the car. One directs warm air into the front footwells (slides on the sides of the footwells provide further control) while the other controls the flow to the rear compartment. At low speeds the heater output is directly related to engine (and thus cooling fan) speed, and the system is less efficient than on the open road. Generally it provides a good flow of warm air.

Visibility Visibility is generally good. However, the wipers leave a large uncleared area near the driver’s windscreen pillar,

and the large rear-vision mirror is mounted so low that it obscures vision in some circumstances, for instance when rounding a left-hand curve.

The noise level is fairly high, particularly when accelerating in the intermediate gears. At 30 m.p.h. in top there is a persistent whine, and at all times most of the noise is from the engine. Luggage in the rear compartment would provide some insulation gainst noise, but in any event more soundproofing is needed. ON THE ROAD

The first thing one notices when driving the 1600 Variant is the lightness of the controls. The steering is very light, yet accurate and with plenty of “feel,” and the clutch is also very light. The gearchange is one of the best in any production car, irrespective of price. It is very light and smooth, with unobtrusive but completely effective synchromesh on all forward gears, and the movements are reasonably short. The engine seems very willing and smooth, and the manufacturer’s recommendations of 18 m.p.h. in first, 37 m.p.h. in second, and 56 in top seem conservative. In third, the engine seems perfectly happy to rev up to 70 m.p.h. The Variant is a brisk, if not startling, performer for its size. The engine is not happy below about 26 m.p.h. in top, so third gets plenty

of use in traffic, and is excellent for overtaking. Hillclimbing ability is good. The brakes (discs on the front wheels) are excellent, and came through the fade test without any sign of stress. The handbrake will lock the rear wheels at 30 m.p.h. when the car is lightly laden.

HANDLING The Variant 1600 is the best-handling Volkswagen we have yet tested. The oversteering tendency is still there, but is progressive and easy to correct on both wet and dry roads. On shingle roads, the oversteer is emphasised, and it is unwise to brake too deeply into corners on loose surfaces. An unfortunate feature of the handling is the rather twitchy and uncomfortable behaviour in cross-winds, particularly during cornering. The Volkswagen handled a greasy grass track well. The tail swung out very easily, but quite controllably. In sum, the Volkswagen Variant 1600 “S” is a wellbuilt and very well-finished car with brisk performance, good interior room, excellent gearbox and brakes, and reasonable handling. Although it is not cheap at £1395 (£6OO sterling) many will be attracted by the high standard of the fittings, the solid construction, and the Volkswagen reputation for reliability and long life. It is a car that seems likely to make many friends, and keep them for a long time.