Volkswagen makes world premier of Golf VII in Berlin - AllCarIndex
volkswagen has issued the following press releases:
the new golf. in brief
the new golf - up to 100 kg lighter and 23 per cent more fuel-efficient
seventh stage of golf evolution shows clearly added dynamism and precision
the golf as a 3-litre car: with consumption of 3.2 litres and 85g/km co2, the golf bluemotion sets new standards
wolfsburg / berlin, 04 september 2012
“six generations of the golf – from 1974 to 2012. that’s 38 years of continual success, sales of 29.13 million units of a world best seller, an enormous economic factor, a guarantee of secure jobs and an enduring reflection of technical progress,” remarks prof. dr. martin winterkorn, group chairman, volkswagen ag. “with the seventh generation of the golf,” continues winterkorn, “we now aim to carry on this story of success. this volkswagen’s great potential is demonstrated by the fact that with this car we have been able to reverse the upward spiral in weight: although the new golf is safer, more comfortable and more spacious than its predecessor, it has been made up to 100 kg lighter and – in the case of the new 140 ps petrol engine model with cylinder cut-off and fuel consumption figures of 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres – 23 per cent more fuel-efficient.”
affordable – the golf can do everything better and costs less
3.8 l/100 km. with the new golf, figures at this level are not the exception, but the rule: the base petrol model (tsi) consumes 4.9 l/100 km and the entry-level diesel (tdi) 3.8. the tsi models thus beat the co2 mark of 115 g/km, while at 99 g/km of co2 the tdis come in under the 100 g/km threshold. the best figures are ultimately delivered once again by the golf bluemotion: utilising the most efficient systems from volkswagen’s technological toolkit, it emits just 85 g/km of co2 and consumes on average only 3.2 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, thus setting new standards for the golf range. prof. dr. winterkorn: “this duty to build sustainable cars in large numbers is something that we’ve always been conscious of here at volkswagen. it was therefore important to us to build the most fuel-efficient golf ever, which at the same time had to remain affordable. and we’ve succeeded in doing that. the golf mk7 is extremely fuel efficient, equipped as standard with the stop/start system and brake energy recovery mode and yet – to take germany as an example – at a base price of €16,975 not a cent more than its predecessor’s entry level model.”
europe – up to 119,000 tons less co2 per year
13.9 per cent less co2 on average. dr. ulrich hackenberg, volkswagen brand development director, adds more on the subject of sustainability: “we estimate that by virtue of the new golf fleet – with co2 emissions reduced on average across the entire engine range by 13.9 per cent – 119,000 tons less co2 a year will be produced in europe alone.”
progressive – first volkswagen with multi-collision brakes
safety and comfort at a new level. the hunt for every last gram must meanwhile not be allowed to lead to advances being achieved at the expense of retrograde steps in other areas. and here too volkswagen demonstrates that the golf stands more than ever for a democratisation of progress and for perfection in every detail: with added space (extra legroom in the back and 30 litres more boot capacity); new pioneering safety systems such as the multi-collision brakes (fitted as standard) and a proactive passenger protection system (precrash), plus adaptive cruise control (acc) with front assist and city emergency brake function; a new progressive steering system and rear axle; a driving profile selector, a touchscreen as standard in all models and a completely redesigned world of information and entertainment systems with a display in the top versions that reacts to hand movements via a proximity sensor.
confident – one of the best-known designs enhanced further
unmistakable features. what is now seven generations of the golf have written a story of success not only in technical and economic achievement, but also in industrial design. the golf’s exterior form is today one of the most familiar product designs in the world. walter de silva, head of design, volkswagen ag: “one of the keys to the golf’s success lies in its continuity: there are but a handful of cars in the world with a design that, like the golf’s, has been refined, tweaked and enhanced down the decades and thus become timeless.” klaus bischoff, head designer, volkswa¬gen brand: “the golf’s unmistakable product features include the typical c-pillars, the long roofline and typical window line and the characteristic front and rear sections with their transverse elements. these details make the new golf more unique, more valuable and more durable than the majority of other compact cars. you could also say that the golf’s design is inherently stable.”
premium proportions. “the language of form,” says bischoff, “is logical, solid, product-focussed, pure and precise and reflects the brand’s design dna as a perfect model of creativity. the base architecture of the new golf is therefore unmistakable. it feels uncomplicated, strong, comprehensible, reliable and safe. starting with the pure element of this clear base architecture, details such as the economical use and placement of sculptural lines are more like fine nuances. also extremely important is the fact that the proportions of the golf mk7 have changed significantly, making the car look more premium-class than ever.” marc lichte, leading designer for the exterior explains: “the proportions have changed so significantly because we have taken advantage here of the modular transverse matrix. the front wheels, for example, have moved 43 millimetres further forward. the front overhang is therefore shorter and at the same time the bonnet looks longer.” klaus bischoff confirms this: “visually, the passenger compartment has moved towards the rear, creating what is called a ‘car-backward’ impression. that’s what we call the proportions of premium-class vehicles, on which the bonnet is long and the passenger compartment a long way towards the back. on the new golf we thus have proportions that you otherwise only get in higher-class segments of the market.”
