Golf tees off in three hatch models

VW has announced pricing and details of the new Golf, landing in March

GOLF TSI will front with 1.4-litre petrol in two trim levels.

MIGHT one of the world’s most famous hatchbacks be immune to the general consumer shift away from orthodox road cars in favour of crossovers and sports utilities?

Volkswagen New Zealand seems to be suggesting that could be the case for the next generation of its Golf; they say pre-registrations of interest in next year’s new car has been strong.

Greg Leet, general manager of Volkswagen passenger vehicles, says there has been a lot of customer interest in the gen eight, whose introduction has been delayed by coronavirus.

The distributor has today confirmed a car once touted as a 2020 introduction will be on sale in March, three hatch formats - mainstream $37,990 TSi Life and $47,990 TSi R-Line plus the  $61,490 GTI – preceding another, the four-wheel-drive Golf R flagship. That’s coming toward the end of year. 

Not on the consignment list for New Zealand is the GTI Clubsport, the replacement for the Golf TCR, which runs the gen eight GTI’s EA888 engine, but in a peppier evo four tune that puts it above the TCR. The gen eight GTI, meantime, makes 180kW and 370Nm.

 The TSi cars adopt a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, married to an eight-speed auto. The Life is on 17-inch rims,  the R-Line takes 18s. The GTI also runs on 18s, but has 19s as a $1750 option.

Golf GTI will land with mainstream models

VW impresses the new-generation car will be the most technically advanced Golf to date – with a full suite of advanced safety features as standard across the range, packaged as IQ driver assistance. This includes city and highway speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), intersection AEB, radar cruise control and blind zone warning. The Life misses out on rear cross-traffic alert, has a slightly lower grade of adaptive cruise control and doesn’t have park assist.

A digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen is standard, as well as wireless Apple Car Play and wireless Android Auto – and fast-charging USB-C ports. All but the base car have factory sat nav.

The direct shift automatics are shift-by-wire so have a smaller toggle to select forward and reverse, creating more space in the centre console.

Although Golf also presents as a wagon, only the hatch has been discussed for NZ and while the range of powertrains spans diesel and an electric-assisted plug-in hybrid, these have not been mentioned. The fully electric e-Golf has been retired because VW now makes the ID line of electric cars, though these are not set to reach NZ until at least the end of 2022.

Golf R will land toward the end of 2021.

Skiddy times for Golf R fans

New looks, 235kW turbo engine and …. drift mode.

VOLKSWAGEN has released its inner Hoonigan with the 2021 Golf R, finally revealed today.

In addition to ticking the required boxes in respect to being the most powerful and quickest Golf – no surprises there, obviously – it also unloads a function that VW previously steered clear of offering on its four-wheel-drive street racer.

As with the Mk 8 GTi, the R has a ‘Vehicle Dynamics Manager’ system which controls the ‘XDS’ electronically-controlled front locking differential, ‘DCC’ adaptive dampers, all-wheel-drive system and other electronics systems in tandem to sharpen driving dynamics.

As an option – in Europe at least – there’s an ‘R Performance’ package, which increases the top speed from 250kmh to to 270kmh, and adds 19-inch wheels and a larger rear spoiler, with the latter intended to increased downforce. 

The package also introduces two new drive modes: Special, which softens the adaptive dampers, and Drift mode, which shuffles greater percentages of the engine’s torque to the rear axle to break traction and enable controlled drifts.

Why ‘Special?’ It’s a set-up to cater for the undulating surface of the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Using it enables to shave 17 seconds off its predecessor’s lap time around the demanding circuit. Obviously not an easy reach for Kiwi owners, but still.

Under the bonnet is the same 2.0-litre ‘EA888’ turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that powered its predecessor, now producing 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque (from 2100-5350rpm).

Drive is routed to all four wheels via a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions, though the former will be limited (at launch, at least) to North American markets.

The Golf R benefits from the same new-generation, Haldex-type all-wheel-drive system as the related Arteon R and Tiguan R.

The R Performance Torque Vectoring that allows up to 100 percent of the engine’s torque to be distributed between the front and rear axles, or between each individual rear wheel, in milliseconds.

Volkswagen claims a 0-100kmh sprint time of 4.7 seconds.

Under the skin, the new Golf R sits 20mm lower to the ground than standard Golf models, thanks to retuned suspension with 10 per cent stiffer springs, revised control arms and wheel mounts, increased negative front camber, and unique anti-roll bars.

Hiding behind the alloys is a set of larger performance brakes, measuring 360mm up front and clamped by two-piston aluminium callipers.

Lighter brakes shave 1.2kg of unsprung mass off the car’s kerb weight, complemented by a further 3kg loss thanks to a lighter aluminium subframe.

Other available performance features include variable sports steering, an optional, 7kg-lighter Akrapovic exhaust system, and five additional drive modes: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Individual and Race.