jazzybarrel83: Volkswagen Golf VII GTI

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Volkswagen Golf VII GTI

It has been rumored that Volkswagen will be bringing the seventh generation Golf to the 2012 Paris Auto Show in the Fall. The new Golf VII will be completely different, built on a new platform and sourced with more powerful engines. Volkswagen really needs this generation Golf to take off, after the sixth generation flopped and had to be redone after only three years on the market.

The new Golf will be built on the company’s new MQB platform and will be longer and wider compared to the current generation. Expect to see some exterior changes as well, although they won’t be very significant because Volkswagen will want to keep its typical Golf formula. The GTI version will also be a bit more aggressive than the current generation and will get a modified front bumper, new headlamps, and other minor tweaks here and there.

Volkswagen will place more powerful engines under the hood of the new Golf, although the exact specs on most of the engines have yet to be divulged. For the GTI, Volkswagen will most likely offer a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder that will deliver up to 260 HP. So, if the rumors are true, the new generation Golf GTI will offer an increase of 60 HP over the current generation (50 HP for the European model).

The Volkswagen Golf VII GTI will be brought onto the market a few months after the standard version, so don’t expect to see it until sometime in 2013.

UPDATE 03/23/2012: British magazine, CAR, has caught wind of some new details on the upcoming GTI version of the future generation Golf. The car will sit about 30mm lower than the current version, while the wheelbase will be around 50mm longer. At the front, the new Golf GTI will continue the design language of the sixth generation, but will add new front and rear spoilers and new red piping interlaced into the headlamps. Under the hood, Volkswagen will place an updated version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, so expect an output of about 260 HP. The sprint from 0 to 62mph will take just 6.7 seconds and top speed will be 153mph. The official debut of the Volkswagen Golf VII GTI will be made in 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show.