silhouette with powerful lines. marc lichte: “and we sought to underline these modified proportions with design elements. below the door handles we have integrated the now clearly visible, very sharp character line. while this line is broken by the wheel arches, it is otherwise continuous and is stylistically reflected in the chrome bars of the radiator grille and headlights and at the back in the white lateral bars of the rear light clusters. set deep down all the way around, this line lowers the apparent centre of gravity and makes the car appear more solid on the road. another important element is the new line along the side shoulder directly below the windows. this line starts at the front in the headlight, then glides under the wing mirror, which is positioned right on the line, all the way through to the rear side window, underling the premium proportions of the new golf.”
one of the world’s most familiar c-pillar. klaus bischoff adds: “the silhouette’s character is particularly defined by two further elements – typical golf elements: the c-pillars and the roofline. looking at the car from the side the precisely contoured c-pillar catches the eye, resembling the drawn string of a bow and thus giving the golf a speedy appearance even when static, while at the same time paying homage to the golf mk2 and mk4 – both design icons. the contour of the roofline has also been completely redesigned. here too – above the side windows – the golf displays a further line, which runs from the roof-edge spoiler right through to the a-pillars. in their interplay with each other the light-refracting lines, the apparently flying wing mirrors and the striking c-pillars produce a very muscular, sporty and self-assured feel.”
front section clearly volkswagen and also clearly golf. the volkswagen design dna manifests itself in a ‘face’ that has appealing features. in addition, in the same way as on the first golf, it defines horizontally balanced elements that create a certain width. together this produces – especially in the case of the new golf with its slightly upward sweeping headlights – a front section that is instantly recognisable in any rear view mirror as that of a volkswagen. compared to its predecessor, the new golf also displays completely restructured modulation of its surfaces. while on the golf mk6 the wings were higher than the bonnet, this is now the other way round.
rear section scores visually and in detail. all new and yet familiar – that applies to the back as well. typical elements here include the clear geometry of the rear lights, the rear window stretching all the way to the c-pillars and the large homogenous surface around the volkswagen badge. in the hunt for perfection, however, all of that would – in typical volkswagen fashion – be considered too little in terms of detail if it did not also provide some very tangible benefits. and included among these in the case of the new golf is the fact that, even with all the great aesthetics, the designers have succeeded in reducing the height of the boot sill to just 665 mm. that is the best figure in this entire segment of the market and another example of perfection in attention to detail – a side note that gains in significance the first time a customer goes shopping in their new golf.
the new golf. design – the key to perfection
golf exterior one of the world’s most recognisable product designs
seventh stage of golf evolution shows clearly added dynamism and precision
golf reflects par excellence the principles of volkswagen’s design dna
there is but a handful of cars with a design that, like the golf’s, has been constantly refined, tweaked and enhanced down the decades and has thus become timeless. in this process the volkswagen designers repeatedly gave a new edge to the golf’s product features. these include the typical c-pillars, the long roofline and the characteristic front and rear sections. these details also make the new golf more special, more valuable and more durable than any other compact car.
the design of the new golf
in developing the new golf the teams led by head designers walter de silva (group) and klaus bischoff (brand) based their work on the one hand on a great deal of creative freedom that allows many different approaches for a new design, while on the other also on the principles of the volkswagen design dna. a look at this dna reveals the key to the new golf’s design.
development of the dna. over recent years, the volkswagen designers have crystallised a selection of core elements from the brand’s history, which they term its ‘historic dna’. all current volkswagen designs correspond to this dna, with the cars therefore conveying a modern, progressive impression, which nevertheless – and this is the key – feels familiar. this dna includes elements such as the first golf’s roofline, side windows and radiator grille crossbeam in its reduced form and the golf mk4’s typical c-pillars and wheel arches.
this dna creates a unique, unmistakable language of product features and design. the language of product features leaves on the one hand a familiar feeling and yet on the other a new sensation in the eyes of the observer. the features are visual characteristics such as functionality, robustness, honesty and reliability. these characteristics are generated by a language of form perfected over many years. it creates the typical volkswagen product design that today enjoys success around the globe.
