2013 VW Golf makes official debut

[ALS]

The seventh generation hatch is lower, lighter and more fuel efficient than ever before.

Al S. - CleanMPG - Sept. 5, 2012

Volkswagen today unveiled the new Golf, its best-selling car, at a press conference in Berlin, Germany. This seventh-generation version of one of the world’s most popular cars is striking in that it offers more features, even better safety, and more performance than the outgoing vehicle, while breaking the cycle of being heavier than its predecessor.

It went on a diet

Indeed, the latest Golf is up to 220 pounds lighter than the outgoing car, thanks to careful focus on weight savings in all aspects of the car’s construction, from the electrical architecture through to the engines and the body-in-white. The air conditioning unit is, for example, six pounds lighter than the old car’s; the seats have shed 15 pounds; and the body-in-white is 51 pounds lighter. One major reason for the bodyshell’s weight loss is the extensive use of high- and ultra-high strength steels. The share of the high-strength steels overall has gone from 66 percent in the previous Golf to 80 percent in the new one. Of this, the share of ultra-high-strength steel has gone from six to 28 percent.

Improved Fuel Economy

One very imporntat benefit of loweioring the Golf’s weight is better fuel economy!. The European-market 140 HP turbocharged 1.4L TSI complete with "cylinder de-activation" achieves 49 mpgUS combeidn on the NEDC or about 40 mpgUS on the EPA. The base 105 HP TDI provides 62 mpg on the NEDC combined cycle or a touch less than that of a Prius on our own EPA.

Exterior - "Longer, lower, wider"

The new Golf is 2.2 inches longer than the old car, with an overall length of 167.5 inches. Similarly, the wheelbase has grown by 2.3 inches to 103.8 inches. Since the front wheels are now located 1.7 inches further forward, the proportions are sportier, the crash structure is improved, and the interior package further optimized. The new car is 0.8 inches lower and 0.5 inches wider than the old car.

Improved interior

The new Golf is more spacious, with a passenger compartment that is 0.6 inches longer than before, giving 0.6 inches more rear kneeroom. Shoulder room is improved by 1.2 inches in both the back and front of the car. Cargo capacity has also been enhanced, while the load area is more accessible.

A key feature of the interior is a new infotainment system, which incorporates a five-inch touchscreen, even on entry-level European models. At the top end, the Golf features a navigation system which has a large, eight-inch touchscreen.

[WriConsult]

By "0.8 inches lower", I hope we're talking center of gravity, and not ground clearance. Golfs practically scrape the ground as it is.

On our Golf, the only thing saving its oilpan and other tender bits from certain death is the firmness of the suspension.

[PaleMelanesian]

I read that as "less tall", meaning the roof is lower.

[sno779]

.8" less tall is good. .8" lower is bad. We have replaced the pan on our 04 once already. I like the 62MPG and no hybrid batteries of the new one.

[PaleMelanesian]

Time for a skid plate like the offroaders use?

[seftonm]

That's what I use. It's good peace of mind when driving on less traveled roads in winter where the snow can disguise obstacles.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showp...7&postcount=42

[PaleMelanesian]

So the black thing is the oil pan, covered with insulation?

[seftonm]

I'm pretty sure that's correct, at least from what I remember.

[PaleMelanesian]

That makes sense, because the uninsulated part on the right looks like a transmission. My car has them reversed, but mine is backwards from almost everything out there (including the 2006+ civics).

[RedylC94]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

... My car has them reversed, but mine is backwards from almost everything out there (including the 2006+ civics). ...

Aha! That's because Honda engines used to rotate "backwards" from most other transverse engines in FWD cars, requiring the engine to face to opposite way. They finally realized that that idiosyncrasy cost them $$ because backward-rotating acccessories (starter, compressor, alternator, etc.) were required. Mitsubushi made some cars with engines that rotated the normal direction but faced the same way Honda engines did, which required the complication of intermediate gearing to make the car travel forward instead of backwards.