The Golf, the most successful European car, is turning 45. On 29 March 1974, the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg officially started production of what would become its bestseller. Back then, nobody at Volkswagen had any idea that the successor to the legendary Beetle would end up selling more than 35 million units all over the world – and still selling to this day. In purely mathematical terms, a new Golf has been ordered somewhere in the world every 41 seconds, every day, without interruption, since the start of production (SOP) 45 years ago. That is an average of around 780,000 vehicles per year.

Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen: “The Golf is at the very heart of our brand. It stands for progress and technology like no other car. For example, the Golf made safety technology affordable for millions of people for the first time. Thanks to this, it made its mark on an entire generation.” Brandstätter went on to emphasise: “For seven generations, the Golf has made a contribution to the development of Volkswagen as a brand and as a group – into one of the most important automotive producers in the world.”

Dr. Stefan Loth, Plant Manager at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg: “In 1974, our employees were facing the challenge of switching from the Beetle to the Golf. Since then, we have consistently continued to develop our main plant and today, in addition to the Golf, we produce the e-Golf1, the Golf GTE2, the Golf Sportsvan, and three additional models here in Wolfsburg.”

As one of the compact models on the global market that most defies classification, the Golf is set to remain a key product pillar of the Volkswagen brand. With its state-of-the-art drive, assist systems, Infotainment and operating systems, it will provide a decisive impetus for the future of mobility.

Important data on the debut of the Golf I:

29 March 1974: First Golf rolls off the assembly line – Start of series production
8 July 1974: Golf is available in showrooms of Volkswagen dealerships
5 August 1974: Delivery of the new Golf to customers begins

The 1974 Golf I

Design: 2-door and 4-door vehicles with boot lid
Interior: Five-seater, 300-litre luggage compartment, foldable rear bench seat
Engines: 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 37 kW / 50 PS; 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 51 kW / 7 0 PS
Drive: Front-wheel drive, four-speed manual gearbox, three-speed automatic available as an option
Maximum speed: 140 km/h (50 PS, manual gearbox); 160 km/h (70 PS, manual gearbox)
Models: Golf and Golf L (both 50 PS); Golf S and Golf LS (both 70 PS)

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen has increased the engine choice for Touareg customers, with the introduction of a new, powerful 340 PS 3.0-litre V6 TSI engine to the premium class SUV’s range, in addition to the capable 231 PS and 286 PS TDI diesel units already on offer.

The latest member of Volkswagen’s growing range of SUVs brings even more choice for Touareg customers, adding a third powertrain to the model’s previous line-up of 3.0-litre V6 TDI engines, with all three units available in SEL, R-Line and R-Line tech specs.

This new petrol engine delivers its peak 340 PS power output between 5,300 and 6,400 rpm, with 450 Nm of torque produced between 1,340 rpm – just above idle – and 5,300 rpm. Just like the diesel-powered Touaregs, the petrol engine’s power is delivered to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system, with a limited slip differential combining with the system to give the Touareg its sharp road handling.

The Touareg 3.0 V6 TSI 340 PS reaches 62 mph from a standstill in 5.9 seconds before going on to a top speed of 155 mph where permitted, making it the fastest variant in the Touareg range.

Towing weights remain unchanged over the diesel models, with a maximum weight of 3,500 kg possible for all three powertrains, while the 340 PS Touareg itself is a full 50 kg lighter than its diesel counterparts, at 2,020 kg. On the combined cycle, the model returns 31.7 mpg, with CO2 emissions of 203 g/km1.

Orders open today for the first petrol variant of the third-generation Touareg, with first cars expected to arrive in the UK in April.

Product Manager Brian Luckie said: “The addition of a powerful petrol engine to the Touareg range now gives customers three options – the choice between one petrol and two diesel units ensures that there’s a Touareg for all customers.

“Being available in the same technology-packed specs as the existing range means that the Touareg’s long list of talents now includes the flexibility of being available in both petrol and diesel forms throughout the line-up.”

1) NEDC derived under the new WLTP test

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen’s natural gas strategy continues to gain ground: only recently available to order, the Polo TGI and Golf TGI are now joined by the Golf Variant TGI1) with eco-friendly natural gas engine. The new model now boasts three natural gas tanks – instead of just two as before – once again increasing the already long range of the CNG drives. And there’s no need to compromise on space either to accommodate the three tanks on-board, as the natural gas tanks are integrated as a space-saving underfloor solution. At the same time, the additional tank increases the range in natural gas mode by up to 80 kilometres compared to its predecessor. You’ll now also reach your destination faster, as the bonnet conceals an overhauled, powerful 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 96 kW (130 hp). This engine is primarily powered with compressed natural gas (CNG) – the petrol tank is smaller as a result and thus only serves as a backup.