premium proportions. “this language of form,” explains bischoff, “is logical, solid, product-focussed, pure and precise and reflects the brand’s design dna as a perfect model of creativity. the base architecture of the new golf is therefore unmistakable. it comes over as simple, strong, understandable, reliable and safe. starting from the pure element of this clear base architecture, details such as the economical use and placement of sculptural lines are more like fine nuances. another extremely important point is the fact that with the seventh generation the golf’s proportions have completely changed, making the car look more premium-class than ever before!”
marc lichte, leading designer for the exterior, explains: “the proportions have changed, as we have taken advantage here of the modular transverse matrix. the front wheels, for example, have moved 43 millimetres further forward. the front overhang is therefore shorter and at the same time the bonnet looks longer.” klaus bischoff confirms this: “visually, the passenger compartment has moved towards the rear, creating what is called a ‘car-backward’ impression. that’s what we call the proportions of premium-class vehicles, on which the bonnet is long and the passenger compartment a long way towards the back. on the new golf we thus have proportions that you otherwise only get in higher-class segments of the market.”
silhouette with powerful lines. marc lichte: “and we sought to underline these modified proportions with design elements. below the door handles we have integrated the now clearly visible and very sharp character line. while this line is broken by the wheel arches, it is otherwise continuous and is stylistically reflected in the chrome bars of the radiator grille and headlights and at the back in the white lateral bars of the rear light clusters. set deep down all the way around, this line lowers the apparent centre of gravity and makes the car appear more solid on the road. another striking element is the new line along the side shoulder directly below the windows. this line begins at the front in the headlight, then glides under the wing mirror, which is positioned right on the line, all the way through to the rear side window, underling the premium proportions of the new golf.” the wheel arches are particularly prominent as well and along with the wider track, the longer wheelbase and tyre dimensions of up to 18 inches make the golf appear more powerful.
“two further features,” explains klaus bischoff, “are characteristic of the new golf silhouette. two typical golf elements: the c-pillar and the roofline. on the previous golf the character line still cut through the c-pillar. this is no longer the case on the new golf. the c-pillar thus runs along one homogenous surface from the start of the roof all the way to the rear wheel arch. above the wheel arch, however, it picks up more strongly the entire width of the car – and as a result, seen from behind or diagonally from the rear, the new golf looks more solid and more powerful. viewed straight on from the side the precision of the c-pillar design catches the eye, resembling the drawn string of a bow and thus giving the golf a speedy appearance even when static, while at the same time paying homage to the golf mk2 and mk4 – both design icons.” on the right-hand side of the vehicle even the shape of the fuel cap is integrated into this arrow element. head designer klaus bischoff continues: “the contour of the roofline has also been completely redesigned. here, too – above the side windows – the golf now displays a further line, which runs from the roof-edge spoiler right through to the a-pillars. it is one of those character features that give the golf a particularly high-value look from the side as well – a line that at first fleeting glance perhaps remains unnoticed, yet is a further detail en route to visual precision.”
the front section. the volkswagen design dna manifests itself in a ‘face’ that has appealing features. in addition, in the same way as on the first golf, it defines horizontally balanced elements that create a certain width. together they produce a front section that is recognisable in every rear view window as that of a volkswagen. each volkswagen class has its own character attributes in this respect. in the golf class these include, for example, the slightly upward sweeping headlights and a defined maximum height for the radiator grille.
compared to its predecessor, the new golf displays completely restructured modulation of its surfaces. while on the golf mk6 the wings were higher than the bonnet – effectively framing it – this is now the other way round. on the sides the crease lines form the wings’ lowest points, before the latter transfer vertically into the wheel arches. the top border of the wings is formed by a line, as if cut by a knife, that begins at the a-pillars. all of the lines together form a v-shaped bonnet.
beneath the bonnet then come the redesigned headlights and the comparatively narrow band of the radiator grille. at the bottom the radiator grille is bordered – to the left and right of the chrome volkswagen badge – by a chrome bar, which where xenon headlights are fitted is continued in the headlight housing. particularly striking is the xenon headlight’s led daytime running light. meanwhile the bottom air inlet, in conjunction with the body-coloured area beneath the headlights, supports the strong horizontal arrangement of the front section design. the air inlet is now framed by a body-coloured area that even with the car’s very self-assured look gives it the typical volkswagen smile. another core design element is the bend at the outer ends of the bumper, which produces – especially in aerial view – a change of shape.
