Even though the German automaker’s best-seller is offered in other bodies, the most famous one has always been the hatchback. Actually, the traditional Golf became the example to follow around the entire Volkswagen family, specially when it comes to debuting new styles and technologies. That’s why Golf’s seventh generation has received several exclusive versions, each one with modernity in a particular focus in order to attract new customers. This article will join all of them by alphabetic order.
4Motion: VW already has a crossover line, started with Touareg, increased with the smaller brother Tiguan and with short-term plans to be completed with the seven-seater North-American sibling. But since some customers still stick to Golf’s image… This time the hatchback counts on Hadex’s Swedish system to provide power to the rear wheels. This all-wheel-drive equipment is 3.3 pounds lighter than the previous generation’s, which enables 15% better consumption ratings. It was also informed that the new 4Motion has faster operations when managing the power amount directed to each axle, which increases the car’s overall efficiency at defeating sand, mud, snow or other off-road tracks you might want to challenge. The AWD Golf will be offered in the European market at first with diesel engines, the TDI 1.6L with 105 hp and 2.0L with 150 hp, always using manual transmission. There will be an € 1.800 increase for this item compared to the similar front-wheel-drive versions. If you’re not outside the city, it will be hard to tell one of these from an urban Golf: it announces itself through the very discreet badges located at the trunk lid and the central console.
e-Golf: What way would be better for VW to release fully-electric cars than starting with Golf? This generation was probably projected considered a petrol-free version from the beginning, which results at a very nice package. From the outside it’ll be hard to distinguish this one from the common Golfs, since the visual changes were discreet: closed front grille, smaller wheels and redesigned bumpers, in order to improve the aerodynamics. And when it comes to the cabin, there’s a new dashboard with the appropriate gauges for an electric car and power management information on the infotainment system’s touchscreen. e-Golf uses a 26.5-kWh lithium-ion battery right behind the rear seat, which takes five hours plugged in a home outlet (or twenty minutes on three-phase sockets) to get fully recharged and achieve the maximum range of 109 miles. The electric engine gives 115 hp, enough to take the car from 0 to 60 mph in 11s8 and to an electronically-limited 84-mph top speed. The driver will be able to manage the energy consumption through three driving modes: besides the Normal one, Eco setting limits the power to 95 hp and the top speed to 74.5 mph, while Range turns off the climate control and limits the top speed to 59 mph.
GTD: This must be one of the most creative sporty version of the latest times. Europeans love diesel-burning engines for their reduced consumption, but on the other side there have always been an even bigger passion for sporty versions of urban cars – specially what they’ve started to refer with the term hot hatches. But since these ones needed to use the fastest available engines, they’ve always used gasoline. In other words, these fuels started to represent some sort of reason-and-emotion duality in the car world. Volkswagen is still far from the extremes of a high-performance diesel engine or an ultra-efficient all-gasoline engine, but making some concessions enabled Golf to get much closer to a half-way than any of its direct competitors. Both interior and exterior present the same exclusive items, with few and small exceptions in order to denote this wants to be GTI’s “brother”, rather than a new variation with an exclusive purpose. The biggest difference, however, is to join this very well-accepted set to a diesel engine once again. It isn’t possible to have the exact same performance numbers, but Gran Turismo Diesel’s TDI 2.0L generates 184 hp and the impressive 280-lb-ft torque, enough to deserve a dual-clutch seven-speed automated transmission and to achieve 7s1 from 0 to 60 mph and 143 mph of top speed.
GTI: It’s impossible to see a new Golf’s arrival without wondering how its most famous variation will look. However, this car’s tradition has taught not to expect deep variations. In other words, there’s a discreet aerodynamic kit, packed with more aggressive bumpers, exclusive wheels and a new front grille, with a red line and the version logo. The cabin received a black-and-chrome coating with exclusive seats and steering wheel, but the surprises come when the hood is opened. The new GTI uses the TSI 2.0L engine, whose 220 hp ignore the 2980-pounds weight in order to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6s5 and reach 153-mph top speed, using a six-speed manual transmission or the DSG seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and special braking system – there are 11.8-inches discs in the rear and 12.4 inches in the front. The first surprise comes from the fact of this being Golf’s first time to offer an optional Performance package for GTI, but the second one is that it brings such small improvements: why create an additional package for raising the power in 10 hp? The acceleration goes to 6s4 and the top speed to the limited 155 mph, while the respective discs go to 12.2 and 13.5 inches. Golf GTI will start from € 28.350 in Germany, with the first requests being accepted in this March and the first deliveries coming in May.
R: No, Volkswagen would never forget to honor Golf R32 once again. The famous blue-colored exterior joins a set of more agressive bumpers (with big air intakes in the front), 18” wheels (with an optional 19” set), darker tail lights and LEDs for the front ones, four exhaust tips and 2-cm lower ride height than GTI’s, whether in two or four doors. This car’s interior will be fully revealed at its official presentation in Frankfurt, but the € 38.325 price will be much better justified opening the hood, not the doors: the TFSI 2.0L engine will appear once again, this time set to 296 hp and 280 lb-ft – the maximum torque is reached from 1800 rpm to 5500 rpm, coinciding with the power’s peak. There will be Haldex’s all-wheel-drive system, and VW will offer two transmissions to suit each kind of driver: the tougher ones can ask for the six-speed manual, but the others can stick to the famous DSG dual-clutch, seven-speed unit: Golf R will go from 0 to 60 mph in 5s3 with the first and 4s9 with the other one – the top speed will be limited to 155 mph. Besides, it’ll be possible to customize the driving with both Dynamic Chassis Control’s three modes and Driving Profile Selector’s five, which gives an impressive number of combinations. In other words, the car can go from up to 34 mpg of fuel consumption to be driven for the first time ever with the stability control completely turned off.