Thanks to the TGI Miller combustion process and the variable turbine geometry (VTG) of the turbocharger, the Golf Variant TGI’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is even more efficient and responsive than its predecessor. It delivers 96 kW (130 PS) and boasts a torque of 200 newton metres. With the petrol tank reduced in size to 9 litres (for a Golf Variant TGI, that corresponds to a range of approximately 200 kilometres) and now serving merely as a backup, this is referred to as a quasi-monovalent drive concept. In other words, the range with natural gas alone has increased by around 80 kilometres, enabling routes of up to 440 kilometres (based on WLTP) with natural gas alone.

The three natural gas tanks have a combined volume of 115 litres, which corresponds to a total weight of 17.3 kilograms. The tanks are made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) or from metal.

The CO2 emissions of a natural gas vehicle are much lower than those of a comparable vehicle with a conventional engine, as combustion of compressed natural gas (CNG) releases around 25 per cent less CO2 than combustion of petrol. The reason for this is the low percentage of carbon in natural gas. Thanks in part to the innovative lambda split process, natural gas also burns extremely cleanly: the exhaust contains much less carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide (NOX), resulting in minimal soot and fine dust. If you fill up your vehicle with biomethane or e-gas, you can minimise your emissions even further, as biomethane is derived from residual plant matter, and e-gas from excess green energy (power to gas). Both can be added to fuels or are available as pure biofuels.

Driving with natural gas is also comparably cheaper in just about all countries. In Germany, natural gas is around 20 per cent cheaper than diesel and as much as 40 per cent cheaper than petrol. And that’s despite the fact that natural gas contains much more energy. For comparison: one kilogram of CNG corresponds to around 1.3 litres of diesel or 1.5 litres of petrol.

In Germany, the number of natural gas vehicles is expected to reach one million by 2025, with some 100,000 natural gas vehicles already registered. For this to work, the product portfolio needs to be expanded and the network of filling stations in Europe increased to 2,000 – also by 2025.

In addition to the eco up!5 and TGI models of the Polo3, Golf4, Golf Variant2 the Volkswagen Group also already offers an extensive range of 14 CNG vehicles.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen presents the ID. BUGGY at the Geneva International Motor Show. On the evening prior to the first press day, the concept car will celebrate its world premiere at the Volkswagen Group Night. The ID. BUGGY is a zero-emissions high-tech vehicle for summer, on the beach or in the city, based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). “The ID. BUGGY demonstrates the broad spectrum of emission-free mobility that can be achieved with the MEB within the Volkswagen brand. But we want to open up the platform for third-party suppliers”, explains Ralf Brandstätter, COO of the Volkswagen brand.

The parallels between the Californian dune buggies of the sixties and the new ID. BUGGY are apparent.All beach buggies from back then featured a high degree of modular variability – based on the chassis of the legendary Beetle, with a four-cylinder boxer engine running at the rear. Small series manufacturers stretched a cover made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) over the chassis and engine of the Beetle, thus writing automotive history. The ID. BUGGY is tied to this cult concept with the technical possibilities of the modern age. The basis here is the progressive chassis of the MEB. Integrated in the vehicle floor: a high-voltage battery. 

This lithium ion rechargeable battery supplies the electricity for the ID. BUGGY’s 150 kW/204 PS electric drive motor in the rear. An additional electric motor in the front axle is also conceivable in order to realise an all-wheel drive with an “electric propshaft”. 

The clear design language expresses the unique experience when driving the buggy. To be able to feel the wind, a fixed roof and doors were deliberately dispensed with. This is why the resilient and minimalist design of the interior is characterised by waterproof materials. The concept car is a pure 2-seater; however, the ID. BUGGY can also be converted to a 2+2-seater.

The composite body manufactured from a mixture of aluminium, steel and plastic is self-supporting. Thanks to the modular design, the upper body can be detached from the MEB chassis. A clear signal to small series manufacturers and start-ups: As in the past, Volkswagen is opening up to external producers with the ID. BUGGY concept. The offer: You can build the new-era, zero-emissions dune buggy based on this concept.In general, the MEB also has the potential to become the new technical basis for e-mobility for many automobile manufacturers. Background: At the beginning of 2019, Volkswagen announced for the first time that it intended to also make the MEB accessible to competitors as an electric vehicle platform.

At the same time, the ID. BUGGY illustrates the broad spectrum of emission-free mobility that can be achieved with the modular electric drive matrix within the Volkswagen brand: Following on from the ID.1 (compact class), ID. BUZZ1 (van), ID. CROZZ1 (SUV) and ID. VIZZION1(saloon), the new ID. BUGGY is the fifth concept car based on the MEB, with which Volkswagen has used to confirm the multifaceted nature of the ID. Family.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com