the rear view. typical golf elements at the rear include the clear geometry of the rear lights, the rear window stretching all the way to the c-pillars and the large homogenous surface around the volkswagen badge. iconic: even without the badge or model name the seventh generation of this best-seller is instantly recognisable as a golf. and yet every line is new. that applies both to the rear light clusters (with striking l-shaped contours, narrower on the inside and ending at the c-pillar on the outside) and to the tailgate, which reaches much lower down, and the lowest boot sill height in its class (665mm). a horizontal light-refracting edge near the bottom of the tailgate, which continues on the bumper, and the boot sill running parallel below this underline the sportily full width of the new golf. these elements also correspond to the lines of the now much more pronounced and optically ‘extended’ bumper. the bumper itself is fully painted right down to the bottom, with only the centrally integrated diffuser, which also incorporates the exhaust pipe, kept black.
the new golf. engines – fuel consumption drastically reduced
completely new golf engines up to 23 per cent more fuel-efficient
105 ps tdi consumes just 3.8 litres of diesel per 100 km; 140 ps tsi needs just 4.8 litres of petrol
with consumption of 3.2 litres, the golf bluemotion will set the new best-in-class benchmark
the fact that the new golf is conceptually based on the modular transverse matrix has far-reaching consequences: this golf has been completely redesigned in practically every area – the vehicle body, the interior, the engines, all of the information and entertainment systems and the numerous new driver assistance systems. elements carried forward were in the main technical features that were already future proof in the previous model – for instance the six- and seven-speed direct shift gearbox (dsg). everything else is new. and that ‘new’ really means new! for example, the engines: none of them was carried forward unmodified. to be precise, volkswagen developed two completely new engine generations for the golf. every version is fitted as standard with a stop/start system (reducing fuel consumption by up to four per cent) and brake energy recovery mode (cutting co2 by around four per cent). with all measures combined it was possible to reduce co2 emissions by up to 23 per cent.
driver profile selection. for the first time the golf is now also being offered with a driver profile selection system, a tool with which forward-thinking drivers can achieve a particularly efficient style of driving. there are a total of four – and, in combination with dcc (adaptive chassis control), five – driving modes available: eco, sport, normal, individual and, in combination with dcc, comfort. in the eco driving profile engine management, air conditioning and other ancillary systems are controlled such that optimum fuel consumption is achieved. in addition on vehicles with dsg when driving in eco mode there is a ‘coasting’ function available. if a driver takes their foot off the accelerator – for example, when drawing up to traffic lights or on downhill stretches – the dsg disengages and the engine idles. as long as the driver drives appropriately, the golf’s kinetic energy can thus be put to optimum use.
the petrol engines
the petrol engines used are exclusively turbocharged and direct-injection tsi engines (four valves, four cylinders). the petrol engines offered at launch on the new golf deliver 63 kw / 85 ps and 103 kw / 140 ps. even the base model excels with an average fuel consumption figure of just 4.9 l/100km (equivalent to 113 g/km of co2) – 0.6 litres less than the previous corresponding model. for the first time there will also be a golf with cylinder cut-off (act active cylinder management). the model fitted with this is a 140 ps tsi, which already satisfies the future eu6 standard. average fuel consumption is just 4.8 l/100km (112 g/km co2). by way of comparison: the 18 ps weaker corresponding engine in the already fuel-efficient previous model (90 kw / 122 ps) consumed 6.2 l/100km (144 g/km co2).
act – how it works in detail. the 1.4 tsi engine’s active cylinder management (act) is truly pioneering. volkswagen is the world’s first manufacturer to install this fuel-saving technological innovation in a mass-market four-cylinder engine. in the case of the new golf mk7 this is the 103 kw / 140 ps tsi. the principle of the active cylinder management system: when the load on the engine is low or moderate, two cylinders get shut down, thus reducing fuel consumption in the eu driving cycle by 0.4 l/100km. the cut-off system becomes active between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm at a torque level of up to 85nm.
the diesel engines
everything is also new on the diesel front. the diesel injection engines, also four-cylinder, four-valve versions and here too generally turbocharged, initially deliver 77 kw / 105 ps and 110 kw / 150 ps. just how efficiently the diesel engines work in the new golf is shown by the tdi base model with 105 ps and average fuel consumption of just 3.8 l/100km (99 g/km co2). the golf mk6 achieved this figure only with the bluemotion model, not however with the base model as is the case with the new golf. in addition, the golf’s 150 ps tdi is also extremely efficient, as underlined by its average fuel consumption of 4.1 l/100km (106 g/km co2). the best figures are ultimately delivered once again by the golf bluemotion: making thorough use of all the individual solutions in volkswagen's technological toolkit, the new golf bluemotion emits just 85 g/km of co2 and consumes on average only 3.2 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, thus setting new standards – a typical example of volkswagen’s innovative strength, demonstrating, after all, that the company always incorporates the findings of one bluemotion generation into the next production model and thus delivers constant enhancements.
