New Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet

With each passing day, we are edging closer to the 82nd Geneva Motor Show premiere on March 6 and more models are coming out in the open. One such case is the Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet. Just yesterday, we received word that the production version of concept model shown at last year's Wörthersee meeting in Austria will be displayed at VW’s 2012 Geneva motor show stand, and today we have the first official details and images of the car.
Although an open-top Golf is by no means something new, this is the first time that VW gives it the full-blown GTI treatment. This translates to the fitment of a 210PS 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder linked to a six-speed manual or an optional dual-clutch DSG gearbox, and the XDS electronically controlled differential as standard.
According to VW, the Golf GTI Cabriolet accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.3 seconds with both transmissions and tops out at 237km/h (147mph) with the manual and 235km/h (146mph) with the DSG.
Those opting for the manual will get an average fuel consumption of 7.6 lt/100 km (30.9 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 177 g/km, while DSG owners will come out 0.1lt/100 km (0.4) and 3 g/km worse.
On the outside, sans the removal of the roof, the GTI Cabriolet does not differ from the hatch. It sports the same honeycomb grille with the red frame and vertically stacked fog lights, the same 17-inch “Denver” alloys with 225/45 tires as standard (18-inch rims are optional) and a rear bumper that incorporates a diffuser and a tailpipe at each corner.
Apart from the more raked windshield and the two-seat layout at the rear, the interior will also be familiar to Golf GTI owners, with its classic tartan “Jacky” seat upholstery and the flat-bottom sports steering wheel.
VW has bucked the trend of a hard-top roof that it too employed in the Eos and has opted for a fabric top. This opens in 9.5 seconds and closes in 11 seconds and can be operated up speeds up to 30 km/h (18 mph).
Automatically-deploying roll bars, along with a full array of airbags, take care of safety. On the downside, the need to store the roof has taken its toll on boot space, which has shrunk from the hatchback’s 350lt to 250 lt.
The company has announced that the new Golf GTI Cabriolet will be available “just in time for the official arrival of the summer” – so expect it in dealerships sometime in June.

PHOTO GALLERY

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New VW Golf GTI Cabriolet and Polo GT Blue

We heard earlier this month that Volkswagen might introduce the production version of its Golf GTI Cabriolet at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon. Carscoop can now confirm the news and add that the German company will also premiere another new model, the Polo GT Blue fitted with VW's new 1.4 TSI with a cylinder deactivation system.
The Golf GTI Cabriolet was previewed as a thinly disguised concept model at last year's Wörthersee fest in Austria, alongside the Golf R Cabrio study .
In standard trim at least, the production model will drop the concept's aggressive body kit along with the LED headlamps and bespoke 19-inch wheels, but these may be offered on the optional list.
The soft-top version will be powered by the same 208bhp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot as the three-door GTI. During the presentation of the concept, Volkswagen had said that the Cabrio's performance matched that of the regular GTI with a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 7 seconds and a top speed of around 240km/h (149 mph).
Joining the Golf GTI Cabrio in Geneva will be new addition to the Polo supermini's family named the GT Blue. According to our sources, the Polo GT Blue will be the first VW branded model to be fitted with the group's 1.4-liter turbocharged TSI petrol engine featuring the new ACT cylinder deactivation system. The four-cylinder unit is rated at 140PS (103kW or 138hp).
What makes this engine unique in its segment is that at low and medium load, two of the cylinders are shut off, which helps reduce fuel consumption in the EU driving cycle by 0.4 lt/100 km. The shut-off only takes place when engine speed is between 1,250 and 4,000 rpm and torque is between 25 and about 100Nm (19 and 74 lb-ft).

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI CABRIOLET STUDY

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VW Golf Keeps its Sales Crown in Europe for 2011, Polo Comes in 2nd And Ford Fiesta 3rd

The sixth generation of the Volkswagen Golf is in its final year with a replacement due to be unveiled at the upcoming Paris Motor Show this fall, yet it still managed to sell more cars than any other model in Europe in 2011 for a third year in a row, according to data provided from JATO Dynamics. Volkswagen delivered 484,547 units of the Golf in 2011, down 1.6% over the previous year. The German company also took second spot with the Polo that sold 356,490 cars, up 0.5%, while the Ford Fiesta with 348,465 sales (-13.3%), the Opel / Vauxhall Corsa with 313,325 units (-1.7%) and the Renault Clio with 294,172 (-13.1%) complete the Top 5.
We should note that all Top 10 best-sellers came from either German (7 models) or French (3 models) brands.
JATO Dynamics says that outside the top ten, certain models performed much better than their predecessors did including Peugeot’s new 508, which saw its sales rise almost three times achieved by its predecessor, the 407, in 2010, the new Ford C-Max/Grand C-Max, Citroën C4, BMW X3 and Kia Sportage.
Overall, the European market shrunk 1.2% over 2010 to 13,543,179 units in 2011.
Greece and Portugal recorded the largest drops with 30.7% and 31.3% respectively, while on the other side of the spectrum, Latvia and Lithuania posted gains of 72.5% and 66.0% respectively.
The top selling brand in Europe was of course Volkswagen with 1,678,279 units (+9.1%) followed by Ford with 1,087,912 (-2.8%) and Renault with 1,038,313 (-8.8%). Out of the top ten brands in 2011, only Volkswagen, BMW, Audi and Mercedes ended 2011 with no reduction in sales.
“Germany is clearly leading Europe in terms of a market for new cars as well as manufacturing models which appeal to consumers across the region. This is even more impressive considering the challenges we saw in the overall European market during 2011," commented Gareth Hession, Vice President, Research at JATO.

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