Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Cut Model at KLIMS2013 - A Demonstration of German Engineering

Volkswagen took a prime floor space at KLIMS 2013, a vast portion of the hall previously occupied by Proton in the KLIMS 2010. It brings the whole lot of its car together with the yet-to-be launched CKD Volkswagen Polo hatchback. However, the item that really catch my eyes is the cut model of the Volkswagen Golf, a car that won accolades of awards, triple award I would say; European Car of The Year, World Car of The Year and Car of The Year Japan. Award does not fall from the sky, so this car ought to be quite something.

The cut model of Volkswagen Golf Mk7 is very fascinating to look at. It is the free demonstration of Volkswagen engineering design which is very useful to be benchmarked. After all, Volkswagen Golf Mk7 is significantly 100kg lighter than the model it replaced. The savings are achieved via 3.0kg lighter electrical system, 12.0kg of car's equipment, 22.0kg from engine, 26.0kg from the drivetrain and a whopping 37.0kg from the body structure. The culmination of the savings is the result of finite element analysis which optimize the load path and reduce the redundant structure. The main structure is a hybrid of high strength steel with hot formed steel among other conventional materials.

Lets start with the front. While I don't bring the gauge to check the thickness, I am pretty sure it is quite a standard thickness as far as the hood inner and outer panel is concern. However what can be seen is the hood inner panel is quite mainstream in the design and generously structured near the cowl section. In addition to the hood inner beaded section close by, the hood outer is further augmented by stiffener, so even the rearward right section alone is supported by 3 reinforcements.

The section below shows the front bumper assembly consists of bumper fascia, bumper beam and its foam insert as well as the lower radiator grille louvre design. Also consistent with the current trend, the bumper itself is very thin, around 2mm and usually can't support its own weight is disassembled. Bulk of the loading is taken by the beam, while the yield can be support by the fascia, the springback is aided by the foam.

Moving further downward, one can clearly see the floor is fully covered to aid aerodynamics. The fairing covers even the lowest point of the car which is the oil sump, which seems to be insulated this this example. The next photo shows the main body structure of Volkswagen Golf Mk7, which is the side structure, a structure that envelope the occupants inside the car. The A, B and C pillar are exposed here, although only the critical section of B-pillar is cut out for us to see. 

Closer inspection through the web reveals the B-pillar inner panel is off the TWB type, i.e Tailor Weld Blank which means the panel comes as multi thickness along the length. This is particularly useful in saving weight as it isolates the need for an additional reinforcement of metal sheet to add strength, which also requires spot weld. For TWB, the sheet is rolled in the desired thickness at desired location, the concept which is as per illustrated. This technology is nothing new, as our local grown Proton Saga BLM employs the same technology in its door panel. More details after the jump.

Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan Revealed

Volkswagen has revealed the Golf Sportsvan Concept, the successor to the Golf Plus, which will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) on Tuesday. Despite the concept moniker, expect a very minimal change, if at all, when the new car debuted in the European market soon. There's also rumors that it will not be called Golf Plus anymore in certain market, hence a Sportsvan name is a probability.

Like the Volkswagen Golf hatchback, Golf Sportsvan is based on the MQB platform, and incorporates all the advanced technology of that car, but in a larger, even more practical body style.  Its exterior design clearly follows the look of both the Golf, and Volkswagen’s more generic ‘DNA’.

Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan is 4,338mm long, 1,870m wide and 1,578mm tall. The wheelbase is 2,685mm. Compared to the 7th generation Volkswagen Golf, Golf Sportsvan is 83mm longer, 80mm wider and 126mm higher as well as rides on 48mm longer wheelbase. Compared to Volkswagen's old Golf Plus, it is  134mm longer but it is 224 mm shorter than the Golf Estate.

With the increased in dimension, Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan offers 498L of boot space(Golf is 380 litres), with the back seats at their rear-most position.  Moving the rear seats forwards increases the luggage capacity to 585L, while folding the rear seats liberates up to 1,512L. The front passenger seat can optionally fold fully forward, creating a load space which is up to 2,484mm long. Hence, practicality is its big forte.

Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan will be powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines mirroring those on the hatchback version, all of which conform to Euro 6 emissions standards and incorporate Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems.  There are four turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engines with 85, 110, 125 and 150PS and three turbodiesels: a 2.0-litre 150PS, a 1.6-litre 90PS and a 1.6-litre 110PS for the Sportsvan BlueMotion.  This is expected to return fuel economy of 32.4km/L and emit 95 g/km of CO₂.  All engines (but the 85 PS) can be ordered with a DSG gearbox.

Like the Golf hatchback, the Sportsvan comes not only with a stronger, safer body structure but also a raft of standard and optional passive and active safety systems.  These include an automatic post-collision braking system which automatically brakes the vehicle after a collision to reduce kinetic energy significantly and thus minimise the chance of a second impact, and a PreCrash system which, on detecting the possibility of an accident, pre-tensions seatbelts and closes the windows and sunroof, leaving just a small gap, to ensure the best possible protection from the airbags.

Other electronic aids include Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, all of which can reduce or eliminate the chance of accidents occurring.  Also available are a Driver Alert System, a camera-operated Lane Assist system and a Dynamic Light Assist system.

A first for the Golf Sportsvan is a Blind Spot Monitor, with an assistant for exiting parking spaces.  This monitors the area behind and to the sides of the vehicle, ensuring easier and safer egress when reversing from a parking bay.

Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan will be officially revealed in Frankfurt International Motorshow on Tuesday. More photos can be found after the jump.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Landed In Malaysia

Volkswagen Malaysia has launched the 7th generation of Volkswagen Golf GTI last week, and this time around both the 3 door and 5 door versions are made available. The car is the continuation of the legendary hot hatchback which sets the benchmark on how the hot hatchback should performed. The new GTI is priced from RM211,060 for the 3 door while the 5 door is priced at RM219,060. Both are OTR without insurance, and in case of the 5 door version you can opt for 19' Santiago wheels upgrade for RM3,000 and Tech-Pack (Adaptive Chassis Control, Electric Driver Seat (!) & Vienna leather seats) for RM10,000.

As per MMN earlier coverage (read HERE), the exterior of the Mk7 Golf GTI is subtly different from the cooking TSI version, although it does give a visual tension of dynamism despite the subdued exterior makeover. The front of the car gains the customary red insert inside the upper grille, which extends into the headlamp internal. The front bumper air intake has been enlarged, and flanks by the straked fog lamp housing.  Side profile is garnished by the fender motif which enhanced the aggressiveness together with 18' Austin alloy wheel (3 door make do with 17' item, although both are wrapped by 225-mm tyre section). Rear changes are limited to spoiler and double exhaust outlet.

The interior is where the action will be. The sense of occasion is heightened by dark trim, accented by Tartan seat upholstery, leather wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel with red stitching while similar treatment can be found on the gear knob too. The dashboard and the door trim (surprise, surprise which is not unlike Proton Preve/Suprima S, only the front door trim upper section is soft padded while the rear door is moulded of hard plastic) are adorns with the textured black deco. Driving position is occasion-like, likewise the relative positioning of the control item and dashboard ergonomics are all showing the depth of experience of the company designing it.

Underneath the hood lies the 220PS 2.0L mill packing the BlueMotion technology including the direct injection system and the turbocharger. The headline power figure is reached from 4,500rpm and sustained until 6,200rpm, whereas the fat torque curve spread from 1,500-4,400rpm where all 350Nm of it is available continuously. Drive is channelled via 6 speed DSG transmission. Performance is scorching, with 6.5s century sprint and 244 km/h of top speed.

The comprehensive equipment level however is not mirror by the 3 door version which unfortunately lose the Bi-Xenon headlight (get halogen instead and no LED fog lamp), only 17' Brooklyn alloy wheel, elimination of auto wiper, auto dimming, electric foldable mirror, USB and Bluetooh player while the aircond unit is of  manual type, smaller 5' infotainment system (down from 5.8') and there's no cruise control either. So there's quite a big chunk of equipment lost for the RM8,000 you save. The choice is yours. The gallery of the interior of the Volkswagen Golf GTI can be found after the jump to whip up your wet dream.

