Volkswagen Golf VI (first pictures)

AutoBild and Auto Motor und Sport talk about the Golf V production being too costly. Volkswagen's management laments many ills: the electronical connections are too complicated and require too highly qualified personnel, the doors and the multilink rear suspensions are too complcated to assemble.

This leads to production times almost double those of rivals which leads to high production costs. The result is a car which in 2004 only generated 900 million € less than expected. That's the reason why it'll be replaced in 2008, much earlier than originally planned.

The technical underpinnings of the Golf VI will remain practically identical to the Golf V, but VW's management is looking at a 10% yearly reduction in production costs.

According to Auto Bild, the gasoline engine range of the Golf VI will include: a new 1,4 liter engine, both naturally aspirated (80 ps) and turbocharged (TFSI, 120 ps), the 1,6 liters engine (102 hp), the 2,0 liters engine, both naturally aspirated (150 ps) and turbocharged (200 ps) and the 1,4 dual-charger TSI engine (150 hp)

Diesel engines will include the old 1.9 TDI Pompe-Duse (105 hp) and two new common-rail engines: a 1,6 liters TDI (90 ps) and a 2.0 liters TDI in two power steps (same as today, 140 and 170 ps).

Other news on the "Golf family": the Touran will be renewed in 2009; the Golf Plus will go on until 2010, with a substantial facelift in 2007; the Golf Variant will come in 2007, while the Scirocco coupè is expected in 2008, using the same platform as the Golf VI.

Source: EuroCarBlog