These are the first pictures of the new Mk7 Volkswagen Golf. Caught undergoing initial testing in Germany’s Eiffel mountains, we’ll see the first variants arrive in 2012.
Thanks to worldwide recession, Mk6 Golf sales are down 60,000 units in the first two quarters of 2009. But rather than speeding up the introduction of the Mk7 Golf, the downturn means Volkswagen will squeeze an extra few months out of the current car because of the costly takeover of Porsche.
What will the new Volkswagen Golf Mk7 look like?
We don’t yet know. Although the introduction of the new car has been delayed slightly, the design schedule hasn’t changed, aso the styling won’t actually be frozen until the middle of 2010.
Design chief Walter de’Silva recently admitted in an interview that choosing a design for the Mk7 Golf was causing him sleepless nights, and CAR understands that the choice has been narrowed down to two designs. Expect de’Silva to choose a mix of the two, working to keep the instantly recognisable look of the Golf, while still trying to move away from the evolutionary look. Tough job.
What about under the skin?
The new Golf will sit on the Volkswagen Group’s new flexible MQB platform, which will first be used on the 2011 Audi A3. It’s flexible enough that it’ll also sit under the new Passat, due in late 2011. Underpinning the Mk7 it should shave 130kg off the Mk6’s kerbweight.
Up first will be the three- and five-dorr hatches. After that there’s a slew of replacements for current Golf-derived models, and a few other potentials. The Touran and Tiguan will both receive longer wheelbases, as will the Golf Estate, which will be twinned with a replacement for the Jetta. There will also be a Golf Plus, and if VW can make it work, a Golf CC. The CC may not appear until mid-2013, and it could be developed with a Golf coupe.
>> Click ‘Next’ below to find out more about the next-gen Volkswagen Golf
There’s going to be a Golf coupe?
In character not unlike the Skoda Tudor design exercise introduced in 2002, the Golf coupe is a classic four-seater with a spacious luggage compartment capable of holding approximately 450 litres. Design-wise, it should blend elements of the Passat CC with the Bauhaus simplicity of the Golf Mk7. A concept version of a Golf coupe is expected at the Geneva motor show in 2010, but its impact on the Scirocco will be watched closely.
And developed alongside the coupe will be a cabrio Golf. The Golf Mk5 never had its roof chopped, and because of the shorter-than-anticipated life cycle, the proposed Golf Mk6 cabrio was cancelled before the R&D work gained momentum. But after 550,000 Golf soft-tops (that´s Mk1 and Mk3 together), customers have kept clamouring for an encore.
The fabric-top model may in fact be among the first bodystyles to be launched – after all, the relatively small production volume should help engineering and production to eliminate the bugs before the output is ramped up with the introduction of the three- and five-door hatchbacks.
What will the new Golf cabrio be like?
The new Golf cabrio will be positioned between the Audi A3 soft-top and the VW Eos which is tipped to move up-market – its replacement due in 2013 will wear the Passat moniker, sources say.
Unlike Ford and Opel, VW remains loyal to the classic fabric top. Typical cabrio assets are said to include pop-up rollover protection elements, a folding rear bench for extra stowage capacity, special open-air features like wind deflector and neck warmer, and a low-noise power-operated top with heated rear window.
>> Click ‘Next’ below to find out about the new engines destined for the Golf
What about some fancy technology?
Both coupe and convertible will preview many of the goodies VW is preparing for the Golf Mk7 family. The list of innovations is topped by such new driver assistance systems as traffic sign recognition, lane guidance & lane departure warning, an automatic parking aid, fatigue sensor and head-up display. In combination with the optional LED headlights the next Golf will boast adaptive main beam assist, an innovative system which mixes different grades of luminous reach and intensity. The completely redesigned cockpit can be equipped with a variety of primary and secondary displays, a keyless access & protection system and an advanced sat-nav offering tactical route optimisation (TRO).
How does this work? By scanning the programmed route, the electronic map reader prepares the driver for sharp corners, speed limits, climbs and descents, providing shift recommendations and suggesting acceleration/deceleration manoeuvres in the process. TRO is expected to yield astonishing mpg results, especially on Bluemotion Golfs.
What about under the bonnet of the Golf and all its variants?
Like all seventh-generation Golfs, the cabrio and coupe will benefit from a variety of new, more efficient drivetrains. At the bottom end of the scale, VW is preparing two frugal three-cylinder engines, a 1.2-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol unit and a 1.2-litre diesel. At the top end there’ll be a torquey GTD and the 276bhp R
Four-wheel will be an option on the more powerful diesels, again standard on the R, while there will also be eco-friendly Bluemotion versions. In addition to the Golf Bluemotion, VW is planning two different hybrid versions. The lesser variant matches a 1.6-litre diesel to a 27bhp electric motor, the more radical TwinDrive concept features a 122bhp 1.4-litre TSI engine in combination with a 82bhp e-power unit. While the diesel hybrid aims primarily at European markets, the petrol version targets the US.
As far as transmissions are concerned, the six- or seven-speed dual-clutch layout remains the gearbox of choice with three different torque-related calibrations labelled DQ200/250/500.
Together with existing derivatives like the Golf Plus, Estate, Scirocco, Tiguan and Touran, the new Golf cabrio and coupe are bound to consolidate the Golf’s position as the world’s best-selling compact car.
>> Click ‘Add your comment’ below and let us know what you think of VW’s plans for the new Mk7 Golf