If someone had asked me what I thought a sportsvan should look like I can say, with absolute honesty, that this particular version of the ubiquitous Golf is not it. Of course, it won’t be called the Sportsvan here, that particular moniker is reserved for mainland Europe. Here it will simply be known as the Golf SV. I can’t be the only one expecting something a little less, well, Postman Pat.

The Golf SV is the sequel to the Golf Plus – now that’s a name that left you in no doubt as to what to expect – which launched in 2005. Now pay attention because I’m going to talk statistics now and I will be asking questions later: It is 134mm longer than its predecessor and 224mm shorter than the estate version but 83mm longer than the hatchback. That additional length has allowed for an extra 48mm between the wheels, freeing up additional space for occupants. The SV is a not insignificant 81mm wider and 125mm taller too.

While VW would like you to believe that what you’re essentially driving around in, then, is an oversized Golf the SV is, in fact, more like a very small van and, in 1.6TDi guise at least, not remotely sporty. In fact, viewed from the side, it’s hard to imagine that the SV shares any of its DNA with other members of the Golf family.

Viewed from the front or back, however, and the SV has got VW written all over, literally, if you include the prominent badges. It’s hard to get excited about the styling of a van, even a small one, but VW’s conservative approach and the use of the Golf name has at least produced a car that I’m not too embarrassed to drive during daylight hours.

Thanks to the enlarged dimensions the interior does feel cavernous and, of course, the extra legroom the lengthened wheelbase has liberated in the back is more than welcome but I just don’t see the benefit of the additional height when the only place that’s useable is in the boot. Personally I’d rather sacrifice some of that extra height for a slightly sleeker look and call it the Golf Estate…

While I might not be enamoured by the car’s looks, it’s impossible to fault the quality of the interior, or its beautiful simplicity. There are very few buttons on the centre console, which is dominated by a relatively small – 5.8inch – but easy to use touchscreen. The inclusion of a proximity sensor is simply genius.

Equipment on the SE includes Bluetooth, DAB radio, air-con, adaptive cruise control, seven airbags city brake assist and seatback picnic tables which, strangely in my view, were hinged at the top so I’m not sure that they wouldn’t be prone to collapse under the weight of a three-course meal.

It’s hard to fault the seats either, which are comfortable and provide plenty of vertical and lateral support. I did feel the need to adjust the seat into a slightly more upright position with the base raised higher than I would normally but overall the driving position was pretty much spot on and, coupled with a generous acreage of glass, provides excellent all-round visibility.

Rear seats that you can slide fore and aft by 180mm and recline, either in one piece or a 60/40 split, add a little flexibility to the passenger space and legroom in the back remains excellent even with the rear bench in its mid-way setting. Given that the SV rises an extra 12.5cm above the Earth compared to the standard Golf there is, of course, ample headroom.

Despite my reservations about the styling, on the move the SV is all Golf. The steering is direct and responsive, and there’s a fair amount of grip on turn-in. On tight and twisty B roads it’s clear that the compromise between ride and handling has been well struck with the suspension soaking up bumps and ruts with very little fuss while the SV eats up motorway miles with insatiable greed.

Road noise can be a little intrusive at motorway speeds on less than smooth surfaces but, unless you’re accelerating hard, the engine is barely audible and there’s no wind noise to speak of. The manual five-speed gearbox is smooth and precise but the DSG dual-clutch auto is available as an option on the majority of the models in the range.

Boot capacity is 500 litres with the rear seats fully aft increasing to 590 litres with them moved forward. Folding them flat liberates 1,520 litres. There’s also the option of adding a front passenger seat that folds forward, creating a load space nearly 2.5 metres in length. The floor of the boot can be set to various heights, including flush with the boot lip, to make loading and unloading easier.

Once you get beyond the Postman Pat looks, there’s undoubtedly a MkVII Golf lurking beneath the SV’s oversized clothing. It’s a vast improvement over the Golf Plus, the car it replaces and which a fraction more than 42,000 Brits parted with their cash for, but there remains a distinct lack of innovative thinking in comparison to some of its rivals. That’s one of the reasons why it’s hard to make a case for the SV against the Golf Estate. The SV is solidly built, comfortable and, I’ll wager, handles substantially better than Pat’s van, but I think that VW could have been a lot more creative with all that space to create a compelling argument for choosing their small MPV. I would, without hesitation recommend buying a Golf to anyone, just not this one.

VW Golf SV SE 1.6-litre TDI

From: £22,785

As tested: £24,620

Engine: 1.6-litre TDI

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Power: 108bhp

Maximum speed: 119mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 11.3sec

Urban: 62.8mpg

Extra urban: 80.7mpg

Combined: 72.4mpg

Emissions (CO2): 101g/km

For more information about the Golf SV and other cars from VW click here.