New VW Golf VI Photos Leaked

New VW Golf VI

By Brian Potter
August 4, 2008 11:26 AM
Filed Under: German, Leaks, Volkswagen

Photos of the all-new sixth generation VW Golf have leaked out just a few days prior to its official media release. Set to make its public debut in Paris this October, the hugely important Golf VI represents VW's best selling model as well as one of the best selling models in the world.

Despite positive reviews from the press for its driving performance and attractive interior, exterior design was to blame for the slow selling Golf V in Europe. Additionally, blaming high production expenses as a result of a lengthy per unit manufacturing time, VW brass set out to cut their losses and push development of a new MK VI Golf which is based on the current MK V platform – just nipped and tucked in all of the right places for a faster turnaround time.

For the exterior design, which was overseen by Volkswagen's head designer, Walter de Silva, top execs sought a design that was conservatively evolving off of the MK V yet somewhat sexier with a more aggressive stance as the vehicle gets a more purposeful looking front end plus a hovering slammed effect as the wheels fill the wheel arches nicely.

The Golf VI will have three and five door versions, a rumoured cabriolet and of course the GTI which may get a glass roof. A new 1.6-liter TFSI engine is also said to be on the plans generating about 200 bhp, however, the Golf VI is set to get a new entry level engine below the 1.4-liter TSI found in the current generation. According to Wolfgang Steiger, VW's manager for powertrain research, tells the new generation Golf will offer either a 1.0-liter or 1.2-liter engine producing 75 horsepower. A final decision on which displacement will be used is yet to be finalised. It will depend on whether VW management decides on three or four cylinders.

Diesel engines are also expected to equip the hatchback, both in BlueMotion and twin-drive plug-in hybrid versions which are scheduled for release from 2010. The GTI will get even more power than the current model with an engine delivering 230 hp, and an even hotter 4Motion performance edition along the lines of the current R32 producing 265 hp following later.

Stay tuned as official information plus more images is expected to arrive in the next few days.

Source: autogids.be via CarSpyShots.com

Comments

w00d00
August 4, 2008 11:30 AM
front is nice, but those rearlights are ugly

Kepe
August 4, 2008 11:44 AM
exactly. on the whole the rear looks better than on the current model, but those lights could use some re-styling...

opelbauer
August 4, 2008 11:46 AM
It looks like a Golf IV and a Golf V mix.

afterace2
August 4, 2008 11:53 AM
for me the rear lamps look like a step back from the V, but the rest is ok, and better looking. I wonder if they have changed the interior at all, or is it now looking like the Scirocco's one.

BabyMilo
August 4, 2008 1:46 PM
GO TO THIS SITE TO SEE THE INTERIOR http://www.teknikensvarld.se/nyheter/080804-nya-vw-golf-6-vi/index.xml it is still kinda boring

afterace2
August 4, 2008 3:07 PM
thanks for the link BABYMILO, the interior is indeed boring, typical VW, but a bit more upmarket and dynamic compared to the V, better looking, inspired by the Passat CC. So, right now I can say, this car is a big improvement over the MKV, which should have looked like this from the start, but right now it is a little bit late to show this.

Discover
August 4, 2008 11:58 AM
rear reminds me of the Tourage :X

bakrione
August 4, 2008 12:15 PM
the golf has always been a nice car...

ShinyG
August 4, 2008 3:23 PM
You mean downright boring, right? Well, that's expected of the Golf, mundane design with good performance. I just wish they could add some spice to the design though...

phobos
August 4, 2008 12:29 PM
it looks like a softer version of the scirocco...can't wait the gti version

Car_Nut
August 4, 2008 12:39 PM
Looks okay...

But not a lot different from the mark IV and the mark V Golf. So guess it will look dated in a fairly short time, then?

Next time, think they should design a brand new one. Time to call back Giugiaro, who designed the original Mark 1 (and please shoot the designer of the Mark III)

Penner
August 4, 2008 12:42 PM
That must be a joke. I'd prefer the current one...

