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12/03/19
Porto, Portugal
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Innovation in all walks of life

The eighth generation of the Volkswagen Golf is ready and waiting. And, like its predecessors, it features a wealth of technical innovations. The new generation demonstrates its qualities on an initial test drive through northern Portugal.

The Douro River meanders through the north of Portugal over a distance of more than 250 kilometres. And it is along the roads of this otherwise sun-drenched wine region that the new Golf shows its capabilities.

Unmistakably a Golf – the eighth generation of the Volkswagen icon is an innovative trendsetter.

Rising in the northern Spanish province of Soria, where it is known as the Duero, the river is lined with vineyards and picturesque villages. Time seems to pass by at a different, somewhat slower pace here. But the eighth generation of the Golf doesn’t move at the same leisurely pace as the tranquil goings-on along the riverside – it is heading for the future. With a digital cockpit, innovative voice control and perfect connectivity, the Golf introduces new technologies to the segment that is named after it – while setting new benchmarks.

Guaranteed to perform in all driving situations

Part of the Romanesque route – the Rota do Românico – runs through the Douro Valley, a World Heritage site. This stretch of country road passes by 58 architectural monuments, so it’s a real favourite among tourists. The narrow, winding mountain roads and changing light conditions present the driver with a challenge on the first trip in the new Golf – especially since the weather is playing up. Instead of hours of sunshine, a massive downpour soaks everything in one fell swoop.

Defying the imminent thunderstorm – optimised running gear and multiple assistance systems as standard in the Golf.
All of a sudden, a gentle drive along narrow country roads turns into a challenging affair. The running gear ensures a sense of secure roadholding – the eighth-generation bestseller demonstrates superb mastery of bends, gradients and wet surfaces. The optional adaptive chassis control (DCC) hones the remarkably balanced driving characteristics still further. With this equipment on board, the Golf provides the full range of driving performance on the asphalt – from harmonious to sporty and agile. The innovative LED headlamps ensure optimum visibility in this suddenly inhospitable environment, providing impressive long-range vision in the dark. The optional IQ.Light – a particularly bright LED matrix headlamp – makes its debut in the compact class in the top-of-the-range model.If you encounter another car on the wet slopes along the Douro, the IQ.Light switches off semi-automatically to avoid dazzling the oncoming driver.

Coasting and boost – efficiency and driving pleasure

Our Golf is powered by a 110 kW (150 PS) eTSI hybrid with 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The new 48-volt mild hybrid system on-board makes it possible to coast with the combustion engine completely switched off, ensuring a comfortable ride along the river valley roads. Coasting saves fuel and increases the range. The eTSI’s electric boost function ensures particularly powerful performance when setting off. Powertrain options also include two more mild hybrid drives (eTSI) with 81 kW/110 PS and 96 kW/130 PS as well as two plug-in hybrids (1.4-litre TSI with electric motor and 6-speed DSG) with 150 kW/204 PS and 180 kW/245 PS in the form of the sporty Golf GTE. The range of powertrains also includes other innovative petrol (TSI), diesel (TDI) and natural gas (CNG) engines.

Coasting through the countryside – the eTSI with 48-volt mild hybrid system makes its debut in the new Golf.
In conjunction with the assist systems, the car’s driving performance gives the driver a secure feel behind the wheel. Meanwhile, digitalisation and connectivity are raised to a whole new level in the eighth Golf – all cockpit displays and controls are digital as standard, and virtually all traditional switches have been replaced with touch-sensitive surfaces. This allows the driver to find their way around intuitively and quickly.

The razor-sharp (optional) windscreen head-up display projects information such as navigation instructions onto the windscreen – directly into the driver’s field of vision. Another innovation on board the Golf – in future the compact car will be able to think ahead owing to the standard Car2X technology based on swarm intelligence.

Screens merge to form a new digital display landscape in the Golf.

More on the subject

The new Golf

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The specified fuel consumption and emission data have been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Starting on September 1st 2018, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) will be replaced by the WLTP in stages. Owing to the more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured according to the WLTP will, in many cases, be higher than those measured according to the NEDC. For further information on the differences between the WLTP and NEDC, please visit www.volkswagen.de/wltp.

We are currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. It is possible to specify the WLTP figures voluntarily in addition until such time as this is required by law. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering. They are intended exclusively as a means of comparison between different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and power consumption of new passenger car models”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de.