Golf GTI Rabbit: No Production Limit In Canada
We first reported on it yesterday: Volkswagen will be producing a new version of the Golf in 2019, in the form of a special Rabbit edition of the GTI. But we鈥檝e gotten confirmation that, unlike in the United States, which will get only 3,000 units of the new Rabbit, production will not be limited in Canada. Great news for VW, Golf and Rabbit lovers in Canada! As we reported, we know that the special edition will ride on gloss-black aluminum alloy wheels 18 inches in diameter. The model鈥檚 exterior will also get a spoiler and side-view mirrors in the same paint finish. Buyers will have four exterior colour choices: blue, grey, white or black. Edition-exclusive carpeting and distinct logos integrated on the seats will reinforce the message that this is a special edition, even if it won鈥檛 be limited. The car also gets adaptive LED lights and keyless entry. The Rabbit edition gets the GTI鈥檚 same 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine with an output of 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions should also be available parts of the product offering. The Rabbit name of course holds special significance for Golf and VW fans. It was first advanced by the company at the start of the 1980s in North America, and more recently it was used when the fifth generation of the Golf was introduced. The model reverted back to the simpler Golf nameplate with the debut of the sixth generation. The current generation of Golf is the model鈥檚 seventh.
It seems that Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has quietly introduced an update to the Tiguan Comfortline, Tiguan Highline and Passat Highline. The surprise comes in the form of an improved head unit, and the good news is there won鈥檛 be a price hike to compensate for the new system. During its launch in April 2017, the Tiguan Comfortline and Highline both came with an eight-inch touchscreen head unit. The Comfortline鈥檚 Composition Media system supported Bluetooth, SD card, USB and AUX-in functions, while the Highline鈥檚 Discover Media unit bundled all that with navigation and a reverse camera. The updated head units on both variants are part of the latest-generation Volkswagen MIB infotainment family, introduced in the Mk7.5 Golf. Both systems get flush-fitting screens and touch-sensitive controls instead of hard buttons, but retain their physical volume and tuning knobs. The top-of-the-range Discover Pro, not offered here, gets a full touch panel with a 9.2-inch display. Additionally, the App-Connect package, previously a RM1,099 option on the Highline, is now standard on the Highline and Comfortline, granting smartphone screen mirroring functionality via Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or MirrorLink. In terms of features and functions, they are pretty much the same, and both are hooked to eight speakers. The Passat Highline, on the other hand, gets upgraded from the older 6.5-inch Discover Media to a larger eight-inch Discover Media unit - the same as that on the Tiguan Highline. The Passat Comfortline will continue to get the smaller 6.5-inch Composition Media unit, whereas the entry-level Trendline makes do with an even smaller five-inch Composition Colour touchscreen display.
What Do We Know About the 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI? Most Golf GTIs sold today have under 240 metric horsepower, so the TCR is the very pinnacle of the front-wheel-drive Golf range. With the next generation GTI, however, the power gap between the regular model and rivals might close and, in some cases, give the Golf the upper hand. AutoBild reports the next GTI鈥檚 engine might push out 300 metric horsepower (296 brake horsepower), a big hike over the current model鈥檚 output. However, the source seems a bit unclear regarding whether or not this power level will be that of the standard GTI or if you鈥檒l have to opt for the more expensive and more focused GTI Performance. The current Golf GTI Performance鈥檚 2.0-liter, TSI, turbo engine makes 245 metric horsepower, but the TCR model (the model VW has chosen to send off the current Golf GTI with) may hint at a much more powerful replacement. So basically, the new hot front-wheel-drive Golf may have around 250 metric horsepower in standard guise and that figure could be pushed closer to 300 metric horsepower in the even hotter 鈥淧erformance鈥?version. As a reminder, the most powerful variant of the current GTI is the Clubsport S. It has 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. But with that kind of output, the GTI will encroach upon Golf R territory - the current Golf R (VW鈥檚 all-wheel-drive Golf range performance flagship) makes right around that much power. We will have to wait a while to find out how this all pans out, though, since the next Golf GTI probably won鈥檛 be revealed until 2020 as a 2021 model. The regular version of the hatch will most likely be shown at the 2019 Geneva motor show where we鈥檒l be present to provide live photos and the latest information. But if you can鈥檛 wait for that, check out our rendering preview of the 2020 Volkswagen Golf Mk.8.
Dear Care and Feeding: My Sons Complain About the 鈥淏rown鈥?Kid at Day Care. What Should I Do? 4. My Job Is to Help Kids Who Screwed Up. I Think Harvard Made the Right Call on Kyle Kashuv. General Motors announced on Monday that it would lay off more than 14,000 management and factory workers and close seven plants, including four in the United States, as the company all but stops producing cars for American drivers. Partly, this reflects a new institutional conservatism in Detroit following the 2011 bailout, a desire to operate only in the highest-margin areas in case things go south again. 鈥淲e鈥檙e taking these actions while the economy is strong,鈥?CEO Mary Barra told reporters, according to Bloomberg. The pullback comes on the heels of a giant corporate tax cut Republicans insisted would spur companies like GM to make investments. Instead, the automaker will end North American production of the Chevrolet Cruze, Volt, and Impala, as well as the Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac CT6.
