Volkswagen’s all-new sixth generation Golf lineup is already on sale in Europe and will be launched in Australia in the upcoming months.
Possibly reflecting the corporate muscle being exerted on the company by Porsche, its largest shareholder, Volkswagen has been prudent in making the new Golf simple and easy to manufacture – thus improving profitability.
Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board at Volkswagen AG, conceded that the current Golf model sold spectacularly well around the world, received glowing praise from the automotive media, was loved by its owners and chartered a course for re-entry into the North American market – but it was just too complicated (thus too costly) to manufacture.
Generation 5 Golf models currently sold in Australia are actually manufactured at Volkswagen’s plant in South Africa however the generation 6 models will be sourced from the company’s head office in the beautiful German city of Wolfsburg.
While visually similar to the model it replaces, the 2009 Golf is all-new and bristles with high tech features – for example all of the petrol and diesel engines comply with the upcoming European EU-5 standard for emissions and across the range have delivered improved fuel economy by up to 28 per cent.
Golf 6 also debuts Volkswagen’s version of automatic distance control (ACC), adaptive chassis control (DCC) and something called ‘park steering assistant’. All of that means extra safety – as does standard seven airbags (including a knee airbag) and special head restraints designed to counteract whiplash.
Designed by Italian Walter de Silva, Volkswagen experts will attest that the all-new Golf actually has more curves than any previous Golf but remains true to the basic design DNA that dates back to 1974.Mr de Silva claims the front-end styling of the new model is reminiscent of the first generation Golfwhile the C-pillar draws on inspiration from the fourth generation model.
Inside there is a lot more brushed chrome than the current Golf and round instruments derived from the new Passat CC – the result is a distinctly upmarket feel.
Two diesel and two petrol engines will be offered – all significantly re-engineered while the conventional automatic transmission has been jettisoned and replaced by Volkswagen’s miraculous duel-clutch direct shift transmission (DSG) 6-speed or 7-speed depending on the engine.
