Volkswagen Releases Details On Mk. VI Golf
So after an unexpected leak of Mk. VI pictures, Volkswagen finally released details for the next generation hatchback. Of course, the Mk. VI is a Mk. V under the skin. Move on if you're looking for a new platform. Instead, only the sheetmetal is different and that's what Volkswagen focuses on. They admit that design cues were taken from the Scirocco. No surprise there. Volkswagen calls the Mk. VI design "three-dimensional" referring to how edges are more defined and accentuated. Inside, Volkswagen boasts that the Mk. VI has an interior that belongs in a higher class, as the dash and instrument panel were derived from the Passat CC. Volkswagen also boasts that cabin noise will be at an all-time low thanks to a new layer in the windshield that keeps noise from entering the cabin. There will be a total of 6 engines offered at launch: two common-rail diesels (ranging from 110 hp to 140 hp) and 4 TSI gasoline engines (80 hp to 122 hp). Keep in mind that these are the engine choices for the European launch so don't go looking for them when you pick one up (more on that in a second). The current base Mk.
V engine was made especially for the North American market so expect something similar for the Mk. VI (though not necessarily the 5 cylinder). Lastly, Volkswagen has begun switching to DSG instead of offering conventional automatics with the Mk. VI. Except for the base trims, all Mk. VI Golfs will be offered in either a 6-speed manual or a 6 or 7-speed DSG. So when can we expect it? Volkswagen says that launch is in October in Europe. It then launches "in succession" in Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. Take from that what you will but it looks like a North American launch sometime next year. And for those still doubting a US launch, remember this. Higher resolution images after the jump. Volkswagen is unveiling its most important automotive secret of the year: the new Golf. The car - Europe's most successful with more than 26 million sold - was improved in all areas.
Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board at Volkswagen AG. The European market launch of the new Golf will begin in October; following in succession will be Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. The entry price for the German market is around 16,500 Euros. The clear and powerful design of the new Golf is showing the entire brand the way to the future. Its acoustic properties and the overall comfort of the Volkswagen tear down class distinctions. Innovative engines and transmission technologies lower fuel consumption by up to 28 percent. All gasoline and diesel engines satisfy limits of the future EU-5 standard. Assistance systems such as "automatic distance control" (ACC), "adaptive chassis control" (DCC) and the "park steering assistant" bring additional top technologies on board the Golf. The high value of the new Golf is reflected par excellence in its stylish design; all key body elements were redesigned: "We have cast the Golf's core components in a precise, new mold", explains Walter de Silva. Especially in a direct comparison of generations five and six, it becomes clear just how much the new Golf has changed.
The team headed up by de Silva and Bischoff sought to crystallize out the "essential DNA" of the model series and send it on a trip to the future. These stylistic characteristics include the clear front end of the first generation and the C-pillar that was perfected in the fourth generation. The roof section now rests - similar to the new Scirocco - on a dominant filled out shoulder section. Responsible for this is a prominent curving line that - like a muscle trained down to the last fiber - extends from the headlights back to the taillights. In its side profile, this line - which Volkswagen Design calls the "character line" - also gives the new Golf a fuller, lower stance on the road from a side perspective. All body surfaces are generally more relaxed, more athletic. In front the new car takes up the horizontally aligned radiator grille trim strip between the headlights of the first Golf generation; the grille itself is high-gloss black. The lines of the bumper match those of the radiator grille.
Beneath this is an adjacent section with another air scoop. Also arranged on a black background are the chrome light housings of the dynamically styled headlamps. In the rear too is characterized by a dominance of horizontal lines. The taillights - very wide now - are identified among other things by an unmistakably unique night design. Stylistically - with their crystal-clear lines for the turn signal and backup lamps - they bear a resemblance to the taillights of the Touareg. Overall, the image of the new Golf - in the interplay of all of its design characteristics - is one of a significantly wider, flatter and even more high-end car. The car's exceptional value also applies to the newly designed interior, whose refined surfaces and features completely transform class distinctions, both to the touch and visually, especially in the cockpit area. The appearance and layout of materials and details such as brushed chrome accents and round instruments derived directly from those of the Passat CC leave the impression that one is actually sitting in a car of the next higher segment.
