After an 8 year absence from the marketplace. Volkswagen is bringing back the famed Golf Cabrio set to unveil at the Geneva Auto Show. No details on when the new Cabrio will hit the U.S. yet, but the car specs are very similar to the current 6th generation Golf/GTI with some cues taken from the GTI. Perhaps maybe the U.S. will see a GTI version? Who knows. The styling is crisp and fresh, but looks similar to the Eos in my opinion since the Golf has lost its trademark roll bar hoop. That said the top mechanism takes merely 9.5 seconds to drop and will fit flush into the body with the top of the roof acting as a boot. Probably most impressive is the fact that the new Golf Cabrio will be offered with diesel engine options as part of the six available choices.Advance sales are set to begin tomorrow in Germany, but as we mentioned earlier, no mention of the U.S. market. It's questionable if we will get the Golf Cabrio because of the current Eos and the out going New Beetle convertible (no mention if the next Beetle will go topless). It may very well be possible that we won't see the Golf purely because of these two cars just as VW won't bring the Scirocco to the U.S. for fears of taking sales from the GTI. But then again, anything is possible.
Press Release:
Wolfsburg, 23 February 2011 - In its presentation of the new Golf Cabriolet at the 81st Geneva International Motor Show, Volkswagen is writing a new chapter of a global success story. The four-seater has an innovative soft top with an electro-hydraulic drive that opens the Golf’s top in just 9.5 seconds.
The new Volkswagen’s styling follows that of its hard-top three-door counterpart, but it shows a high level of independence with a new rear section, lower profile roof line and more swept-back angle of its front windscreen frame. The convertible’s image is especially dynamic when ordered with optional bi-xenon headlights. Always a standard feature: the LED rear lights like those of the GTI. Other standard safety features offering peace of mind are the automatically deploying roll-over bar, front airbags, side head/thorax airbags, knee airbag for the driver and ESP.The new Golf is one of the quietest convertibles today. Its soothing quietness is attributable to the new soft top that was optimised in specific ways. It also has a standard hydraulic drive that opens the Golf’s top extremely quickly. The top can also be opened or closed during driving at speeds of up to 30 km/h.
Ideal for cruising with a convertible are the six turbocharged direct-injection engines whose power outputs range from 77 kW / 105 PS to 155 kW / 210 PS. Four of the petrol engines (TSI) and one diesel (TDI) are available with the DSG dual-clutch gearbox; while three of the engines are available with energy-saving BlueMotion Technology. Just how efficiently the new Golf Cabriolet handles fuel is illustrated by the 1.6 TDI with 105 PS and BlueMotion Technology: It only consumes 4.4 l/100 km (equivalent to 117 g/km CO2).
In Germany, advance sales begin tomorrow with prices starting at 23.625,- Euros. Essentially, all of the features offered in the classic, hard top Golf are also available in the new Golf Cabriolet. The only feature that will definitely not be offered is a sunroof …
Source: Volkswagen
