Golf MK7 / MKVII Speculation / Pre-Release Information Thread

[gtimk5]

I was in the Wolfsburg factory 12 days ago and the tooling and presses were being manufactured at the time. I did wonder what they were doing until I asked the guide if that was the Mk7 line to be.
He admitted eventually that was the case.
Cheers

[elephino]

I read today speculation that the GTI will have 164kw. This was described as welcome and a large upgrade...which is odd as it's a 1kw increase over the gain made by going from MkV to MkVI and that was called small.

[pologti18t]

Interesting to read in various articles that the twincharger engine will be phased out for a turbo only 1.4L with less power (110kw perhaps)

Wonder what that will mean for the Polo GTIs future

[kaanage]

Unless some boffin in VW realises this, VW GTIs and Rs will be another camry/corolla type car.

Given how many middle aged ladies drive GTi's, would VW care?
I think the GTi has become the upmarket/dressed up submodel rather than the sporty one and R and 'Roc have become the true sporty options.

[triode12]

Given how many middle aged ladies drive GTi's, would VW care?
I think the GTi has become the upmarket/dressed up submodel rather than the sporty one and R and 'Roc have become the true sporty options.

It would affect the R and Roc too as they would be using the same refined engine.

[MkVIGTI]

Active steering on the Mk7? Hope it's gonna be good

[WhiteJames]

The Mark 7 Golf is looking the goods over the Mark 6 in many respects:

Active steering, proper LSD (albeit electronically controlled) helps negate need for AWD, wider track & longer wheelbase for lower centre of gravity and surefooted handling, Audi valve-lift on the EA888 (this motor in the Audi A5 makes 350Nm), 7 speed DSG and multi-link rear end. Could make for a compelling case to upgrade to the Mark 7 in about 18 months.

On the wish list, apart from items above, would be Revo-Knuckle front strut hubs, tighter & shorter shifting manual gearbox and uprated spring rates of about 10-15% stiffer than current Mark 6 GTI if possible.

The different body style for the 3 door Golf GTI as opposed to the 5 door appears to be a growing trend amongst the Euro hatches. First it was the Megane RS250, now the Opel Astra GTC 3 door that will have a wider track & wheelbase than the 5 door hatch in addition to Hyper-Strut/Revo-Knuckle front end for less torque steer. See link:

Vauxhall Astra GTC SRi - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk

Volkswagen may take the same route with the 3 door Golf GTI, where it could be a differentiated harder focussed coupe in terms of looks and drivetrain & suspension hardware versus a more placad & humble standard 5 door Golf GTI.

Cheers.
WJ

[Corey_R]

Sorry... can someone explain why active steering is a good thing?
It's been panned consistently by car enthusiasts, magazines, and tv review shows on cars such as the BMW's which have it. They say it's an option you want to avoid. I wouldn't assume it'd be standard though...

Having the valve lift is good, but limits the power potential of the engine.

As for different body style for the 3 door. You could hardly say that the first was the Megane RS250. Opel did it years ago with the Astra. I'm sure they weren't the first either....

[orkers]

First one I remember was the Fiat Punto back in the 90s, but the A3 has had its Sportback 5 door version for some time too.

[triode12]

All these gadgets serve to do (apart from improving the cars performance) is to distance the driver from the driving experience even further - I can't see how this is a good thing.

To get any fun out of these cars, one would have to drive them to their limits (which one can only do legally and safely on a track).