Punching above their weight, a selection of Volkswagen's new line-up of Category A cars was offered to the media over a two-day drive trip to Kuantan, Malaysia.

With a list of twisty B-roads and sweeping plantation stretches littered across the two-day drive itinerary, Volkswagen must be pretty confident that their line-up of Cat A cars will be able to tackle the challenging Malaysian roads with aplomb.

Not that I doubt any of the cars in the line-up, after all, I've driven most of them and they're all exceptional cars. But these are rough and tough Malaysian roads we are talking about. The plantation routes are often bumpy and potholes are aplenty. This won't simply be a test of the car's handling or agility, it will push the limits of each car's suspension geometry and set-up.

Before we get to that though, the line-up. A new-ish range of models with a variation of engines now fits nicely under the COE Category A segment, and they include the Polo 1.2 TSI with 90 bhp all the way to the 122 bhp Passat 1.4 TSI. A variety of sporty and lifestyle models are also going to be on sale, the popular Beetle 1.2 TSi continues to be made available, and a 122 bhp Golf Cabriolet will be up for grabs in the coming months.

Of the models mentioned above, I had the pleasure of trying the Beetle and the Passat during this trip, along with the Jetta 1.4 TSI and Golf 1.4 TSI, both pushing 122 bhp. In addition to that, Volkswagen brought along the latest base-model Golf 1.2 TSI. It produces an identical 105 bhp despite being a new engine. The beauty of this entry-level Golf is that it will carry a lower price tag because of it's lower OMV, allowing it to 'escape' higher taxes imposed by the tiered ARF fees.

We were all given road books with directions to various rest stops where we would break for meals and car swaps. I started the trip with the largest car, the Passat 1.4 TSI. The Passat is an impressive piece of kit, it's got all the features of a large sedan, at the cost of a Cat A COE car - perfect! On Singapore roads, the Passat has more than enough punch to get it going, and I'm pleased to say that it's no different once you're cruising on long Malaysian highways. It is a cinch to drive and performs even better at high speeds, so much so the Passat didn't feel like a small capacity car at all. It was the perfect car to start off the early stage of the trip on the North South Highway.

After lunch, I immediately hopped onto the Golf 1.4 TSI, a car I've loved from the moment I drove it many months ago. This time though, I had the opportunity to push it harder and see if it would shine like it does on familiar roads back home. The breath-taking roads were made even more amazing by being in the Golf. Turn after turn, curve after curve, bump after bump, the Golf conquered them all. With 'only' 122 bhp, the Golf managed to pull itself out of tight corners with such gusto, and the suspension swallowed irregularities in the roads with such ease, inspiring even more confidence with each stretch of road I covered.

All that fun eventually came to a stop when we reached Kuantan and checked into our hotel for the day. The cars were washed down and prepped for another day of driving the next day. Anticipating another awesome day of driving (and squabbling over who gets to drive what), I devised a plan take the new Golf 1.2 TSI out. Okay, it wasn't much of a plan actually, Regan Ong from sgcarmart and myself just decided to wake up really early and take it out before anyone else!

It was well worth the effort. For one, the sunrise along the coast of Kuantan was spectacular and the capable Golf 1.2 TSI made it all even better. As we explored for locations to shoot the car, the Golf was simply a joy to steer around. It's not until you find an empty stretch of road and floor it, then you'll sense the lack of 'meat' in the force that propels the Golf. It's not that the Golf is slow, in fact it's accelerating quite briskly, but the strain does come through.

But all the other awesome traits of the Golf remain. Sharp steering, agile handling, superb suspension set-up and robust brakes, they're all there. It even comes equipped with ESP, 7 airbags, XDS electronic differential lock, a touch-screen interface and 16-inch sports rims! Base model you say?

The car that took me home was the Beetle 1.2 TSI. Though I was a passenger for the most part, the Beetle revealed it's wild side when we fought all the way from being the last car in the group, to being the first to reach the Volkswagen showroom, and it's not because everyone else was being leisurely. In fact, at one point, it looked like half the convoy was part of a world rally championship stage!

Yes it was immensely fun, and the one thing I took back from this trip is that Volkswagen's Cat A models are an impressive lot that successfully punch above their weight. Which makes me wonder if the Cat A COE will really go down after all...