Seventh Generation Volkswagen Golf revealed

After numerous fake "first photo" made their way into internet, the real deal finally has been unravelled. Volkswagen has lifted the lid of the new Volkswagen Golf in Berlin yesterday. The seventh generation Volkswagen Golf aimed to bring in the new level of comfort, practicality, safety and efficiency to its class. In the span of 36 years in which over 29 million unit has been sold, Volkswagen Golf continues to be the benchmark of the class, where every C Segment hatchback in the world is judged against.

In the span of 36 years also, Volkswagen Golf has grown tremendously in size. The seventh generation measures 4,255mm long, 1,799mm wide and 1,452mm tall. It is 56mm longer, 13mm wider and 28mm lower than the sixth generation. The wheebase has grown 59mm to 2,637mm. Better shaping of external bodies has resulted in 10% improvement in drag coefficient, which now stands at 0.27.

The styling of the new Golf is best described as evolutionary. It incorporates the latest Volkswagen design language, consisting of similar silhouette interpretation of headlight, grille and bumper geometry similar to any new Volkswagen on the market today. You can say it is derived from the Passat, Jetta or Polo, and you are definitely not wrong.

What stays true to authentic Golf is the side profile where the rich cabin length is ended by thick upright C-pillar which has been like that for generations. The rear end also adopt the sharper approach like the front, with slimmer rear light that is perfectly and completely flush with the body. It can be said that, like the rest of new Volkswagen, the seventh Golf is an epitome of clean body surfacing, with enough surface curvature and crisp radiusing to impart a highly stretched-look. The integration of the exterior body panel has an exemplary panel fit, a perfect shut line that has grown to be almost daily ritual of VAG family member.

The new seventh generation Volkswagen Golf utilised the MQB modular platfrom, which is destinated to underpinned everything from supermini to the large sedan. Despite the growing dimension, the new Golf is lighter than the car it replaced, up to 100kg depending on variant. With Volkswagen ability to optimize the body structure (no less thanks to the advancement in computer simulation) which combats the increase in mass usually associated with the enlarged structure, the new Golf is roomier than ever. 

Rear legroom is 15mm longer, despite the 20mm rearward shift in front seat placement. Shoulder and elbow room has been increased up to 30mm thanks to the wider cabin. Up to 2,412mm of length can be accommodated in the cabin if the front passenger seat is folded. Boot volume is 380L, some 30L more than before.

Another dramatic departure is the interior design. While the interior of Volkswagen Golf is typically sombre place to be, it is the astonishing fitting and material quality that stunned the buyer. The new Golf should be more or less similar, despite the apparent arising material cost. The interior theme is in tandem with the latest of Volkswagen offering such as the Volkswagen UP, with the coloured insert within the console and the dash. In Golf however, it is piano black. High gloss. Or there is also a silver insert. Your pick. In any case, it is said the material reeks premium in its touch. Soft padded, metallic accent finely lining the gear console and buttons are all the luxury trappings that will uplift the ambiance even in the base model.

Engine choice are aplenty, like the current Golf. Among the engines are 1.2L TSI (84hp and 4.9L/100km), 1.4L TSI (138hp and 4.8L/100km) which can deactivate two cylinders. The diesel variety starts with 1.6L (104hp and 3.8L/100km) and 2.0L (148hp and 4.1L/100km). All engines comes start/stop technology and brake energy recuperation. Transmission option covers 6 speed manual and 6 and 7 speed dual clutch automatic gearbox.

In an effort to combat the rising cost, Volkswagen has elected to equip the cheapest model with the torsion beam suspension in companion with McPhersons strut at the front. Higher-priced model however gets the multi-link rear suspension.

At launch, only the 5 door hatchback is available. Later in the life cycle, the typical body styles will be offered such as 3 door hatchback, Golf Plus sub-MPV as well as the convertible. Some more photos can be found after the jump.