Golf Cabrio to tee off in Geneva

Volkswagen will add a new chapter to its Golf success story with the unveiling of the a new Cabriolet model at next month's Geneva International Motor Show.

With styling derived from its three- and five-door stable mates, Golf Cabriolet differs through its newly designed rear section, lower profile roof line and more swept-back windscreen angle. The four-seat drop top will also premiere VW's latest generation electro-hydraulic folding roof arrangement that retracts in just 9.5 seconds. The top can be opened or closed at speeds of up to 30km/h.

Other styling cues include LED rear lamps (like those found on Golf GTI), optional bi-xenon headlamps and a raft of safety gear which includes automatically deploying roll-over bar, seven airbags and stability control.

Power comes from a choice of six turbocharged and direct-injection engines (depending on market) with outputs ranging from 77 to 155kW. The line-up includes four petrol and two diesel units available optionally with Volkswagen's acclaimed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmissions. Further, three of the engines are available with VW's energy-saving BlueMotion technology, the best of which sees a combined consumption figure of just 4.4L/100km and CO2 emissions equivalent to 117g/km.

The last Golf Cabrio offered in Australia sold concurrently with the Type 4 Golf, but was actually a Type 3 model with the later generation's frontal styling and other visual details. In Germany, advance sales for the new model begin today with the first public appearance to take place in Geneva from March 1.

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