ZireX
August 4, 2008 12:42 PM
I think we all agree that the car looks very nice and definately is a step up compared to current V generation but the rear lights aren't good.They look like Scirocco's.The whole feel of Golf VI is like a smaller Scirocco.And if the interior design is the sama (like Scirocco and Eos) it will be a shame.

oumar
August 4, 2008 1:11 PM
I'm disappointed coz they call this car a new model. Its just a kind of facelift or a mix between the current model and the (brand new) Scirocco. They could have done a better job. Looks okay tho just doesnt deserve to be called a "new car".

ZireX
August 4, 2008 1:17 PM
Agree!Actually this must be a facelift.It's very brave to say it is a new car...we don't see something really new ...

lucifa
August 4, 2008 2:41 PM
oh dear. vw's caught its cousin porsche's design-apathy disease..

Snark21883
August 4, 2008 5:39 PM
It's being substantially revised under the skin for cheaper, faster assembly, and it'll get new engines and such.

I feel about this like I felt about every Golf...mild approval tempered by a few reservations, and speculation that I might get one if it ever comes in a diesel, which I quickly counter by reminding myself that it will never come in a distinctive color.

renaultfan
August 4, 2008 1:19 PM
this car will not be equal in fight with the new Renault Megane, Opel Astra...... It looks old already!:D

Tuner_Mad
August 4, 2008 1:29 PM
Well, not a huge difference, but at least it looks better than the bland MkV. This looks like a more civilised Scirocco.

The GTI should look more interesting now...

BabyMilo
August 4, 2008 1:41 PM
it is an enlarged scirocco... and thats all it is. thy have just raised the roof line of the scirocco and called it the 'brand new golf'

Pentium
August 4, 2008 2:46 PM
great Golf :D I like the front end :)

alessandro
August 4, 2008 2:50 PM
This car lokks like some Golf.

andreas350z
August 4, 2008 3:56 PM
boring...it looks old already.even the interior looks the same as in the octavia5...

Monkey
August 4, 2008 4:27 PM
Booooooh ugly !!! But since they'll put great engines in there it will sell like hot cakes. I won't get one that's for sure.

lizard
August 4, 2008 4:42 PM
Lame car with lame designe for lame people :)

Paulds
August 4, 2008 4:45 PM
Looks good... It doesn´t lose the essencial Golf look, but the rear lights looks much like the Sirocco, Can´t wait to see the GTi

Gumball
August 4, 2008 4:49 PM
Lame car? find me a car less lame for the same price, thats right

lizard
August 4, 2008 5:38 PM
Fiat Bravo, Opel Astra, Ford Focus,... and many more ;)

Gumball
August 5, 2008 2:16 AM
They are all lame too ;)

Xanavi23
August 4, 2008 6:10 PM
I liked the Golf V personally, obviously the GTI, it was nice. This is a step-up, the GTI should be pretty cool.

trailer
August 4, 2008 6:40 PM
I still prefer the Golf I, it at least had a carisma. Wait for the new Astra...

bernardo
August 4, 2008 7:21 PM
I think it looks fairly good for a good, def. a step forward over the last generation..but i would rather have any of its competitors like the 308 and bravo over it.

Paulds
August 4, 2008 7:31 PM
At least it doesn´t have the shiny grill... this will be the new face in the next models, and I think it looks better

pscs
August 4, 2008 8:09 PM
I'm slightly disappointed because it looks almost the same as the current model. Cutting down costs? Anyway, it doesn't look that bad, but just bland and kinda, uh... common.

xLumino
August 4, 2008 8:13 PM
first Golf I really like. it looks very classical. Reminds a lot of MkIV but even the old 1400 or 1600 and ...yes, a bit Touareg...hm, but nevertheless I like the design. Even the interiour looks fine. Hope for Audi-Quality ^^

Xanavi23
August 4, 2008 8:20 PM
I just hope those workers in Mexico get their $#it together and make longer last products, interior and what-not.

NaBUru38
August 4, 2008 8:29 PM
The front end is great. I hope that all versions get the grille in black. But the taillights are two steps back.

