I have to admit that I didn’t listen to much of the speech that went along with the North American launch of the 2010 Golf at the Toronto Autoshow earlier this week. Instead, I was deep in thought of my own Golf memories dating way back to 1981 or so. I spent so much time with the two Mike’s, taking stock GTI’s and making them go faster. I think we built 4 of them in total. Those first gen pocket rockets went a long way towards forming the car fanatic that I am now. I wondered if the car beneath the satin sheet would influence the young car guys of today in the same way.
The version on display is a 5 door TDI model. There is no mistaking it for anything other than a modern Golf and you know that all the usual varients (including GTI) will follow.
Check out more shots from the reveal after the break, along with the official Volkswagen press release after the break.
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Toronto ––– February 11, 2009. Volkswagen has chosen this year’s Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) to hold its North American debut of the new 2010 Golf.
The sixth generation compact hatchback was presented to the automotive media today for the first time in North America in a 5-door 2.0 litre TDI Diesel version.
The new 2010 Golf represents the sixth generation of one of the world’s most popular vehicles ever. Since its introduction in Europe in 1974, over 26 million units have been sold worldwide. Volkswagen also announced that nearly 400,000 Rabbits, Golfs, and GTIs have been sold in Canada since the introduction of the first generation in 1975.
The Golf is a phenomenon, regardless of its particular generation. Its redesign team was headed by the Volkswagen Group’s chief designer, Walter de Silva, with Klaus Bischoff and Flavio Manzoni, has succeeded in giving the Golf a presence, sharpness, and a power that generates even more fun. Not only fun to look at, but fun to drive.
All key body elements were redesigned, and the sixth generation Golf has a sportier and more distinctive image. In front, the new car adopts the radiator grille of the first generation Golf that is horizontally aligned between the headlights. The lines of the bumper match those of the radiator grille, and beneath this is a section with another air scoop.
The rear is characterized by a predominance of horizontal lines. The taillights – now very wide – are marked among other things by an unmistakably unique night design, and bear a resemblance to the taillights of the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel.
The interior is also newly designed, especially in the cockpit area. The appearance and layout of the materials, including details such as brushed chrome accents and round instruments derived directly from the Passat CC, and well-thought ergonomic properties with controls that are easier to use all contribute to a highly functional and pleasant experience. The new Golf also has first-class acoustic properties using special sound-damping film in the windshield, thicker side windows in the front, and newly shaped outside mirrors to reduce driving noise.
In presenting the new 2010 Golf, Volkswagen also announced that it was going back to using the Golf name for its compact hatchback in Canada. The 2010 Golf will replace the current 2009 Rabbit. Volkswagen explained that the name change back to Golf will reunite the Golf family in Canada.
The German-engineered 2010 Golf is planned for an October 2009 market introduction in 2 body styles – 3-door and 5-door with a 5-cylinder 2.5 litre engine producing 170 HP and 177 lb-ft of torque.
The 3-door 2010 Golf will be available in two versions: Trendline and Sportline, while the 5-door 2010 Golf will be available in three versions: Trendline, Comfortline, and Highline. The 2010 Golf for Canada will be produced in Wolfsburg, Germany. Pricing will be announced closer to the planned market introduction date of October 2009.
Volkswagen showed a 5-door European version of the new Golf with a 2.0 litre TDI Diesel engine at the 2009 CIAS to announce and confirm that it will bring its award-winning 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged common rail TDI Clean Diesel engine currently offered in the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel and the Jetta Wagon TDI Clean Diesel already on-sale in Canada for the new Golf in Canada early in its product life cycle. This TDI Clean Diesel engine produces 140 HP and 236 lb-ft of torque with a fuel consumption of 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres (L / 100 km) in a 6-speed manual version on the highway, and 6.8 L / 100 km in the city. It is expected, like the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel, that the new Golf TDI Clean Diesel will easily manage over 1,100 km of highway driving with one tank of fuel. Volkswagen is also the first manufacturer to certify B5 Biodiesel fuel for its TDI Clean Diesel engines in Canada, allowing consumers to reduce CO2 emissions by an additional 5 percent.
A new 2010 GTI will accompany the introduction of the new 2010 Golf this fall, and will also be available in either a 3-door or 5-door body styles. Powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged TSI engine producing 200 HP and 207 lb-ft of torque, the 2010 GTI will continue Volkswagen’s leadership in the “pocket rocket†class popular with Canadian drivers. Both 3-door and 5-door versions of the new 2010 GTI will be available in 3 versions: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline. Also to be built in Wolfsburg, Germany, the German-engineered 2010 GTI will arrive in Canadian showrooms in October 2009. Pricing will be announced closer to this planned market introduction date.
Joining the new Golf family in Canada will be an all-new 2010 Golf Wagon to replace the 2009 Jetta Wagon early next year. Based on the sixth-generation Golf platform, the 2010 Golf Wagon with be available as a 4-door wagon in 3 versions: Trendline, Comfortline, and Highline. Volkswagen also announced today that the 2.0 litre TDI Clean Diesel engine for the new 2010 Golf models will also be available in the new 2010 Golf Wagon, along with the standard 5-cylinder 2.5 litre 170 HP engine. To be manufactured in Puebla, Mexico, pricing of the all new 2010 Golf Wagon will be announced closer to its planned market introduction date early in calendar year 2010.
SUGESTÕES VW 2010/Percerbo que muitos automóveis vw tem cambio automatico, porem, como os motores vw são muito potentes e os 1.6, 2.0 e 2.5 (litros) com o cambio automático não tem consequido um aproveitamento total destes ótimos motores, mas o cambio automático oferece dirigir confortavel, porem é muito necessário um melhor aproveitamento destes motores com uma melhoria muito acentuada dos cambios automaticos e destes motores que ainda tem muito a oferecer e evoluir. Creio que alguns GTI ou R como queiram chamar poderiam ser equipados com motores 2.5 turbo. Sciroco 2.5 turbo, golf 2.5 turbo, vw new bettle 2.5 turbo e tiguam r 2.5 turbo, abrindo um leque de opções ao consumidor que tende a companhar o mundo cada segundo mais rápido e dinamico., por isto, tendo acertado em cheio com o designer dos gol. golfs, polo, etc (ficaram muito lindos), seria para 2010 muito importante uma mechida na questão das marchas e motores (tubagem, relação de marchas, ecu, etc)desde o 1.0 até o 2.5 litros objetivando ganhos bem acentuados de potencia e velocidade. Esta seria a grande jogada para 2010 vw entrar no mercado com muita sorte e muitas vendas.