A month after the specifications for the mainstream Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 range were announced, Volkswagen Australia has announced the same for the performance Golf GTI and GolfR models, as well as confirming that the 110TDI Highline wagon variant will join the regular Highline hatchback in the Golf range. The 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI and R models also come with more power, with the R now capable of producing 213kW of power, and a 4.8 second 0-100km/h sprint (DSG).
“You need not look too far into the past to find the time when 4.8 seconds was the preserve of a Porsche 911,” Volkswagen Group Australia Director Michael Bartsch said. “It is extraordinary that a relatively affordable car not only attains this performance, but includes refinements and technologies that remain options in some prestige brands.”
The Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 110TDI Highline wagon arrives with the same specifications as the 110TDI Highline hatchback, with significantly more equipment than the Mk7 Highline range. The Golf 110TDI Highline wagon is powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel as the 110TDI hatch, and produces 110kW of power and 340Nm of torque. It features a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Standard equipment on Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 110TDI Highline wagon includes:
– Front and rear foglamps
– ‘Comfort sport’ front seats
– Vienna leather appointed upholstery with heated front seats
– Electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory function and electric driver’s lumbar adjustment
– Electric-folding door mirrors with memory function
– Keyless entry and start
– 17-inch ‘Karlskoga’ alloy wheels
– Additional chrome interior and exterior highlights
– Interior ambient lighting strips
– LED reading lights and front footwell lighting
– Carpet floor mats
– Bi-LED headlights
– Colour Multi-function Display – ‘MFD Premium’
– Panoramic electric glass sunroof
As per the Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 110TDI Highline hatch, two optional packages will be offered. The Driver Assistance pack will include extra active safety equipment including radar cruise control, rear traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring. The Infotainment package will likely include a 400W Dynaudio sound system, Volkswagen’s Active Info Display digital dials system and a larger 9.2-inch infotainment system with gesture control, as per the other Highline models.
The Golf GTI returns to the Mk7.5 range sporting an increased amount of power from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, now at a maximum of 169kW (up from 162kW). The same 350Nm of torque remains, as do the six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission options. The Golf GTI also remains a five-door hatchback, though with the three-door Scirocco R having been cut from production, Volkswagen Australia may return the three-door Golf to the GTI and R ranges before the end of the seventh-generation model.
Retaining GTI hallmark touches such as tartan seats and a red grille stripe, the model Mr Bartsch says is “one of the few cars that can legitimately be called ‘iconic’” now comes with:
– Dual-zone climate-control air conditioning
– Keyless entry and start
– Leather multi-function steering wheel with cruise control
– Multi-Function Display ‘MFD Premium’
– ‘Discover Media’ 8-inch navigation system with App-Connect/Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity
– LED interior ambient lighting
– Rear view camera
– Seven airbags and Driver Fatigue Detection system
– Multi-collision brake and XDL
– 18-inch ‘Milton Keynes’ alloy wheels
– Adaptive chassis control with driving profile selection
– Front Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking
– Front and rear fog lights
– Automatic headlights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers
– Automatically dimming rear-view mirror
– Parking distance sensors, front and rear
– Bi-LED headlights with dynamic cornering
Like other Golfs, the Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 GTI can be upgraded with optional Infotainment, Driver Assistance and Luxury packages. The Infotainment package will likely include the larger 9.2-inch infotainment screen with gesture control and Active Info Display. The Driver Assistance pack will include radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear traffic alert with the Luxury package likely including leather seating, an electric driver’s seat with memory settings, heated front seats, auto-folding mirrors with memory functionality and a panoramic sunroof.
The top of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 range is the R, with an upgraded 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of making 213kW of power and 380Nm of torque. It’s matched to a six-speed manual or optional seven-speed dual clutch automatic.
The Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 R comes standard with:
– 4MOTION all-wheel drive
– Six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG
– ‘Discover Pro’ 9.2-inch navigation system with App-Connect/Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity and gesture control
– Voice control
– Active Info Display
– Vienna leather appointed upholstery
– Heated front seats
– Electric driver’s seat with memory function
– Driver’s electric lumbar adjustment
– Auto-folding door mirrors with memory function
– Dark-tinted rear and rear side windows
– Metallic/Pearl Effect paint
– 19-inch ‘Spielberg’ alloy wheels
– Premium LED tail lights with dynamic scrolling indicators
– Bi-LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights
– Dual-zone climate-control air conditioning
– Keyless entry and start
– Leather multi-function steering wheel with cruise control
– Multi-Function Display ‘MFD Premium’
– LED interior ambient lighting
– Rear View Camera (RVC)
– Seven airbags and Driver Fatigue Detection system
– Multi-collision brake and XDL
– Adaptive chassis control with driving profile selection
– Front Assist with City Emergency Brake (City EB)
– Front and rear foglamps
– Automatic headlights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers
– Automatically dimming rear-view mirror
– Front and rear parking sensors
The Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 R arrives in Australia significantly better equipped than before and as such, options are few. The Driver Assistance package with radar cruise control, Lane Assist and blind spot detection is available, as is a panoramic sunroof.
There are no signs as yet of the Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 three-door, nor the GTI Performance or Golf R wagon, all previous range entrants. All Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 pricing will be released in early May, ahead of the entry level range’s debut in early July. GTI and R models are set to arrive towards the end of August.
