Golf MkVI swings into action

Volkswagen is teeing up a new Golf, Auto Express can exclusively reveal. And as these spy shots show, the sixth-generation family hatch is literally only months away.

After debuting at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the Golf MkVI will go on sale here next summer. The German firm is replacing the current car early because it’s not profitable enough. Even though the hatch has sold in big numbers since being introduced in 2003, it takes twice as long to build as its Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra rivals.

The new version will be cheaper and quicker to produce, with fewer trim levels and a smaller engine line-up. Carrying over the current car’s platform will help cut costs further. We caught the new model testing in the US. As soon as VW’s staff spotted our photographers, they hurriedly tried to cover the vehicle with a sheet. But by then, it was too late. We had already snapped it wearing only a minimal black plastic disguise at the front and rear.

With barely any camouflage, it’s easy to see how the new Golf has a similar profile to the current model’s. If you look closely at the front end, you can spot the firm’s corporate grille and headlights. At the rear, the tail-lights have been revamped and a roof spoiler added.

The model’s trademark chunky C-pillar will remain, and with wider wheelarches, the newcomer will be much more muscular. Our artist’s impression, which we published in Issue 956, revealed just how the finished product will look.

Inside, the cabin will feature all-new materials and equipment such as Bluetooth connectivity, sat-nav, a digital radio and MP3 player input. Under the skin, tweaks will be made to the current generation’s multi-link rear suspension layout, and the steering will be modified for a better all-round driving experience.

The MkVI will be offered with VW’s turbo and supercharged TSI petrol engine range, which will include a 150bhp 1.4-litre unit. A fresh common-rail 2.0-litre TDI diesel will also feature, in 138bhp and 168bhp form. The GTI will carry on with its 197bhp 2.0-litre turbo, while a new R36 will arrive in 2010 powered by a 296bhp 3.6 V6. The brand’s DSG sequential gearbox will be available across the line-up.

Three and five-door versions of the Golf MkVI will be revealed next year, with the new Jetta, Golf Estate and Golf Plus due to follow in 2009. Prices are expected to be roughly in line with the current model’s.

Before then, Volkswagen will take the wraps off a budget car concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Called the City Expert, it has an eco-friendly three-cylinder powerplant, a three-door bodystyle and is likely to be priced around the £5,000 mark.