Category: Volkswagen

Volkswagen New Zealand has recently launched a Golf GTI section on their website. Surely, Australia can’t be that far away now! After all, new model GTIs have been in the country for at least a month.

Although, to be fair, it’s probably not worth expecting the New Zealand and Australian model roll outs for Volkswagen to follow any sort of sequence, especially as Kiwis get the lovely Scirocco coupé and Australia doesn’t.

A quick glance of the Volkswagen NZ Golf spec sheet (130kb PDF) shows that Kiwi-bound GTIs are only available in five doors and all fitted with the six speed DSG transmission. No Golfs over the pond are available with a manual box.

Other tidbits of note are the prices. Entry level pricing for the GTI is over NZ$57,000 (AU$46,000) and the 18″ Detroit style alloy wheels featured in most of Volkswagen’s press shots are a NZ$2000 (AU$1620) option. Previously in Australia those wheels have only been available over the parts counter for a not so attractive AU$4500.

Until we hear otherwise, the best guess for a local GTI release is October/November. Hopefully the former of those two options.

[Thanks to Luke for the tip]

Some good sleuthing by a member at the VWWatercooled forum has discovered that the previously unconfirmed Golf VI GTD could be coming to Australia after all.

The GTD is powered by a 125kW 2.0 litre common rail diesel engine and produces a Golf GTI beating 350Nm of torque. While its 0-100km/h time of 8.1 seconds won’t frighten too many GTI drivers away, the in gear acceleration is likely to be very impressive.

The information on the GTD’s probable Australian launch comes courtesy of the Road Vehicle Certification System which “allows vehicle manufacturers to electronically certify that the vehicles that they supply to the Australian market meet prescribed safety standards specified in the Australian Design Rules.”

According to the data both the new Golf GTI and the diesel-powered GTD were certified at the end of July. Also sneaking in on the GTD page is a 77kW 1.6 litre TDI.

With a few local sightings already of the Golf VI GTI model, and an October release looking likely, will the GTD be announced at the same time?

Watch this space for more information as it comes to hand.

[Source: VWWatercooled | Thanks to Phil for the tip]

News of the demise of the V6 powered Golf R32 has been around for some time now. So too, then, has speculation over what Volkswagen would produce to replace the gap left in its R model range. Consensus seems to indicate the gap will be filled rather nicely by a 200kW Audi S3 inspired Mk6 Golf R20.

Back in March rumours were suggesting the R20 riddle would be solved in September with a full reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, only a few weeks away from the Frankfurt show, Autocar has published spy shots that start to give some real weight to the R20 rumours.

You can see from the front grille that there is likely to be massive air intakes similar to the Scirocco R. For the first time, we can also see that Volkswagen may continue with R32-like centre mount twin exhausts.

Along with the usual suspension and chassis tweaks one would expect with a model such as the R20, it is now beginning to appear that Volkswagen’s 4motion all-wheel drive system will be fitted to the R20. That the 195kW Scirocco R is lacking the Haldex AWD system is perhaps its biggest disappointment. Of course, giving the R20 an AWD system does help to set it apart from its coupé cousin.

Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for official confirmation of the R20 at Frankfurt. If all goes to plan you can probably expect Volkswagen to release details a few days before the Frankfurt show begins. So, lets take a stab at Tuesday 15 September (Australian time).

[Source: Autocar]

UPDATE 15 September: The above speculation for release information was bang on the money—CLICK HERE!

Those of you waiting for the new Mk6 Golf GTI to reach Australian shores will be pleased with the anonymous tip I received from an AUSmotive reader yesterday. Apparently a truck carrying a new GTI was seen heading from Port Kembla towards Minto in Sydney’s south west.

That may seem innocent enough, of course, but Port Kembla is one of the unloading points after cars are shipped to Australia, and Minto is the location of PrixCar, who are contracted by a number of manufacturers to make basic preparations to cars prior to registration.

Volkswagen Australia have been understandably cagey about release details for their latest Golf hero. The best info I’ve been able to get my hands on is that the GTI will be launched in October this year.

So, back to our GTI on the truck. An educated guess would indicate that, firstly an October release looks realistic and, secondly, that the GTI in question is most likely to form part of Volkswagen Australia’s press/launch fleet. This would allow reviews to take place during September in line for publication shortly after the car’s national launch. If previous form is anything to go by expect to see the first published reviews in the major daily newspapers, with the big car mags to follow.

Now, if all that GTI talk is leaving you too excited, then take a squiz this Evo magazine review where they put the new GTI up against that other car Volkswagen Australia should be bringing down under, the stunning Scirocco.

Oh, extra excitement for GTI fans may be just around the corner, too. Remember that speculation suggests the rumoured 200kW Golf R20T (or whatever it will be called) is due for an official reveal next month in Frankfurt.

UPDATE: Thanks to Ed who reports of spotting a GTI at Fremantle earlier this week. See the comments section below.

[Thanks to Matt for the review tip]

Mark Hall, from Adelaide, has recently taken delivery of the 100,000th Golf to be sold in Australia. Hall purchased a 118TSI model from Solitaire Volkswagen. He has chosen wisely, too, if international judges are anything to go by.

Earlier in the year the Mk6 Golf was awarded the World Car of the Year honour, and a few months later the 1.4 TSI engine won the coveted International Engine of the Year.

Amazingly, the first ever Mk1 Golf to be registered in Australia is still in the hands of its original owner. Dirk Goudberg was employed by Volkswagen from 1958 to 1976 and this enabled him to get an early piece of Golf action in Australia. Goudberg’s car, first registered in 1975, was one of the first six Golfs to roll down local assembly lines.

For a potted history of the Golf, which has now sold in excess of 26 million models worldwide, check the presser after the jump. There’s a few interesting Australian milestones included, too.