Volkswagen Golf Mk6

The Volkswagen Golf Mk6 (or VW Typ 5K) is the successor to the Mk5, and was unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in October 2008. Volkswagen released pictures and information on 6 August 2008, prior to the official unveiling. The vehicle was released to the European market in the winter of 2008. Major investments have been made in production efficiency, with a claimed productivity improvement at launch of nearly 20% in comparison with the previous model, and further gains planned for the next twelve months.^[1]

Its major European competitors are the Opel Astra, Ford Focus, Peugeot 308 and the 2010 Citroen C4.

Design

Like its predecessor, the Mk6 Golf is based on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform. Because the car's architecture and suspension is identical to its predecessor, including the door frames, side glasshouse, roof and wheelbase, there have been questions as to whether the Mk6 is an all-new car, or just a Mk5 facelift.

Specifications

Equipment

Improvements in equipment level on the domestic market Golfs include, for the first time in a Golf, the inclusion of air conditioning as standard.^[2]

Engines

The company is talking confidently about launching in Germany during 2009 a BlueMotion low emissions Golf and, in more general terms of possible alternative fuel versions later.^[3]

Available engines for North American Golf include the 2.5L I5 engine from the current Mk5 Rabbit and Mk5 Jetta and the 2L TDI. GTI versions include 2.0-litre TSI, and the 2L TDI.

Transmissions

Safety

With safety features such as seven airbags and standard Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), the Golf Mk6 has been awarded a five-star rating by the Euro NCAP crash test agency.^[4]

Cabriolet

As of 2010^[update], a new Golf Cabriolet, based on the Golf Mk6, is rumoured to be scheduled for a launch in 2012.^[5]

Twin Drive

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn announced Golf Twin Drive plug-in hybrid concept based on Mk5 Golf, which uses 2.0L 122 hp I4 turbodiesel and 82-hp electric motor with lithium-ion batteries. The car can run about 50 kilometres on battery power.^[6] The combined power is 174 PS (128 kW).^[7]

Volkswagen developed the Twin Drive system with eight German partners, and is planning a trial fleet of 20 Golfs outfitted with the system in 2010.

The production version was expected to be based on new Mk6 Golf, featuring a 1.5 L turbodiesel engine and electric motor, with estimated arrival date of 2015.^[8]

Golf GTI "Wörthersee 09" (2009)

It is a concept car based on Golf GTI. 2.0-liter TSI engine is rated 211 PS (155 kW; 208 hp) with top speed of 238 km/h (148 mph) and 0•100 km/h acceleration of 6.9s. It includes Firespark Metallic red body with GTI stripes, high-gloss black 19-inch alloy spoke wheels, smoked LED taillight, lowered sport chassis, new sport exhaust. Interior includes aluminum tread plates, brushed aluminum trim and glossy black painted frames around the air vents, red borders floor mats, sport seats with outer black nappa and side flash red nappa with light "Berry White" leather piping.

The vehicle was unveiled at GTI Meet at Wörthersee.^[9]

Volkswagen Golf R (2009-)

There was much speculation about this vehicle, with uncertainly surrounding its name. Golf R20 was the most common name used prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show.^[10] Once finally unveiled by Volkswagen at the Frankfurt IAA, on 15 September 2009, it was confirmed the R32 replacement would simply be called the Golf R.^[11]

The Golf R is powered by a 2.0 litre FSI turbocharged engine that produces 199 kW (271 PS; 267 hp) and 350 N•m (260 lb•ft) of torque. VW claims the car can get from 0•100 km/h in 5.5 seconds for DSG equipped models, or 5.7 seconds for cars fitted with a manual gearbox.^[11]

The top of the line Golf employs a familiar, but revised Haldex 4motion all-wheel drive system.

The Golf R has many similar styling traits to its Scirocco R sibling and is the first Golf to have LED rear tail lights factory fitted.

International markets

In the United States and Canada, the car is sold as the Volkswagen Golf when it arrived in showrooms in October 2009, dropping the "Rabbit" badge that was used for the Golf Mk5.^[12] The wagon, a restyled version of the Mk5 and the only Golf model made in Mexico, is sold in Canada as "Golf Wagon", but in the United States retains the "Jetta SportWagen" designation (while wearing Golf front sheetmetal). North American Golfs will carry over the same engines as the Mk5 (the same 2.5L 5-cylinder from the Mk5, the 2.0TDI and the 2.0T) and, while the GTI and TDI continue to offer the 6-spd manual transmission: the 2.5L will re-use the 5-spd manual (automatic DSGs will be a 6-spd tiptronic). The new Golf is also available in Mexico but for the time being only in the wagon configuration that is marketed as Golf Sportwagen that became available in early October replacing the Bora Sportwagen with the new Golf's front end.