Now you're talking about the Golf GTI, will there be a Scirocco-rivalling three-door Golf? To me there shouldn't.

Xanavi23
August 4, 2008 9:07 PM
I figure the 1.6TFSI will be the new GTI and the Scirroco with its 2.4 will be at a higher price point.

THERENAISSANCEMAN
August 4, 2008 9:10 PM
Golf ...? Zerocco...? Zerocco...? Golf...? Wolfsburg had lost it ! all you can turn out these days are pathetic carbon copies of your entire product lineups next to commonly shared vehicle chassis assemblies/interior cabin parts .kind of like that your designers have turned into glorified photocopiers . at least during WW2 the Kubelwagen , Schwimmwagen , Kommandeurwagen all physically differed from each other. say whots happnin' dudes ... your fat profits pampered assed your thinking centres so much , you ran out of intellectual/creative steam ? damn right , Greenacre , VWs THINKING CAP is hopelessly broken !

Xanavi23
August 4, 2008 9:57 PM
Its not that their thinking cap is broken. Its just that VW has to be extremely careful with the products they offer so they don't interfere too much with Audis line-up. Lets face it; A4 = Glorified Passat although i like the A4. It goes on.

Gumball
August 5, 2008 2:19 AM
Open your eyes, all manufacterers do the same, not just car manufacterers too.

catchmyshadow
August 4, 2008 9:32 PM
The rear lights def. look like a touareg copy. i remember how people were shocked by the GOLF V but it is still the benchmark. The Golf VI will def. be another great success. The changes are subtile and the tec. will be even better.

jpm
August 4, 2008 11:02 PM
it looks like they've bought a slightly longer platform and rounded off some of the lines, tidied up the lighting cluster and thought, brilliant, that took half an hour i've still got time for a wank before tea

Szary_89
August 4, 2008 11:39 PM
hmmmm it looks like the old one. They should make it more interesting, it looks nice but still similiar to the old one

laserdan
August 5, 2008 1:16 AM
i agree totally. the rear tail lights need some serious restyling. they look very similar to the touareg's. Looking at the pictures i cant help but feel that golf VI is nothing more than a golf V with restyled front and rear bumpers and lights....not good enough! we waited 5 years for this crap how about giving the polo an all new model we've been waiting 7 years for that!

dcars62
August 5, 2008 1:28 AM
it looks like the old one, that looks like the jetta, that looks like the eos, that looks scirocco......

blank
August 5, 2008 3:01 AM
Phew. I recently bought a new candy white GTI, fully aware of the risk of regretting it when the mark VI is unveiled this fall. Well, now I couldn't be happier -- there's only a cheaper rear suspension and some minor cosmetic differences, and some are for the worse - in particular the tail lights, definitely two steps back from the iconic rear of the Mk V.

If they go for the Scirocco look on the front and don't give the GTI VI a monoframe, I'll be even more happy I didn't wait, because the new front stinks. They call it "the new face of VW", but really it's a very old, unoriginal and boring face similar to Golf MkIII - headlights tied together with a few horizontal lines, wow, what a revolutionary idea! If by revolutionary you mean 1991.

I thought VW would listen to the criticism about the Mk V being too tame and unoriginal in its design, and take a few hints from the Civic and other bolder attempts from the competition, but apparently they think that a light touch-up of an already boring and 5 year old car is good enough to last another 4-5 years(!). Good luck with that. And don't get me started on the interior, which is the same as Scirocco which was taken straight from Eos whose interior was straight from the Mk V, and is found in almost identical condition inside the Skoda Octavia. How generous, how daring, how innovative...

