We’ve already seen the new Golf, its chubbier Golf Plus cousin and sleek Scirocco sibling, but there’s still plenty to come from VW’s iconic hatchback – including an all-new Jetta, as well as Tiguan and Touran spin-offs. And that’s before we get onto details such as new active cruise control and intelligent light system technology…
Interesting… tell me more about the new VW Jetta
Sitting on a components set that’s half Golf and half MQB, the three-box Jetta – known internally as VW361 – sits on a wheelbase extended by 70mm over the Golf for serious lounging space. Expect the engine line-up to start with the 105bhp 1.2 TSI unit.
And the VW Touran?
Sustained development for the Touran has persuaded management to postpone the launch of the all-new model until January 2013, so expect a pick-me-up facelift in early 2010 and the arrival of the Jetta’s 1.2 TSI and the 90 and 105bhp version of the 1.6 TDI. In mid-2011 the Eos receives the family’s new dechromed face to breathe some life into it before in 2013.
What about all that new Golf technology?
The Golf and its variants will be packed with it: digital audio, a sophisticated four-action self-parking aid, a bi-xenon-based intelligent light system, an £800 low-cost active cruise control, keyless go, adaptive dampers and a rear-view camera will all extend the options list. Fuel misers will welcome the Golf Bluemotion II returns, this time with start-stop system and almost certainly both in 1.2 TSI petrol and 1.6 TDI form.
All change for Golf engines then…
The heavy and thirsty VR6 engine in the R32 gets canned – in late 2009 it will be superseded either by a turbocharged 2.5-litre five or by a brawny 2.0-litre TSI, both delivering around 272bhp. Timing of the controversial plug-in hybrid Golf is still iffy, but VW is preparing a suitable 75bhp lithium-ion battery pack which should be ready by 2011 when it is expected to debut in a smaller model.
Why the big investment in the Golf range? Look at the whole family and it’s no surprise it accounts for 750,000 sales per year, spread over 180 different markets. It’s the backbone of Volkswagen’s business.