This article is from page 59 of the 2005-08-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
VOLKSWAGEN were late develop- ing their own version of the midi- MPV, and in the meantime their competitors plundered the market. VW, however, have begun the fight back.
The Golf family has just got big- ger. Quite literally. Not content with the Golf and the Touran, VW have just added the Golf Plus to its ranks which it boldly describes as the ‘rein- vention’ of the traditional hatchback.
The Golf Plus manages to avoid the boxy look of many vehicles in the midi-MPV sector and in every sense, the Golf Plus offers more – more in- terior space, more comfort and more functionality.
With its raised seating and totally flexible interior concept, the new Golf Plus offers endless options and practical solutions.
Among the changes to the market leading Golf, the Plus incorporates trapezoidal-shaped headlights, a small quarter window ahead of the front doors, a more refined V-form in the lower edge of the rear wind- screen and stylish headlamps.
The Golf and the Golf Plus are the same width, but the Plus is 2mm longer, while there’s a big differ- ence in height – the Plus has been increased by 95mm. This alteration leads to increased headroom (plus 20mm), a higher seating position
and more legroom.
Underneath the hood the Plus shares its underpinnings with the Golf.
Weekends away, family holidays, shopping trips, or adventure sports, the new Golf Plus takes them all in it’s stride. Ensuring you get the most out of life – while still enjoying the class-leading performance, legen- dary build quality and sheer exhila- ration of driving a Volkswagen Golf.
You have a 395-litre storage ca- pacity with the rear seat in the rear- most position and 1,450 litres with rear seats folded away, compared to 350/1,305 litres in the standard Golf.
An extra touch of versatility allows the rear seat to slide forwards on its base to provide 505-litres; the front passenger seat also folds flat.
Despite this increased space, the Golf Plus, being based on the Golf hatch, retains that model’s essential qualities which include award-win- ning driving dynamics, value for money and a high level of safety Xe | bay oy eaten
It’s styling is also closely linked to that of the hatch, particularly in key areas such as the bonnet, C pillar and grille. For the first time in this class, LED technology is used for the rear lights, while active curve headlights — which follow steering direction — will also be available.
The suspension is virtually iden- tical to the Golf, bar minor adyjust-
ments to allow for the increased weight (up around 100 kilos) and a slightly raised centre of gravity. VW’s marketing department are curious to discover whether buyers in this mainstream “C” (small family- sized) sector are moving away from traditional hatchbacks into more MPV-like cars. It’s basically an ex- periment made feasible and afford- able thanks to the latest CAD design technology, which enables the rela-
tively cheap development of different variants off a shared platform.
Five engine choices are offered initially, the 1.4 (/S5bhp), 1.6 FSI (15bhp) and 2.0 FSI (50bhp) pet- rol units and the 1.9 TDI (O05bhp) and 2.0 TDI (140bhp) diesels; an entry-level 1.9 TDI (90bhp) _fol- lows next year. The 1.6 and 2.0 FSI models have the option of six-speed automatic transmission and the two larger diesels with the DSG (Direct
Shift Gearbox) clutchless sequen- tial set-up. Volkswagen are adamant however that there will not be a Golf UKRGsbe
Basically, the Golf Plus is a car for the undecided, for those who refuse to admit that they need something more appropriate to their parental status or lifestyle, for those thirty something’s determined to continue to wear the same clothes they did at AeA