William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

September 4, 2012

Please give a warm welcome to the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf, introduced today in Germany. Volkswagen says the next-generation Golf offers "more features, even better safety, and more performance."

The design of the new Golf is an evolution of the last-generation Golf, with sharper lines, an smaller grille, and other changes.

"One of the keys to the Golf’s success lies in its continuity. There are a handful of cars with a design that, like the Golf’s, has been refined, tweaked and enhanced down the decades and thus become timeless." said Walter de Silva, Head of Design for Volkswagen AG.

The big story with the Golf is the weight-loss. Volkswagen dropped almost 220 lbs from new model thanks to the new MQB platform and other weight saving measures. The new Golf also features more high-strength steel in the body.

As for the European market, the Golf will come a range of gasoline and diesel engines, and the choice between of six-speed manual and six-/seven-speed DSG transmission. The European market model will also include a load of new safety tech.

The new Golf will be shown at the Paris Motor Show later this month with sales beginning later on. Information about when and what will be the U.S. Golf will come sometime next year.

Source: Volkswagen

Press Release is on Page 2

Herndon, VA, Sep 4, 2012 - Volkswagen today unveiled the new Golf, its best-selling car, at a press conference in Berlin, Germany. This seventh-generation version of one of the world’s most popular cars is striking in that it offers more features, even better safety, and more performance than the outgoing vehicle, while breaking the cycle of being heavier than its predecessor.

Overcoming the weight spiral

Indeed, the latest Golf is up to 220 pounds lighter than the outgoing car, thanks to careful focus on weight savings in all aspects of the car’s construction, from the electrical architecture through to the engines and the body-in-white. The air conditioning unit is, for example, six pounds lighter than the old car’s; the seats have shed 15 pounds; and the body-in-white is 51 pounds lighter. One major reason for the bodyshell’s weight loss is the extensive use of high- and ultra-high strength steels. The share of the high-strength steels overall has gone from 66 percent in the previous Golf to 80 percent in the new one. Of this, the share of ultra-high-strength steel has gone from six to 28 percent.

Better fuel efficiency

One benefit of lowering the Golf’s weight is better fuel economy: the European-market 1.4 TSI® that uses a 140-horsepower, turbocharged, 1.4-liter engine fitted with cylinder de-activation gets a European Cycle combined fuel consumption figure of 49 mpg, while the base 105-horsepower TDI® Clean Diesel engine delivers 62 mpg on the EC combined cycle.

Longer, lower, wider

The new Golf is 2.2 inches longer than the old car, with an overall length of 167.5 inches. Similarly, the wheelbase has grown by 2.3 inches to 103.8 inches. Since the front wheels are now located 1.7 inches further forward, the proportions are sportier, the crash structure is improved, and the interior package further optimized. The new car is 0.8 inches lower and 0.5 inches wider than the old car.

Improved interior

The new Golf is more spacious, with a passenger compartment that is 0.6 inches longer than before, giving 0.6 inches more rear kneeroom. Shoulder room is improved by 1.2 inches in both the back and front of the car. Cargo capacity has also been enhanced, while the load area is more accessible.

A key feature of the interior is a new infotainment system, which incorporates a five-inch touchscreen, even on entry-level European models. At the top end, the Golf features a navigation system which has a large, eight-inch touchscreen.