Category: Volkswagen

The Mk7 Golf GTI concept, to be unveiled in Paris, has been revealed by German publication Auto Bild in a series of five images.

Powered by a 2.0 litre turbo, the newest Golf GTI will boast 220hp (164kW), able to be boosted to 230hp (171kW) thanks to an optional Performance Package. That’s up 9kW and 16kW respectively on the 155kW offered by the Mk6 GTI. Torque increases more significantly, by 70Nm, to a new max of 350Nm.

We already know to expect the Golf VII GTI to shed as much as 100kg from the outgoing model and there’s also a very good chance a proper limited slip diff will be in the offing.

You’ll need around 6.6 seconds to reach 100km/h on the way to a top speed of 246km/h. The Performance Package reduces the 100km/h sprint by 0.1 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.6l/100km.

Visually, the Golf GTI follows the tried and proven path established with the Mk1 and Mk2 models and revived since the Mk5 model. That is, subtle but noticeable styling tweaks over the standard Golf that are enough to make a worthwhile statement.

The extension of the red trim through the front grille into the headlight cluster, featuring LED DRLs and bi-xenons, is a nice touch and helps to make the car appear wider. At the back LED rear lights are also different from the lower rent models.

For some reason Volkswagen still hasn’t killed off the horrible 17″ Denver alloys, but at least they can be cast aside in favour of Detroit, Glendale allays, as well as the new Brooklyn alloys you see here.

It’s standard GTI fare inside, including the familiar tartan trim and red stitching on the bolstered sports style seats. The red stitching extends to the new three-spoke steering wheel and other selected interior features.

While this will be badged a concept model in Paris we’ve seen before from Volkswagen that we can pretty much accept this is what the new GTI will look like. Expect it to go on sale in Europe before the middle of next year and if all goes well our guess is we could see it in Australia by late 2013.

We reckon Volkswagen will pull the trigger on the official info very soon and we’ll be back with all the details as soon as we can.

[Source: Auto Bild via WCF]

Volkswagen has adapted the old adage from form follows function to form follows resale. At least that’s one way to interpret the comments of VW’s design boss Walter de Silva who said: “There is a certain security in our design. When you know that it keeps the resale value, it’s important for a family. That’s our intention.”

De Silva expanded on his views, given to Automotive News, by saying: “We are convinced that the long period of overdesign, too many lines, too much styling is dropping down. It can’t be only for one or two seasons.

“People want to understand what they buy.”

So now you know why the new Golf VII looks the way it does. And don’t go expecting any flame surfacing, a la BMW or even Mazda to a lesser extent, any time soon.

Now, when can we debate de Silva’s claims of Volkswagens holding their resale?

[Source: Automotive News]

Volkswagen’s micro city car and current World Car of the Year, the rather painfully named up!, has hit Australian shores. It’s available in three and five door layouts and pricing starts at a very cheerful $13,990. A reasonably short options list ensures the up! remains a value buy for those on a strict budget.

The Slovakian built model is just 3.54m long and 1.64m wide; sure to fit in most confined spaces. It seats four passengers and with its frugal 1.0 litre three cylinder petrol engine should sip fuel at the miserly rate of 4.9l/100km. Yet, with only 55kW/95Nm on tap from that monster donk, and a 0–100km time of 13.2 seconds, don’t start thinking the up! is going to do much more than look cute when you mash the pedal to the metal. For now, Australian buyers have to make do with a 5-speed manual transmission.

While it’s cheap and not very powerful Volkswagen hasn’t shied away from adding some decent tech to the car. Notably the up! features City Emergency Braking, which automatically operates between 5–30km/h and scans the road for hazards up to 10m ahead. If you’re not paying attention the up! will do the braking for you.

For a small fee of $500 you can get the 5″ Maps + more portable infotainment device. It looks like a no-brainer to us and as well as navigation it also brings a trip computer, hands-free phone access and more.

