Click on the new Golf for a high-res gallery

The sixth generation Volkswagen Golf won't be shown publicly until October's Paris Motor Show. However, VW has just officially released the photos we already saw a couple of days ago along with a slew of details on its new mainstream model. Along with the usual array of refinements that come with almost every new generation of a car, the Golf gets technology like adaptive cruise control, adaptive chassis control and parking assist systems. How many of these will make it to the US market Rabbit are unknown. But that's not why you read ABG.

With the new generation all diesel powered Golfs now get common rail fuel injection like that used on the new US Jetta TDI launching next month. Eventually the Golf will have a range of TDI diesels from 90-170 hp. At launch a pair of 2.0L units with 110 hp and 140 hp will be available. All the new Golf TDIs get particulate filters to eliminate virtually all of the soot emissions. The 110 hp engine improves from 46.1 mpg (US) to 52.3 mpg (US) on the EU combined cycle and is rated at 119 g/km of CO₂ emissions. The 140 hp diesel gets a 48 mpg (US) rating. The direct injected gas engines are also more efficient with power ratings from 80 to 160 hp. Aside from the lowest end models any of the engines can be had with either a manual or a DSG dual clutch transmission which now replaces conventional automatic transmissions across the board. In the top end model a 150 hp 2.0L engine with automatic is replaced by a 160 hp TSI (turbo and supercharged, and direct injected) 1.4L that combined with a 7-speed DSG yields 28 percent less fuel consumption. The full press release is after the jump.


[Source: Volkswagen]

A decade on from its revival, it has been unclear whether Volkswagen would ever build successor to the New Beetle. After all, how do follow up such an iconic retro shape? It now appears that Volkswagen may not only build a new New Beetle, but also expand the lineup into a mini-brand of its own. The sixth-generation Golf is set to debut in 2009 and its platform could be the basis for the next New Bug around 2010-11. Motor Trend is even speculating that it might be available with a hybrid powertrain. Based on the success of unique-looking hybrids like the Prius, a hybrid-only Beetle would actually make sense from a marketing perspective. A second potential vehicle could be a bug-shaped car based on the up! concept that debuted last year. Recent rumors had the production up! switching from the concept's rear-engine layout to a more conventional front-engine, front-drive setup. If they do keep the engine out back, a Beetle based on this platform truly would be a successor to the original.



[Source: Motor Trend, via Autoblog]

Volkswagen has seen fit to offer stop/start technology on the next generation of its little hatchback, the Golf... or the Rabbit if you happen to live in the United States. To go along with the gasoline and carbon-saving technology, Vee Dub will add a BlueMotion label to all Golfs so-equipped. Although the stop/start technology will be standard on the BlueMotion Golf, it will also be optional on other models, according to Automotive News. So far, we have no indication on what powertrains the half-hybrid systems will be offered with, but we do know, and have already written about, new small engine options for the sixth-generation of the Golf. Considering how close we are to the planned late 2008 or early 2009 launch of the new hatch, we're sure that this new small-bore engine won't be available right away.

Expect to see VW's new stop/start technology trickle upwards to other models in its range. As is usually the case, the cost of the associated hardware will surely go down as it is installed in more and more vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Huge demand in Great Britain for Volkswagen's BlueMotion variants of the Polo and Golf has prompted the company to restrict sales to fleet markets. Requirements for local councils and other agencies to meet efficiency and greenhouse gas standards has prompted many of them to opt for the fuel thrifty Germans. Unfortunately, fleet buyers could have absorbed the entire vehicle allotment for the country. Volkswagen also wants the cars available in dealer showrooms for retail sales as waiting times for the cars across Europe are three times that for conventional VW models. Volkswagen has also limited deliveries to car rental companies like Green Motion and car sharing clubs like Streetcar. The Polo BlueMotion is rated at only 99g/km for CO2 emissions while the larger Golf BlueMotion is under 120g/km.

[Source: BusinessCar]

"We need solutions for the next 20 years, not just dreams," according to Axel Friedrich, and he is absolutely right. Not only do we need solutions for the future, but we need solutions for today. This goes for the United States, Europe and the entire world. According to this article on the Wall Street Journal (sub. required), Germany, a country from which some of the fastest, most powerful cars come from, is especially at odds with emissions and fuel mileage regulations. I hear a great deal of consternation happening here in the States too, but maybe it's worse in Germany. Recently, Friedrich irked Volkswagen by taking their most popular model (the Golf) and getting Universities to improve its efficiency by reducing the weight of the vehicle and making other changes. Not surprisingly, this had the effect of reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions. Volkswagen was not amused, though, and they stated that the changes to the car could compromise usability, safety and increase the price.

Many of the ideas that Friedrich is suggesting were covered in our post about the top ten easiest ways to save gas now. He also is not a hydrogen supporter, after his company looked into the fuel carrier and deemed it unfeasible. No matter, as he is certainly right about the need to make changes now, not later. Internal combustion is here to stay, probably for many years to come. Therefore, it would be unwise to sleep on making them as efficient as possible. Until the day that alternative cars are the rule and not the exception, though, we are likely to support all of the possible solutions to our oil addiction.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

It is getting to be rather common these days to see a tuning company add ridiculous amounts of power to already high-performance vehicles. Some companies have earned quite a reputation for taking German designed and engineered cars and adding superchargers, turbochargers or just really big engines, such as RUF with Porshces and Brabus with Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

What is usually left by the wayside in these conversions, however, is fuel economy. High performance tuning company 9ff has decided to tackle that angle, in addition to their stable of power modifications. When you think about it, many of the same modifications done to increase the acceleration of a vehicle can also increase its efficiency, mostly by reducing weight. 9ff has started with a Golf 1.9 TDI, then fitted lightweight components wherever possible and changing out the wheels and tires for low-rolling-resistance models. The progress of the vehicle can be tracked as part a ten-part segment on Auto Motor und Sport TV, which begins airing on May 6th. Click here for their own page dedicated to the project.

[Source: German Car Scene via Autoblog]