The new Golf Cabriolet - Democratisation of the cabriolet

Back in 1979, Volkswagen had already democratised open-top driving with the first Golf Cabriolet. Laying the foundation for this democratic movement, thirty years earlier, was the Beetle Cabrio. The new Golf Cabriolet also embodies this philosophy. Another aspect links it to its legendary predecessors as well: it breaks free of class boundaries. So, attempting to determine the bank balance of its female or male driver is really a waste of time.

Standard features of the Golf Cabriolet

At its market launch in Germany, the model starts at a price of 23,625 euros (Golf Cabriolet 1.2 TSI with 77 kW / 105 PS). That is naturally more than a comparably equipped Golf Trendline with sunroof, but it is significantly less than most other four-seat cabriolets in this class. The price differential compared to the classically constructed "hard top" Golf is due to body reinforcements and the soft top activation system, including the sophisticated electro-hydraulic drive and active rollover protection system. So, the new Golf makes it easier to choose to drive all year-round in a cabriolet. And its inventory of standard features is already quite long.

What exactly does one get for 23,625 euros? A four-seat cabriolet with fully automatic soft top, automatically deploying rollover protection, an extremely strong windscreen frame, an effective network of airbags and ESP including Hill Climb Assist, countersteering support and trailer stabilisation, as well as daytime running lights. That is a brief sketch of its safety-related features. Yet, the Golf Cabriolet 1.2 TSI has even more to offer...

Like the Eos, Passat CC, Touareg and Phaeton, Volkswagen is intentionally also offering just one equipment line for the cabriolet Golf. Therefore, the comparison to the hard top Golf Trendline is not a perfect one, since the Cabriolet has features, inside and out, which are either advanced developments or were adapted from the higher equipment lines of the cabriolet's hard top counterpart.

Standard exterior features: In front, the Golf Cabriolet is equipped with chrome trim strips on the radiator grille fins, and at the rear it features smoked LED rear lights and a sports-style bumper. Running from A-pillar to A-pillar, a chrome band encircles the side windows and the soft top. Also standard: green-tinted thermal insulating glass, 205 tyres in 16-inch format with weight-optimised wheel covers, and naturally the electro-hydraulic drive of the soft top.

Standard interior features and functionality: Many of the car's basic interior features include details that have a positive effect on life aboard. They include the climate control system, reading lights in front (2), Hill Climb Assist, length and vertical adjustment of the steering column, and – in BlueMotion Technology models – a Stop/Start system and a system for recovering braking energy (battery regeneration). Standard features also include electric door mirrors, electro-mechanical power steering, wireless remote control of the central locking and a dust and pollen filter with an activated carbon insert. Also always standard: height-adjustable comfort seats (in front) in "Scout" upholstery, chrome accents on switch keys for the electric windows, decorative chrome bezels around the instruments and air vents, numerous storage compartments, Easy Entry for rear passengers and a 3-spoke steering wheel that offers good grip. The glovebox can also be cooled, and the rear seatback folds with a 50:50 split.

Buyers who add the RCD 310 radio-CD system to the car configuration for 655 euros – with 6 loudspeakers, 4 x 20 Watts of audio power, MP3 function, multimedia AUX-IN power and dual tuner – pay a total of 24,280 euros and really have everything they need to enjoy life in the cabriolet.

Optional features of the Golf Cabriolet

Nonetheless, there must be sufficient room to further customise a car, because that too represents a bit of freedom. Along with the classic individual extras, 7 preconfigured packs are available with the new Golf Cabriolet, each offering a bundled price advantage: the "Performance," "Design & Style," "Comfort," "Technology," "Light & Sight", "Mirror" and "Winter" packs.

Buyers of the new cabriolet can choose between the 2 packs "Performance" and "Design & Style." "Design & Style" is essentially the first expansion level for making the Volkswagen even more exclusive and sporty. "Performance," meanwhile, includes all features of the "Design & Style" pack and adds many other details such as leather upholstery. Both packs are coupled with alloy wheels.

"Design & Style pack": Those choosing the "Design & Style" pack (910 euros) are treated to features such as sport seats with new upholstery styles in Alcantara (centre seat panel) and "Catch Up" upholstery (seat lateral supports), a 3-spoke steering wheel in "Cool Leather" (heats up less in sunlight), pedals with stainless steel caps, leather-trimmed parking brake grip and gearshift grip, chrome bezel on the rotary light switch, chrome accents on the switches for door mirror control, "Black Stripe" decorative inserts for the dashboard and door trim, storage pockets on the backs of the front seats and lumbar supports in front.