The up! might be small, but it’s done enough to earn a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. It’s not the best in class, but ranks quite highly in the Supermini class.

We’re very keen to see how the Australian market accepts the up!—will it sell well or will people think it’s just that little bit too small? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Following the official reveal of the all new Volkswagen Golf VII it hasn’t taken long for the sighting of what is believed to be the next Golf R to take place.

Debate surrounds the placement of the exhausts for the next-gen R; will they be quad tipped, with a pair at either side of the car, as these images show, or will VW return to the current centrally mounted twin tips as seen on the Mk6 Golf R?

Also, to us, the front spoiler treatment looks a little too conservative. It’s true that Volkswagen’s warmed over Golfs are never really that out there, but this seems a bit too plain for our expectations. It’s hard to tell in these spy shots, but it looks like the R could have matte coloured mirrors as well, instead of the gloss black seen on the Mk6.

We’ve had no further bids on predicted power, which means we’re still expecting around 210kW from a 2.0 litre turbocharged four cylinder.

[Source: WCF | Pics: Automedia]

If the latest report from Autocar is to be believed this humble looking three-door Volkswagen Golf VII is the stuff of GTI fanboi dreams. For now it’s being called the ‘Carbon GTI’ and it will be a limited edition model sitting above the regular GTI.

Actually, more correctly, perhaps, we should say it will sit below the regular GTI. That’s because the use of advanced aluminium and lightweight carbon fibre body panels will contribute to a hefty weight loss in the vicinity of 200kg (compared to a current model Golf GTI). The target weight is said to be 1125kg. Not bad hey.

The technology used to create the lightweight body panels could also be used in frugal hybrid and electric model Golfs. This should also help to amortise development costs.

Driving thrills are expected to be enhanced by the introduction of a VAQ front differential. The VAQ is an adaptation of the next-generation Haldex V technology, usually applied to all-wheel drive models.

According to the report, prototype testing with the VAQ diff at the Nürburgring cuts eight seconds per lap compared to development mules with a standard diff.

Power for the Carbon GTI will be lifted directly from the normal 2.0 litre turbo GTI engine, which is expected to offer around 165kW. But with the VAQ diff for enhanced steering precision and grip, and the drop in weight, 0–100 times should be below six seconds.

Best predictions for timing suggest the Carbon GTI could hit the streets in 2014. Just in time for the Golf’s 40th birthday celebrations (Note: the Mk1 Golf GTI debuted in 1976).

We want this report to be 100% accurate and, with all the goodness of GTI fanboi blood coursing through our veins, we want to see a Carbon GTI in the AUSmotive HQ garage. Volkswagen, please, make it so!

[Source: Autocar]

So far Volkswagen has only presented us with official pics of the five door Golf VII. But if you go to the German Volkswagen website and muck around with their online configurator you can see what a three door Golf VII looks like.

Whether Australia will ever see the three door layout for the new Golf is unknown, but, sadly, we think it’ll be unlikely. We can live in hope!

We’ve sourced a few more photos of the new Golf VII from the main Volkswagen media portal and added them here to the pics we brought you this morning, there’s 37 photos in all. We expect there’ll be more to come when the lights are turned on at the Paris Motor Show (29 September – 14 October). If so, we’ll be one of the first to bring them to you.

We’ve got a couple of new videos showcasing the Volkswagen Golf VII. Keep an eye on this post as we’ll be sure to add new videos as they come to hand.

[Thanks to Ben for the tip]

UPDATE: Video showing 8″ multimedia touchscreen has been added.

New versus old: In this series of seven images we compare the new Mk7 Golf against the previous Mk6 model. As is often the case with new releases, it’s not until you see them alongside the older model that the new changes begin to make sense. Certainly, we think that is the case here. The VII takes on a more dynamic and modern look against the VI.

All the pics have the Mk7 on the left and the Mk6 on the right. Make sure you click on the photos to load the 2000px super images which will allow you to better compare each model.

We’d love to hear what you think: does the Mk7 look better than the Mk6?