Volkswagen Golf's new tech features

Volkswagen Australia is yet to announce the full specification details for its 2017 update of the Golf small-car range – the so-called Golf 7.5 – but many of the sophisticated new features will reach Australia, without a doubt.

Some of those features will be optional rather than standard, depending on the trim level and drivetrain variant in question.

Visually compelling, hands-free convenience
Volkswagen's version of Audi's Virtual Cockpit has already been introduced to Australia in the Tiguan, and it will shortly trickle down to the Golf as well. In the small car, it's a 12.3-inch display that runs the entire width of the instrument binnacle. It's a fully digitised set-up that provides varying formats for different purposes.

Should the driver elect to run the satellite navigation system's map in the instrument binnacle – directly in line of site from the driving seat – the speedo and tachometer read-outs shrink down to allow more real estate for the satnav map.

It's known for certain that all upgraded Golfs will come with at least an eight-inch infotainment touch screen in Australia. In other markets there's a 6.5-inch screen, but that's off the agenda for us, as part of VW's move to reposition the Golf slightly upmarket. Volkswagen refers to the new eight-inch screens as 'Composition Media' and 'Discover Media', the latter incorporating satellite navigation.

Vehicles higher up the ladder (likely the Highline flagship of the mainstream range and GTI/R models) will come with the 'Discover Pro' 9.2-inch screen. It's this system that features gesture control, which is limited in the Golf to swiping gestures (to left or right) for changing radio stations/audio tracks and selecting different vehicle information options like the GTI's lap timer and engine readings, for example.

Unlike gesture control in BMW's 7 Series, the Golf's system is limited to just the two swipes, but features a small 'hand' graphic and a Siri-esque 'light reflex' (VW's phrase for it), indicating to the driver when it's appropriate to swipe. In addition to gesture control, Discover Pro provides proximity-sensing functionality, with virtual 'buttons' enabled as the driver or front passenger's finger approaches the screen.

The Discover Pro screen offers a manually configurable home screen. Occupying the majority of the screen from the left margin is the navigation screen, but two fields on the right – one above the other – can select different datasets of the driver's choosing. They could show fuel consumption, for instance, phone contacts, or audio settings. The navigation screen itself can be a conventional computer-rendered map display, or a route overlay for Google Earth photos, potentially making it easier to interpret and more engaging.

All Golf variants, whether fitted with Discover Pro or one of the lesser (eight-inch screen) systems, include App Connect, which is Volkswagen's chosen name for the means to operate Apple CarPlay and – courtesy of the MirrorLink standard – Android Auto through the infotainment screen.

Uncertain to make it to Australia, 'DoorBird' is a MirrorLink-enabled means of connecting the car's infotainment system with a video intercom at home for the purpose of providing a friend or family member access to the home by unlocking the house from the car. The system is named for the company that has developed the technology, DoorBird.

Under the 'Car-Net' umbrella, Security & Service telematic functions for the Golf include emergency service, automatic accident notification and roadside assistance. Volkswagen is catching up with Ford's SYNC2 system in the Focus in this respect. Car-Net 'Guide & Inform' extends the Golf's satellite navigation systems with 'Online POI search', 'Online Destination Import', 'Route Import', 'Filling Stations', 'News', 'Parking Info', 'Weather', 'Charging Stations' and 'Online Traffic Information'.

Leading-edge driver-assist systems for Golf
Chief among the new driver-assist features offered in the upgraded Golf are pedestrian detection and Traffic Jam Assist, the latter of which is only available for models with DSG (dual-clutch) transmissions.

Pedestrian detection is a new element of the Front Assist feature (autonomous emergency braking), which until now has been limited to detecting vehicles in front. Now, if an errant pedestrian steps out in front of the car, the Golf will automatically alert the driver and, in the absence of driver response, will bring the car to a halt.

Traffic Jam Assist relies on existing systems – Lane Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control – to keep the Golf in convoy with a car in front at speeds up to 60km/h.

Another new system is Emergency Assist, which is a system to detect fatigue in the driver. If the driver fails to respond to cascading measures the car will come to an emergency stop and activates the hazard warning lights. Should the driver be incapacitated, and not just fatigued, the car's adaptive cruise control will prevent the Golf from running up the rear of a vehicle in front.

A seemingly unlikely choice for a small car safety feature, Trailer Assist allows the driver to select where he wants the towed vehicle – a caravan or trailer – to be parked. Control is by means of the joystick used to adjust the external mirrors, and the driver's only involvement beyond that is brake and accelerator.

The Golf is due to launch in Australia from the first week of July, with customer deliveries expected to follow a week later. Full pricing and specifications will be announced by Volkswagen Australia closer to the local launch date.