2009 VW Golf 6 pricing parity for base Trendline

Volkswagen's latest generation of Golf arrives in Australia in pretty good shape. It's perhaps not the ground-breaking paradigm that the original Golf was back in the mid-1970s, but it remains the essence of Volkswagen's small car, a package honed and extended over the three plus decades since the Type 1 model.

In the sixth generation guise, the Golf is frequently taken for a 'facelift' of the Type 5 model it replaces, but the only external panel shared by the two cars is the roof. Part of the reason for the confusion is that Volkswagen prefers the Golf to retain heritage styling cues from earlier models.

So while the Golf is radically different outside and the entire model range has been effectively upended and re-mixed, at a glance the new Golf doesn't look drastically different from the old.

Volkswagen designer Frank Bruese took the local media through an extensive briefing concerning the company's aims with the Type 6 Golf, by way of explaining why the new car looks the way it does.

"This car is -- maybe more than any other cars in the world -- 'class-free'. It can be a student who buys a basic one, maybe as a first car, or... a manager who takes a fully-equipped car with a huge engine, big wheels, beautiful trim..."

Bruese described the Golf as "one of the last living icons" in the automotive industry and explained that in Europe, the original 'new' Volkswagen created a class of its own and became a generic term for that 'Golf Class'. Competitors that built vehicles in the same mould as the Golf were "trend followers" or "copiers", says Bruese, but their cars lacked the history and cachet of the Golf. Trend followers would be cars with a history of radically changing design to chase different demographics. Such an example of this might be the Honda Civic. Copiers might be a car like the Holden (Opel) Astra.

"They don't have the strong identity or heritage," says Bruese. That's why changes from one generation of Golf to the next have evolved over time, rather than skipping from one set of design criteria to another.

"People look for something they know, they can trust -- that's reliable," says Bruese, pointing out that cars with that market perception usually fetch decent resale prices when it's time to sell.

As predicted in our international launch review, Golf 6 will be marketed in Australia with three different engines, each offered with standard manual or optional DSG transmissions. The Golf 6 will be available in either base-grade Trendline trim or mid-range Comfortline trim, with the Golf Trendline powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine (the 90TSI variant) and featuring either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission.

Both the diesel and higher performance petrol engine variants are trimmed to Comfortline level and Volkswagen offers these variants with a Comfort Sport package and stand-alone options to address the lack of a Highline grade. The diesel variant is the 103TDI and, as for the 90TSI, provides drive by a standard six-speed manual or an optional six-speed DSG transmission. Effectively replacing the Golf GT in the Type 5 generation, the Golf 118TSI is a petrol variant with a supercharger to boost power from low engine speeds and a turbocharger to force-feed induction from higher revs.

Both the petrol engines displace 1.4 litres, with the 90TSI engine replacing the entry-level 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated engine variants in the superseded Golf 5 range. The 103TDI diesel may be the volume-selling engine in the range, if history is any indicator. Up to 60 per cent of Golfs sold in recent times have been diesels, but it's by no means certain that will hold true for Golf 6.

Despite the fact that the new common-rail diesel engine (103kW of power and 320Nm of torque from 1750 to 2500rpm) is quieter and more economical than the 2.0-litre PD TDI equivalent from the Type 5 Golf, the new 90kW turbo petrol engine represents a major step forward from the 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated engine and may pick up sales from buyers who would prefer petrol engines, but have not found the 1.6-litre Golf especially appealing in the past.

Peak torque for the base-grade petrol engine is 200Nm, arriving at an engine speed as low as 1500rpm and remaining on tap as high as 4000rpm. Coupled to the six-speed manual transmission, the Golf 90TSI uses just 6.4L/100km of fuel in combined-cycle testing -- a marked improvement on the 7.5L/100km for the 1.6, which was also less powerful, at 75kW.

The 118TSI engine produces 118kW of power and 240Nm of torque, between 1750 and 4500rpm.

DSG transmissions (seven-speed units for the petrol engines and a six-speeder for the diesel) have further reduced the fuel consumption of the entire Golf 6 range, relative to its predecessor. At 5.3L/100km for the manual and 5.6L/100km with the DSG, the diesel Golf 103TDI is more economical than the Type 5 2.0-litre diesel, but it's the petrol engines that enjoy the largest gains. The 90TSI (6.4L/100km for the manual and 6.2L/100km for the DSG) is 15 per cent and 25 per cent more economical than the Type 5 1.6 counterparts -- manual and automatic respectively.

For the 118TSI (6.2L/100km for the manual and 6.5L/100km for the DSG), the improvement is even more pronounced when compared with the naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre Type 5 Golf. The percentage differences for the manual and DSG variants (versus the Type 5 auto) are 23 and 24 per cent, respectively.

Volkswagen has kept the price of the entry-level Golf below $26,000 with the release of the Type 6 range. Things kick off with the 90TSI Trendline manual, priced at $25,990, and the same engine coupled to the seven-speed DSG costs a further $2500 -- $28,490.

Moving up to the 118TSI Comfortline will set back buyers $30,490 for the six-speed manual variant or $32,990 with the seven-speed DSG transmission. The Golf 103TDI Comfortline is priced at $33,190 (manual) or $35,690 (six-speed DSG).

Standard equipment in the Golf Trendline includes: 15-inch steel wheels, 195/65 R15 tyres, chilled glovebox, trip computer, eight-speaker MP3-compatible CD audio system, electric windows/mirrors (heated mirrors), rake-and-reach adjustment for the steering column, remote central locking, semi-automatic climate control.

An optional Comfort pack for the Trendline variants adds $2200 to the price of those models and comprises: 15-inch alloy wheels, multi-function leather-bound steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off headlights with follow-me-home function, electro-chromatic mirror, cruise control and premium infotainment interface.

Comfortline models are fitted as standard with: 16-inch alloy wheels, 205/55 R16 tyres, multi-function leather-bound steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off headlights with follow-me-home function and electro-chromatic mirror.

Comfortline cars can also be specified with a Comfortline Sport package for an extra charge of $2000. Additional features in this pack include: 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, low-pressure indicator for tyres and sports cloth seats.

Such features as leather upholstery, Adaptive Chassis Control, satellite navigation, rear-view camera, premium audio system, an electric glass sunroof and Park Assist with front and rear parking sensors are available as stand-alone options. The Adaptive Chassis Control adjusts the ride for Comfort, Sport and Normal settings.

In respect of safety, all Golf 6 variants are specified with up to seven airbags, including side curtains and a 'kneebag'. For the purpose of active safety, all models are fitted with ABS/EBD, Brake Assist, traction control, an electronic differential lock and stability control.

The new Golf 6 officially goes on sale from March 1. Keep an eye out for our local launch review.

Key to pictures: Red car with black interior and manual transmission is Golf 90TSI (NXS 53S), silver car with beige interior and DSG is Golf 118TSI (NXS 57M), blue car with black interior and DSG is Golf 103TDI (NXS 57A).