On the up side, I do like that it no longer has a big black plastic bottom half in the rear, and that the doors are now flush. But it's nowhere near enough to take my eyes away from my GTI Mk V. Also, now that the entire thing is painted there will be nothing that distinguishes a Comfortline from a Trendline visually. And if they think sticking some honeycomb plastic in that thin slot between headlights is all it takes to make it a GTI, when the last one had a menacing monoframe, they're nuts.

tootall
August 5, 2008 6:15 AM
It seems ok so far. I'm not too crazy over the tail lights (just like most of you guys). My main concern on all this, however is.... Only 265 hp for the upcoming R32?!?!? I'm sorry, but exactly who are the R32's rivals again? WRX'S and EVO'S right? That's what I thought. This car seem to have grown a few inches/mm's in every dimention and then there's that heafty 4-motion system. I honestly don't think 265 horses for the R32 is going to cut it. They might want to put it on a diet and shed some weight, if they are strong headed with a 265 hp stetting. First step might be a carbon fiber roof and take the rest from there.

benz_man
August 5, 2008 6:24 AM
I agree. I don't understand why they won't drop the 280HP 3.6L VR6 from the Passat in the R32. Call it an R36, who cares!

hanifcd
August 5, 2008 8:46 AM
Well its not ugly nor beautiful. If they sorted out the rear lights that would be good. The interior should be new rather than looking like a facelifted golf. Since its cheaper to build than the MKV, how would it fare with the MKV?

peterjames7
August 5, 2008 9:08 AM
i think the overall look is cheaper than the previous model and a little more ungainly in its proportions, it looks awkward, as boxy as the 307. i thought vw was trying to make a sporty version with this one, and why is the interior barely touched? they just rounded the square sides of the dash and put some nice dials in? crap

The_woo_factor
August 5, 2008 11:55 AM
I like it. The front looks more aggressive and updated. The back lights are borrowed from the passat CC. It will grow on you. I still believe the MKV is still the best looker though (especially the beautiful GTI and R32).

blank
August 5, 2008 3:04 PM
Nah, the Passat CC has very different taillights that mirror the look of the headlights (see here: http://p.webwombat.com.au/motoring/images/vw-passat-cc-2-big.jpg). The new Golf taillights are clearly inspired by the Golf Variant Mk V: http://www.aff.aland.fi/Golf%20Variant_450.jpg

If the Mk VI looked anything like the Passat CC or Tiguan, I think people would be ecstatic. But instead they went for the catastrophic narrow-black-strip-between-headlights look that shocked everyone who hoped the Scirocco would look like the IROC. I guess Audi wants monopoly on the monoframe front, which is understandable, but they're killing Volkswagen by forcing them back to their 1990's face á la Golf Mk III.

blank
August 5, 2008 3:18 PM
Hmm. Looks like they're changing the color on the LED info display from red to baby blue... That's nice, if you're into Teletubbies.

alessandro
August 5, 2008 3:59 PM
Golf is a manufacturer's car-product. Like black shoes, you may have them even to preserve your personality but not enjoy.

Nurchus
August 5, 2008 4:07 PM
Blimey! There is barely a bloody difference, save for the rear tail lights! Why are all your knickers in a bunch? All I care about is the performance and what upgrades they have done there. I was hoping for more of a facelift than this, but I guess VW is only going so far with their "new look".

I am just waiting for the new look of the Jetta. I am also praying they bring the Scirocco to the States as well. I am really fond of that car over this one.

blank
August 5, 2008 7:30 PM
Well, the lights on both ends are obviously different but more importantly, the rear is now a single piece, whereas before it used to have a bottom half that was black, except on the R32 and GTI Edition 30 where it was painted. Basically all the things that distinguished the Trendline from Comfortline/Sportline, the GTI from the GT and the R32 from the GTI are now gone. There can be no monoframe for GTI/R32, no unpainted details on the Trendline... basically it looks like they're going back to pre-mark V when all Golfs looked virtually the same except for the badges and the rims.

Don't care for the new Scirocco, it was the worst case of project study (IROC) watered down to nothing (Scirocco) in the history of cars. The end result just looks like a Golf that someone sat on, a GTI for midgets. Too lame to be a sports car, too cramped to be a useful hatchback.

makokob
May 22, 2009 11:52 AM
THis is really some exciting stuff

View Comment Rules

Add Comment

You are modifying your comment

Exisiting User

Username
Password
remember me

New Users

Username
Email
Password
Comment

Your account

username
password

Other links