Sometimes. Some things, a human can sense first and react to it before the car sees it coming. Other things (those that you can't predict because your view is blocked for example), the car reacts faster. An attentive, safe driver together with a car that also works to protect the driver is what works best. You shouldn't rely on either. Don't drive an idiot because you have a safe car, cause that won't protect you. But also don't drive an unsafe car just because you think you're a safe driver and that's all that's needed.
So...? Mine was produced late 2012, so it's one of the earliest Mk 7.

Aanyway, VW changes their car throughout the production run, for example the adaptive cruise control got a downgrade for the 2014 model year, they are using a cheaper, not so good radar now. And I don't like the latest refresh of the Discover Pro GPS unit. They dropped the buttons and dials which I use all the time and find super useful.

It's the 1.4 TSI, but with a 6 speed manual. Not my favorite manual gearbox (too much focus on easy to drive), but it does the job. It's a lot better than VWs 5 speed manual they offer with entry level engines, and obviously it's way way way way better than the manual box Perodua uses.

In any case, I wouldn't buy a car without the safety specs on my car anymore, except if it were a weekend car that mostly sees racetrack use. There it's ok, but as a daily driver it needs to have this safety stuff. It's not just safer, it's also much more comfortable.