New Golf Arrives, Late at the Station
At last! At long, long last, Volkswagen brings the latest version of its best-selling (in Europe) Golf to North America. As usual, VW waited almost a year after the car's European launch, a habit I believe contributed to the company's slipping sales in the US and Canada.
Ford did the same with its Focus and continues to sell an outdated model while the Europeans enjoy a new and far better car. What is it with these manufacturers that they think we're so uninformed we'll keep on buying old stock when the shelves elsewhere are filled with all-new goodies?
That rant aside, the 2006 Golf, launched at the Chicago Auto Show and featured in an Autoblog reveal, is a handsome auto, still setting the benchmark by which all hatchbacks should be judged. Standard features include an advanced ABS braking system, traction control, active headrests, front and rear head-curtain protection, front-side airbags, manual climate control, and anti-theft alarm with remote locking. The Golf will finally have a fully-independent suspension system, plus a base 2.5 liter 5-cylinder engine generating 150 horsepower. A 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic is optional, 5-speed manual standard.
Luckily for VW the hatchback is in vogue again, but the days are gone when, in North America, a Volkswagen was an entry-level car. "Premium" is how VW defines it and premium is what you'll pay.
Comments
Leave a Reply