2006 Volkswagen Golf Review

Specifications

Oddball VW Optimizes Space

It is said that if you leave an idea to sit for a lengthy period of time, someone will be bound to pick it up and reuse it. Not a decade ago, the “retro” theme was deeply unfashionable, but today its a completely different situation.

People still cant seem to get enough of classic 50s and 60s-style Kitchenaid stand mixers, retro martini cocktail parties and modern cars with styling from that time period, but now the trend is spilling over into other, more recent, decades. Fads like disco may never again be in style, but quirky vehicles, such as the ugly space wagons and stretched hatchbacks of the past, may be on their way back.

From the late 70s to the late 80s, a handful of car manufacturers experimented with producing practical, space-efficient vehicles out of regular, run-of-the-mill compact cars. Included in this less-than-glamorous list were the tough, but ugly, Toyota Tercel and Corolla 4WD wagons, the frumpy Eagle/Mitsubishi Colt wagon and the pinnacle of the group, the Honda Civic Wagon. Plaid dress shirts, puffy bubble ski vests and mullet haircuts, all of which hailed from that era, have staged successful comebacks, so why not the cars?

While the majority of manufacturers have pushed the memories of these less-than-appealing oddball vehicles out of consumers minds with attractive compact sport utility vehicles, Volkswagen will enter this segment for the first time with the Golf Plus. The newest addition to the Golf range is destined to plug the gap between the traditional compact hatchback and the seven-seat mini-minivan Touran (not available in North America) by offering additional space and room for five passengers without resorting to a blocky, minivan body style.

As its name might suggest, the Golf Plus shares the same advanced components of the Golf including the super-stiff chassis, multi-link rear suspension and self-centering electric power steering, but the similarities go beyond simple component sharing. The two have near-identical dimensions in terms of overall length and width, but the Golf Plus is 3.74 inches taller than the regular Golf, yielding greater interior space and improved versatility.

The Golf Plus is different from other attempts at creating a tall-body hatchback, in that its designers incorporated the Golfs key styling points for the new vehicle as opposed to simply building upwards on a pre-existing model.

The integrated structure and frame of the Plus follows the general shape of the Golf, as the roofline peaks at the midpoint of the front doors, flowing back to the trademark boomerang-style rear pillars. Taller doors were also crafted especially for the Plus to keep the metal-to-glass proportions close to that of the regular Golf. Its easy to see that Volkswagens engineers and designers werent out to cut corners or save a quick buck in the design of the Plus.

To attract and entice buyers, and to provide a degree of visual separation from the regular Golf, the Plus model has a few additions to its exterior. More sleekly-styled headlamps with active curve technology (which swivel to light a path around dark corners) have been fitted. Their new design leads upwards to a new hood which has been beveled down towards the fenders.

In back, the Golf Plus also features quick-lighting LED taillamps in a bold white and red circular design. General shapes,
such as the lower front valance, rear-window bar and triple-tier grille are clearly derived from the Golf, but have been slightly modified to give the Plus a distinctive, modern look.

Inside, elements of the Golfs interior have been intertwined with the higher driving position and layout of the Touran. The central panel, which holds the controls for the stereo and the optional LCD display and navigation unit, has been moved closer to the driver, with the upper half of the dashboard located in its own separate unit. The simple digital climate control cluster was relocated to a lower, more ergonomically-correct position. New to the Golf Plus are eight circular chrome-lined vents which add a touch of class to the interiors dark color scheme.

Ultimately, the purpose of the Golf Plus isnt to astound would-be buyers with a different exterior or interior design; its all about providing buyers with a vehicle that has additional cargo space and versatility. The Golf Pluss body doesnt feature an extended rear overhang or a revised wheelbase, so all the gains in cargo-carrying capacity come from the bodys extra height.

The car boasts 13.95 cubic feet of trunk space with the rear seats upright, and up to 51.21 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. As one might expect, the Golf Plus fits right between the Golf which has 12.36 to 46.09 cubic feet of trunk space, depending on whether the rear seats are upright or folded flat, and the Touran which features 24.54 to 70.24 cubic feet of volume.

In addition to the extra space, the Golf Plus has the upper hand on interior versatility over the Golf. Like the Golf, it has the same 60/40 flat-folding seatbacks, but also features a sliding function which allows the bench to slide back and forth by up to 6.30 inches, allowing rear-seat passengers to stretch out or yielding greater cargo room. When not in use, the center position on the rear bench folds down to provide an armrest with cupholders.

The larger trunk also features a two-level floor for more efficient organization of its space, and a sliding cover to protect its contents from prying eyes.

As for safety, Volkswagen has equipped the Golf Plus with front and side airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, active headrests, Anti-Skid Regulation (ASR/Traction Control), and stability control.

When the Golf Plus arrives in European showrooms early next year, it will be available with two gasoline engines, one featuring FSI direct injection, and two next-generation common-rail turbodiesels. Entry-level Golf Pluses will feature a 1.4-liter 75 horsepower gasoline inline 4-cylinder, with an upgrade to a 1.6-liter 115 horsepower FSI I-4. Buyers who would prefer diesel power have a choice between a 1.9-liter 105 horsepower TDI (available in North American Golf/Jetta/New Beetle models), and a 2.0-liter 136 horsepower PD-TDI (available on the current Passat TDI).

Four transmissions will be available for the Golf Plus: a five-speed manual, a six-speed manual, a six-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox and a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. All Golf Plus models will be front-wheel drive.

After a surprise world debut last week at the Bologna motor show in Italy, Volkswagen has projected that the model will arrive in European dealerships by May of 2005. Currently, theres no word on whether or not the Golf Plus will be sold in North America, but it would make a logical addition to Volkswagens redesigned compact car range comprised of the fifth generation Golf and Jetta.

If the Golf Plus is to be sold in North America, expect trim levels and models to be similar to those of the Golf, with a slight price premium. As the spiritual successor to the stodgy space wagons of the past, the Golf Plus is further proof that a recycled idea can have merit, even if it brings back memories of a design originally considered odd.