VW Golf GTI TCR Revealed At Worthersee Show
VW meet, Volkswagen itself brings something special to show off. It can be something wild like the hybrid GTI it showed last year, or the W12 GTI from 2007. It can also be something production-ready, such as the VW Golf GTI TCR concept it's showing this year. This GTI is designed to be a hotter version of the little front-drive hot hatch, and to that end it has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 286 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Power goes solely to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential. The engine even features an extra pair of radiators for additional cooling capacity. All told, the GTI TCR is capable of reaching 164 mph when the speed limiter is removed, an extra option. Visually, the TCR is differentiated from the run-of-the-mill GTIs by a new front bumper and splitter, as well as new side skirts and a rear bumper with an aggressive diffuser. Above the side skirts are little TCR logos, and the car will be available with a hexagonal pattern vinyl graphic on each side. Wheels come in an 18-inch size as standard and 19-inch versions will be an option. The interior is modified, too, with black cloth seats with a striking red stripe design down the middle. The leather-wrapped steering wheel also gets a red stripe at the 12 o'clock position. Volkswagen plans to put the Golf GTI TCR into production, and likely by the end of the year. Unfortunately, there are no plans to bring this ultra-hot VW to the U.S.
15 Mar 2018 by Andrew Chesterton The limited-run Launch Edition sits atop the Polo family tree (at least until the GTI version gets here). 21,990 (seven-speed dual-clutch auto) price tag. 13 Mar 2018 by Andrew Chesterton In the Volkswagen universe, the Polo city car traditionally plays understudy to its world-beating Golf sibling. Which is strange, because Polo's always been more upmarket than Golf. 20,490 (seven-speed dual-clutch auto). 1 Mar 2017 by Richard Berry Richard Berry road tests and reviews the new Volkswagen Polo Beats with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. 27 Jul 2016 by Tim Robson Tim Robson road tests and reviews the VW Polo 81TSI Comfortline with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. 22 Jul 2016 by Tim Robson Tim Robson road tests and reviews the VW Polo GTI with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. 17 Apr 2015 by Joshua Dowling Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the new 2015 Volkswagen Polo GTI at its Australian launch. 16 Apr 2015 by Malcolm Flynn Malcolm Flynn road tests and reviews the updated MkV Volkswagen Polo GTI, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch. 15,990. On the road. 20,790, before it even leaves the showroom?
The Volkswagen Golf hatchback is one of the best-known name badges of any car on sale. It's been available in the UK since 1974 and we're currently on the seventh generation, with a major facelift carried out in 2017 to keep the design and technology right up-to-date. Golfs have tended to be conservative choices, and the design has been common throughout all seven generations. This version is larger than the model it replaced, but it鈥檚 still a compact hatchback compared with many rivals, thanks to its near-vertical tail. That hasn鈥檛 hampered either cabin space or practicality, with one of the roomiest interiors, along with a 380-litre boot - that鈥檚 not the largest in this segment, but the 60:40 split-folding rear seat does tumble flat for added flexibility. If you need more space there鈥檚 always the Volkswagen Golf SV, or the Golf Estate. Inside the Golf you鈥檒l find the high quality VW has become famous for, with an amazing level of fit and finish, with premium-grade squidgy plastics employed for the main planes of the dashboard.
There's a massive range of engines, so you鈥檒l struggle to not find a version of the VW Golf that satisfies your requirements. Every petrol- and diesel-engined version is turbocharged for both power and efficiency and all feature Volkswagen鈥檚 BlueMotion fuel-saving measures, including stop-start. Petrol engines start with a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TSI with 85hp and 115hp, while the rest of the mainstream range is fleshed out with four-cylinder 1.5 TSI Evos in 130hp and 150hp outputs. For those seeking the efficiency of diesel power, the 1.6-litre TDI comes in 110hp form, while the 2.0-litre version is available in outputs of 150hp or 190hp if you opt for the sportier Golf GTD. The Volkswagen e-Golf has also proven popular, with long lead times for customers who have placed an order - again, as VW struggles to ramp up battery production. We've run one in an extended long-term review. Spring 2017 saw the arrival of the mildly facelifted Golf hatchback range. Visually the alterations are limited to new bumpers and lights which employ a higher proportion of LED technology. But, nonetheless VW is calling this the most significant mid-life update in the Golf鈥檚 40-year history - which just goes to show the pace of change in the modern car industry - and that most of the changes are under-the-skin. As such, the facelift focuses largely on technology - in terms of both infotainment and safety. There鈥檚 a 9.2-inch Discover Pro touchscreen option, for example, that together with the available Active Info Display fully digital instrument cluster (VW鈥檚 version of Audi鈥檚 Virtual Cockpit) completely modernises the interior. Discover Pro even features a rudimentary gesture control system that allows you to 鈥榮wipe鈥?certain functions without touching anything at all.
Seat wants to be the VW Group's Alfa Romeo division, with Latin flair and a bit of sporting panache. The Leon's thunder is a bit muted, though, by its own siblings. If the Leon had been launched ahead of the Altea and Toledo, its dramatic, low-slung styling would have made a much bigger impact. As it is, the Leon will forever be confused with its taller, dumpier pseudo-MPV relations, which also use the Leon's design cues and Golf-derived platform. That relationship also confuses the Leon's role - the previous-generation car couldn't possibly be mistaken for anything other than a five-door hatch with mildly sporting pretensions. But the new one blurs the lines between hatch and MPV. And as the Altea was billed from launch as offering a more sporting drive than conventional rivals, that doesn't leave the Leon much territory of its own to occupy. Especially as there isn't much between them in terms of practicality and space - we can only hope that Seat has trained its salespeople well.
