No, you can’t have one—not for a while. The
seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf will reach European dealers next
month in a total of 32 markets where they drive on the right (i.e.,
correct) side of the road. British-type places where they don’t will get
the car next year. But in the unfortunate U.S., the car won’t be here until mid-2014, likely as an early 2015 model. (The same timeline holds for the next-gen GTI, by the way.)
That’s
a shame, because this is an excellent car. Photos don’t do justice to
its good looks. Inside, you’d swear it was an Audi. VW claims it’s the
lightest Golf since the third generation, the one that came out when
many of us were in college. If only we could make a similar boast when
stepping off the scale.
Radio Silence
What
else can we tell you? Officially, not much. Volkswagen of America will
be selling the current Mark VI Golf for at least another 18 months, so
it isn’t in any hurry to provide specifics about our Mark VII model.
Sure, the PR guys will cop to some already known facts. The new Golf
will share the corporate MQB platform with the latest Audi A3;
it will be about two inches longer, roughly as wide, and about an inch
lower than the old model; and the wheelbase will grow by 2.3 inches to
deliver a roomier cabin. But VWoA balks when asked about specific
powertrains, equipment, or other details.
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Among the unknowns is where our version of
the Golf will be built—and we’re told that even the Germans have yet to
decide. It might be assembled in Wolfsburg with the rest of its
brethren, but the more likely location is Puebla, Mexico, like our Jetta
and the Beetle. (This will, of course, require retooling at least part
of the plant for the MQB bits.) Speaking of the Jetta, we expect the
1.8-liter direct-injected EA888 turbo four slated for that sedan to serve as the base engine in the 2015 Golf, too, even if VWoA won’t officially confirm it. The current 170-hp five-cylinder is toast on our shores, but we think the 1.8-liter will equal or perhaps slightly surpass its output.
Bag of Tricks
The
new Golf boasts some impressive features for its class, including
adaptive cruise control and collision warning, which are likely to make
it here as options. We’re perhaps more excited that the cargo privacy
shade stores under the load floor. The base-level cloth interior in the
European-market cars is decent, but the high-zoot premium leather trim
is phenomenal. U.S. cars probably will be finished somewhere in between.
Automatic climate control and the oversized sunroof are a given for our
market. So is a 5.8-inch touch screen, and an 8.0-inch screen is on
tap, too, as an option.
Both screens are
forward-facing evidence of a new modular infotainment architecture
being adopted across the VW Group; most brands will share similar
back-end electronics, although the user experience and/or controls will
be unique to each. (We went in-depth with the setup
in February.) In the Golf’s version, the graphics are bright and
colorful, and the software responds quickly to inputs. Even better, the
designers saw fit to tilt the center stack a few degrees toward the
driver, the better to operate the touch screen. The message is subtle
but clear, and the new Golf advertises itself as a driver’s car from the
moment you slip behind the wheel.
The exterior styling is sharp and
attractive, dominated by a long character line that spans the wheel
arches. From the rear, the car looks low and wide, squatting as if its
suspension had been slammed right from the factory. The Golf’s trademark
C-pillar kink is more prominent, too, and is complemented by the shape
of the fuel-filler door. This is the sort of detail-oriented design that
separates appliances from cars people desire. Our only real aesthetic
complaint involves head- and taillamps that—when illuminated—look a bit
too much like the squircle-ish lights of the Chevy Camaro and Malibu.
Limited Smorgasbord
Europeans
have multiple gas and diesel engine options, two of which we sampled at
the international launch event. A 1.4-liter turbocharged,
direct-injected four with cylinder deactivation delivered impressive
gusto given its displacement—we took a deep look at the engine and drove a Polo
with it earlier this year—particularly when paired with a seven-speed
DSG, although we’re not likely to see this piece of hardware or its
gearbox on our shores.
More relevant was the next-generation 2.0-liter turbo-diesel—our technical briefing is here—which
will serve in our Golf TDI. Making 148 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, this
new EA288 offers a few additional horses over the old TDI engine, but
more important is the noticeable difference in acceleration and
drivability. Putting the six-speed DSG into sport mode no longer feels
like a necessity, although emissions requirements mean that filling a
urea tank will be required once the 2.0-liter arrives in America.
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It’s up in the air whether we’ll see this
state of tune or a more powerful one in the U.S.-spec TDI, although it
might make sense to hold a stronger version in reserve for the next-gen
GTD, which VWoA would like to sell here. We do know that we won’t be receiving any of VW’s BlueMotion fuel-economy specials. As for fuel-economy numbers, all
we have are the typically optimistic Euro-cycle figures. We’ve included
them in the spec panel, but take them with a chunk of salt.
A Worthy Successor
On
perfect roads at reasonable speeds—all we were able to experience on
our preview—the new Golf is wonderful to drive. The body feels stiff,
the chassis firm, and the steering is as responsive as ever. In other
words, VW didn’t screw anything up, creating a new Golf that’s as poised
and balanced as the sixth-gen model that was on our 2011 10Best Cars list alongside the GTI.
Whether
Golf v7.0 will end up on future iterations of our hallowed list has a
lot to do with how much of the European version we drove is forthcoming.
We could regale you with all manner of impressive details and
numbers—for instance, VW says it has shed some 50 pounds from the body
structure through the use of more high-strength steel and some advanced
manufacturing techniques—but it’s probably more prudent to wait (and
wait) and see exactly what the Germans have planned for us.
Did we mention that even Greece gets the new Golf next month?
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