The Australian public got get their first taste of the new Mk6 at the Melbourne International Motor Show, which began on 27 February 2009.^[13] The new Golf was launched around the country at the same time. The Mk6 GTI went on sale from Oct 30, 2009.^[14] On 19 January 2010 the Golf was awarded the 2009 Wheels Car of the Year title, which is acknowledged as the country's most prestigious car award.^[15] It was the first time the Golf had been awarded the title since 1976.

In South Africa the new Mk6 Golf went on sale in April 2009. The South African version of the GTI went on sale in July 2009.

In China Mainland the Golf Mk6 is made by FAW-VW, and in March 2010 the GTI begins to be built locally. It is the first time that GTI is mounted in China. But the Chinese-Spec Golf GTI does not use the same engine as the international one, but takes 2.0TSI which produces only 200 hp, 10 hp less than the original one. This engine is also used by VW Magotan.

Awards

• 2009 World Car of the Year ^[16]
• 2009 Euro NCAP Safest Car of the Year ^[17]
• 2009 Yellow Angel (Germany)
• 2009 Auto Motor and Sport Readers’ Best Car (Germany)
• 2009 Wheels Car of the Year (Australia)
• 2009 What Car? - Best Small Family Car (Great Britain)
• 2009 International Engine of the Year (1.4 TSI) ^[18]
• 2009 Green Engine of the Year (1.4 TSI) ^[19]
• 2010 What Car? - Best Small Family Car (Great Britain)
• 2010 South African Car of the Year ^[20]
• 2010 Fleet News - Company Car of the Year ^[21]
• 2010 World Green Car (BlueMotion) ^[22]
• Kelley Blue Book included the VW Golf TDI (clean diesel) among its Top 10 Green Cars for 2010.^[23][24]

See also

• Volkswagen Golf
• Volkswagen

References

1. ^ Auto Motor und Sport Heft 20 Seite 26. Stuttgart. 2008.
2. ^ (2008) Auto Motor und Sport Heft 20 Seite 26
3. ^ ADAC motorwelt Heft 9 (September 2008) Seite 20
4. ^ AUSmotive.com - Volkswagen Golf VI earns five-star crash rating
5. ^ "Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet: to debut with Golf 7 in 2012". eurocarblog.com. 2010-02-15. http://www.eurocarblog.com/post/2808/volkswagen-golf-cabriolet-to-debut-with-golf-7-in-2012. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
6. ^ VW to fleet test Twin Drive Golf plug-in hybrid concept in 2010
7. ^ VW Golf Twin Drive Plug-In Hybrid Diesel Makes Prius Look Thirsty
8. ^ VW Twin Drive plug-in hybrids not due until 2015
9. ^ Seeing Red: VW unveils GTI and Polo Wörthersee '09 concepts
10. ^ Frankfurt Preview: Volkswagen R20 hits the web early
11. ^ ^{a b} AUSmotive.com - Frankfurt: Volkswagen Golf R
12. ^ Volkswagen Canada
13. ^ AUSmotive.com - Golf VI to be launched at Melbourne International Motor Show
14. ^ [1]
15. ^ AUSmotive.com - Volkswagen Golf wins Wheels COTY
16. ^ Volkswagen Golf VI Declared 2009 World Car Of The Year
17. ^ Euro NCAP's top five achievers of 2009
18. ^ International Engine of the Year 2009
19. ^ Green Engine of the Year 2009
20. ^ Golf 1.4 TSI is car of the year
21. ^ Fleet News Awards 2010: Company Car of the Year
22. ^ World Car of the Year Awards
23. ^ "KBB Green: Top 10 Green Cars for 2010". Kelley Blue Book. April 2010. http://www.kbb.com/kbb/green-cars/articles.aspx?BlogPostId=1783. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
24. ^ "KBB's green cars list includes VW Golf TDI, Chevy Tahoe hybrid". USA Today. 2010-04-20. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/04/kbbs-green-cars-list-includes-vw-golf-tdi-chevy-tahoe-hybrid/1. Retrieved 2010-05-02.

External links

• Autocar—Full details: VW Golf Mk6

Categories: 2000s automobiles | All wheel drive vehicles | Compact cars | Euro NCAP small family cars | Flexible-fuel vehicles | Front wheel drive vehicles | Hatchbacks | Hot Hatch | Station wagons | Vehicles introduced in 2008 | Volkswagen vehicles