The Golf and Beetle rag-tops are on their way, but the proposed Polo convertible has been mothballed by the cooling economic climate, while the Eos gets upgraded to a Passat convertible… Yes, it’s all change for Volkswagen’s cabriolet ambitions.
The Golf if the key car here – spill the beans…
At a 2009 motor show – Geneva perhaps – VW will unveil a Golf speedster concept that will hint strongly at the convertible, out in mid-2010. The move to reintroduce the iconic four-seater was initiated by new VW boss Martin Winterkorn, who realised the significance of the car – and the work that needed to be done for its arrival.
Surely you just launch it…?
It’s not that easy – the roofless Golf’s arrival means both Audi A3 rag-top and Eos have to be repositioned. Which means the next A3 cabrio is going to be derived from the A3 saloon that Audi’s preparing especially for the North American market. This results in different dimensions and larger proportions to push it up the ladder slightly to give the Golf some marketing room in which to breathe. At the same time, the Eos MkII will evolve into the Passat Cabriolet.
So that’s the planning – what about the car itself?
Unlike the rakish two-seater concept, the production Golf cabrio will be a four-seater, based on the three-door hatch, and will use the same fabric roof mechanism as the open-and-shut Audi A3. It will almost certainly stick to fixed rear rollover protection elements and to a well insulated soft top which folds without a cover. New features include push-button operation, a self-erecting wind deflector and a pair of air-scarf neck warmers.
Will it have a long-life like the Golf cabrios of yore?
Oy yes. The Golf VI cabriolet must cover two model generations – the short-lived Golf VI and the Golf VII generated from the breakthrough modular transverse matrix MQB, which should continue well into 2018. To ensure its broad appeal, there will be a half a dozen engines to chose from: starting with a 120bhp 1.4 TSI, 150bhp 1.4 TSI and 200bhp 2.0 TSI petrol, plus 105bhp 1.6 TDI, 140bhp 2.0 TDI and 170bhp 2.0 TDI, all hooked up to DSG dual-clutch transmissions with either six or seven cogs.
What about the Beetle convertible and Eos?
The Beetle rag-top should arrive in time for summer 2010, and like the tin-top, should sport a much more in-your-face look. Expect it to use the same cloth-roof system as the Golf and A3 cabriolets.
The Eos is an interesting one. Its move upmarket could happen two ways – it may happen early to tie in with the planned Eos facelift in 2011, in which case the retractable hardtop would be taken over unchanged. Or the Passat cab may be the outcome of the next-gen Eos, out in 2013, which would enable VW’s designers to switch to a lighter and better packaged soft-top and to extend the wheelbase by a couple of inches for a much-needed boost to rear legroom.
Decisions, decisions…
