"IT'S quiet", said nearly everyone who travelled in the Volkswagen e-Golf.

Some were even heard to exclaim the word "Electric!" when told this is the latest Golf to join the range and the silence is deafening and enduring as the miles silently roll by under the low friction tyres.

The fact is that up to a point there is no compromise in driving the Volkswagen e-Golf, it's as straightforward as driving most automatics and slightly easier than some.

From standstill it's respectably and practically brisk to keep up with traffic and it can be pushed to overtake fairly quickly too as there is no delay but strong acceleration underfoot.

Fine-tune the electric system and you can select the degree of regenerative braking you engage to recharge the big traction battery to extend the e-Golf's range.

Volkswagen dealers will sell you an e-Golf with a nationwide charging package and advise on installing a British Gas free rapid charger at home and a full charge costs a little over £3.00 (three pounds).

The 24.2KWh battery pack and 85KW/115ps AC electric motor are EU tested to give the e-Golf a normal range of 118 miles and the lithium-ion battery is covered by an eight year or 99,000 miles warranty and the rest of the car is covered by the familiar three years or 60,000 miles guarantee.

It you wish, Volkswagen has negotiated a discounted hire rate for a conventional car through a major rental company for longer trips you may want to take without stopping to recharge every 90 miles or so.

That said, the e-Golf is a thoroughly usable family five-door with good room and ride, it handles safely and grips well.

Steering has good feedback and ratio to manoeuvre and park in town while the braking retardation is stronger than you might anticipate at first because the system is pushing energy into the battery.

Depending on the surface, ride is compliant or sometimes hard, the absence of mechanical noise throws into relief the tyre rumbles and even make the indicators sound more noticeable.

It is based on the Golf Match and it comes with unique 16-inch alloys and interior trim, LED head and side lights, the addition of two-zone climate control and Discover Pro sat-nav system with eight-inch touchscreen including additional range information, and the option to remotely charge using a signal from a smartphone when it's all connected via the on-board pack.

The recharging is simple but requires patience and planning if you're on a long journey to link into the growing number of available points.