CES ASIA: Facelifted VW Golf to get gesture control

Volkswagen has confirmed the Golf will undergo a radical tech overhaul as part of its mid-life facelift.

Expected towards the end of 2016, the current Golf will draw inspiration from the Golf R Touch concept that was revealed at the CES ASIA last night.

Shown for the first time, the new concept showed off VW’s new gesture control that uses hand movements in front of the Golf’s infotainment display to interact with your car.

Gesture control has been introduced to reduce driver distraction and reduce the numbers of buttons needed in a cabin. Functions that are expected to be introduced are gestures to open the sunroof, alter the climate control and raise or lower the volume of the stereo.

As well as the new gesture controls, the R Touch also unveiled the next-gen Golf’s information displays. There are three in total, from the massive 12.8-inch touchscreen centrally-mounted display to a smaller 8-inch display below it that operates the climate control and media function and, finally, the 12.3-inch ‘virtual’ dashboard that’s already offered on the Audi TT, Q7 and soon-to-be-launched R8 supercar.

All displays are customisable depending on mood and preference as well as the show car’s ambient lighting.

Volkswagen also took the opportunity at the tech-obsessed trade show to unveil its next-generation connected technology in an e-Golf that now integrates smart watches. There’s also a new app called Regular Routes that learns your commutes and automatically detects traffic jams along your route and offers detours even if you’re not using your satnav.

Volkswagen will also introduced what’s it’s calling a Digital Key that allows third parties access to your vehicle and even the ability to start the car using just their smart phone or watch.

We’ve already seen a whole array of self-park assistance systems on Volkswagen and Audis, but in the future the Golf will be offered with Parking Perfect. The new system goes one stage further by being able to autonomously park without the driver or passengers on board. Parking Perfect also allows drivers to use their smartphone as a remote control device.

The current Golf has been scheduled to be facelifted towards the end of 2016. Sales and deliveries in Australia will begin shortly after.