New cars on show: Golf GTD, Golf Estate, Golf BlueMotion, Golf GTi, XL1, Jetta Hybrid
Golf GTD (main picture)
Quite frankly, we’re not that excited by the Golf GTD but let’s face it, it does have a fair bit of history. The first Golf GTD was launched in 1982 and its main boast was that it offered the sportiness of the Golf GTI but with low diesel running costs.
This one’s got a six-speed manual gearbox, a 2.0-litre turbodiesel producing 181bhp and 380Nm of torque from 1,750rpm. Fuel consumption is 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions are119g/km for the three-door (five-door: 122g/km CO2). Acceleration from zero to 62 mph takes 7.5 seconds, while the top speed is 142mph.
That’s all you really need to know.
For the full VW Golf review click here.
Bigger, lighter and more efficient than ever, the new Volkswagen Golf Estate has been unveiled at the 2013 Geneva International motorshow. Twenty years after the first Golf load-lugger appeared, the new car is aiming to shoot right back to the top of the sales charts.
The estate is 307mm longer than the hatch on which it’s based, while the 605-litre boot is 100 litres larger that the model that came before. Fold the rear seats flat and this increases to 1,620 litres. Despite the extra space on offer, the new Golf Estate is up to 105kg lighter than its predecessor.
For the first time in the UK the Estate will be available as a full Bluemotion model, boasting a combined economy of 85.6mpg and 87g/km CO2 emissions from its 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI engine. Other diesel untis include a 104bhp 1.6 TDI and a more powerful 2.0 TDI with 148bhp. A 1.2-litre petrol with 104bhp props up the range, though it’s the 138bhp 1.4-litre ACT with cylinder deactivation that is set to be star of the line-up.
Final prices and specifications are still to be confirmed, but order books open in July with first deliveries scheduled for October.
For more about the Golf Estate, click here.
Golf BlueMotion
Its specification list reads like an efficiency ‘how–to’, but the latest VW Golf BlueMotion has re-written the rulebook at the 2013 Geneva International motorshow.
Weighing considerably less than the model that came before, the latest BlueMotion uses low-rolling resistance rubber, a long ratio gearbox, stop/start, a 15mm lower ride height and other aerodynamic aids to achieve its 88.3mpg and 85g/Km CO2 figures. With a 50-litre fuel tank the 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI engine can travel for up to 970-miles between fill ups.
GTi
This is what you might call an evolution of a legend. The GTi, the original and arguably the best ever hot hatch, appears with the Golf Mk7’s clothes on.
For the first time the GTi comes in two levels: the standard 218bhp and the GTI Performance with 227bhp. The ‘standard’ GTI accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 152 mph. The GTI Performance has a top speed of 155mph and needs 6.4 seconds for the sprint to 62mph.
To read more about the GTi click here.
XL1
Volkswagen has confirmed that its 313mpg XL1 concept, the most fuel-efficient production car in the world, will go into production at the company’s Osnabrueck factory in Germany. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, the two-seater can also cover a distance of up to 30 miles in all-electric mode with zero local emissions.
It’s worth noting, however, that the XL1 hasn’t been confirmed for the UK market as yet.
Jetta Hybrid
This promises to be the first VW mass market hybrid vehicle. It’ll use a 1.1kw battery and will be targeting the Toyota Prius. It won’t come cheap though.