"Performance pack": The "Performance pack" (3,295 euros) contains, beyond "Design & Style" details, features such as leather upholstery in "Vienna" style ("Cool Leather") with seat heating and lumbar supports in front, woven floor mats, a rain sensor and the automatically dimming rear-view mirror, stainless steel pedals, other exterior chrome details and bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, dynamic and static cornering lights, automatic switching of the running lights with "Leaving home" and "Coming home" functions, licence plate illumination in LED technology and front fog lights with chrome trim. The "Performance pack" is coupled with one of the audio systems.

"Comfort pack": The "Comfort pack" (455 euros) consists of a wind deflector, front centre armrest with storage box and 12-Volt accessory outlet, a storage compartment in front of the rear seating area, a second 12V outlet in the boot and cruise control system.

"Technology pack": For just 65 euros, the "Technology pack" adds a rain sensor for the windscreen wipers, automatically dipping rear-view mirror, 2 lamps in the footwell area, automatic running light switching with "Leaving home" and "Coming home" functions and Light Assist automatic main beam control (automatically dips headlights when oncoming traffic is present or traffic in front of the car is near). The "Technology pack" is coupled to the ParkPilot (540 euros) and the multifunction display "Plus" (55 euros).

"Light & Sight pack": For those who do not wish to include the Park Pilot, multifunction display "Plus" or Light Assist system (individual price: 142 euros) in the "Technology pack" can order the "Light & Sight pack" separately for 175 euros. It consists of the rain sensor, automatically dimming rear-view mirror, lights in the footwell and automatic running light switching with "Leaving home" and "Coming home" function.

"Mirror pack": This pack supplements the "Light & Sight pack" with an electrically folding door mirror, activatable passenger-side mirror lowering for reversing and surroundings illumination.

"Winter pack": The "Winter pack" that is traditionally offered in many Volkswagens, and is very frequently ordered, makes driving in the coldest season easier. This pack features automatically heated windscreen washer nozzles, headlight cleaning system, heated front seats and warning lamp for low washer water level. Price: 415 euros. When ordered together with the leather interior or xenon headlights, the price is reduced to 285 euros; those choosing leather and xenon pay just 55 euros.

16-, 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels: The 16-inch alloy wheel in the programme is the "Atlanta" with 5 dual spokes and 205 tyres. In 17-inch format, Volkswagen offers 3 wheel designs for the Golf Cabriolet: "Seattle" (5 double spokes), "Porto" (10 spokes) and "Salamanca" (10 spokes). The 18-inch wheel is the "Charleston" (5 double spokes) with black painted rim base. All 17-inch alloy wheels are delivered with 225 tyres.

Individual features: The individual features of the packs are also available separately. Those wishing to increase further the degree of customisation can order nearly any of the extras available in the Golf with a hard-top roof. Key options here are technologies and systems such as ParkPilot (acoustic signal and visual display via the audio system when parking), sport chassis (15 mm lower), automatic climate control system ("Climatronic"), leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, MEDIA-IN (USB port), the RCD 310 radio-CD system or radio-CD-navigation systems RNS 315 (navigation function for RCD 310) and RNS 510 (including DVD drive, 30-GB hard drive, touchscreen, traffic sign display and SD card slot) as well as 2 different mobile telephone preps.

Colours and seat versions

Exterior paints: Buyers of the Golf Cabriolet can choose from 9 exterior colours at market launch. They begin with the flat paint "Pure White" (standard). This is followed by 7 optional metallic hues: "Dark Purple," "Shark Blue," "Sunset Red," "Reflex Silver," "Tungsten Silver," "United Grey" and "Night Blue." Also offered is the pearl effect paint "Deep Black," which is of course also a special option.

Seat covers: 9 different seat covers visually complement the exterior colours. The standard upholstery for the cabriolet is "Scout" in "Titan Black." At the next level, the seat upholsteries "Scout / Merlin" are available as options in the colours "Titan Black" and "Pearl Grey," where the lateral seat supports are in "Merlin" design and the seat surfaces in the textured "Scout" fabric.

Those choosing the "Design & Style" pack automatically get ergonomically designed sport seats upholstered in an Alcantara/fabric combination ("Catch Up" fabric pattern) with the colour hue "Titan Black" or "Titan Black / Sunset Red." In this case, the inner surfaces of the lateral seat supports are in "Catch Up" fabric (for "Sunset Red" the seat's decorative seams are also red).

"Vienna" leather upholstery in Cool Leather is available as an option in conjunction with the "Performance pack" in the Golf Cabriolet, which includes front sport seats. The leather may be configured in one of the 4 colour hues "Truffle," "Black," "Ceramique" or "Salsa Red."


Notes:
TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies ofthe Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.
Features and technical data apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries.