Officially Official: VW releases details on 2010 Golf, TDI up to 42 mpg hwy!
2010 Volkswagen Golf - click above for high-res image gallery
Several weeks ago, a tipster stumbled across the web page for the 2010 Golf buried in Volkswagen's consumer website, giving us a preview of the some of the details of the U.S.-spec MK VI model. VW has now made that information official including pricing, options and EPA mileage numbers.
For 2010, U.S. Golf buyers will be able to choose from two engine options, the old 2.5-liter inline-five carried over from the MK V model and the 2.0-liter TDI that debuted last year in the Jetta. Gas engined Golfs have a starting tab of $17,490, and the better equipped TDI kicks off at $21,990. Why "better equipped," you ask? All TDI Golfs receive a new uplevel touch-screen audio system with Sirius satellite radio and mobile device interface. Diesels also get a special lowered sport suspension as standard fit. Unlike the 2009 Jetta TDI, DSG-equipped Golfs will also get steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.
For 2010, Volkswagen has also managed to eek out improved EPA numbers,with the manual gas Golf getting a 22/30 mpg rating. The manual diesel reaches 30/41 mpg while the DSG diesel achieves 31/42 mpg – up 2 mpg from the 2009 Jetta.
Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Golf
[Source: Volkswagen]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Das Borgen 11:09AM (10/02/2009)
LOWER IT
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jb 11:10AM (10/02/2009)
so it's a diesel and they force a "sport suspension"???
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zamafir 11:25AM (10/02/2009)
yup, TDIs, unlike say a prius, are for people who want decent mpg and a delightful drive. I'm surprised the concept is lost on our enthusiast audience.
Geo 12:19PM (10/02/2009)
you have no idea how much more potent the 2.0 TDI is compared to the gas versions. This will be a great car and very enjoyable ride
why not the LS2LS7? 12:25PM (10/02/2009)
The TDI is less potent compared to the gas versions. Power output is measured in HP, and Diesels don't have it. Due to the power coming on early, they drive well at low revs, but crank them up and you don't get as much power as a gas engine does. You can simply note this by looking at the 0-60 figures.
jb 1:19PM (10/02/2009)
"you have no idea how much more potent the 2.0 TDI is compared to the gas versions. This will be a great car and very enjoyable ride"
I guess no, I have no idea huh. Please do enlighten me...
Anyways, I drove a Mondeo Tourer (station wagon of Fusion size roughly) last spring in France, was thrilled to be driving 85 MPH while returning 40+ MPG. These modern diesel engines are pretty amazing and have nothing to do from what I remember from the 80's, in Europe anyways. But in no way, absolutely no way, do they NEED a sport suspension. The Golf suspension as it is is tuned very nicely, unless of course by sport suspension they need the regular european tuning...
Now if indeed VW has a limited supply of diesels available for the US, then I understand why they are doing that : sell as high a price as the market will bear, and add gimmicks to justify these higher prices.
I find the shot at the Prius pretty funny too : I drove one and I think it has decent dynamics. It's not sloppy, it's pretty responsive : yeah it's no rocket but it returns high 40's MPG in regular driving, and the electric assistance motor makes it feel like a diesel actually with all the torque available at low RPMs.
But disregard my comments please, since "I have no idea".
Dondonel 2:49PM (10/02/2009)
Even if you ignore the VW selling 'strategies', diesel still does not make any sense as a more efficient alternative to gasoline engine. Efficiency comparisons between diesel and gasoline should be made in terms of weight not volume of fuel consumed. 30/41 mpg diesel is equivalent to 25/33 mpg gasoline in terms of fuel weight (gasoline is 15% less dense than diesel, hence the difference in mpg). And 25/33 mpg is what 2010 Mazda 3 gets, with the 2.0 liter 148hp engine. I see no improvement in efficiency here, just marketing bull.
Snowdog 4:20PM (10/02/2009)
In Canada they are forcing 5 door and comfortline trim level.
I suspect they are doing this to bury some of the TDI costs in some of the margins for other packages.
End result is a $25K pricetag for the cheapest TDI (before ADM, destination, taxes, auto tranny).
Too expensive for me.
AngeloD 11:09AM (10/02/2009)
I'd like the TDI without being gouged for expensive, unwanted features please.
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Imag 11:30AM (10/02/2009)
Wow - we finally get the diesel golf back and all the comments complain that we have to take sport features (on a car blog, no less). Personally, I'm stoked that they're releasing the diesel, and I'm glad that it doesn't come only as some bargain basement model. I actually would love the GTD; I guess I'm in the minority.
Go veedub - this may well be the next car for my wife. She likes Golfs and high gas mileage; I like diesels and fun-to-drive cars. This is perfect.
Oh, and the suspension needed to be recalibrated for the extra weight of the Diesel anyway; my guess is that they just chose to go slightly stiffer and call it a "Sport" suspension so they can help justify the diesel's extra cost. I'll bet almost the entire premium on the car goes to the diesel, not to the extra features. Electronics are usually high-margin because they are really low cost, so throwing them in can make people feel better about the extra premium on the diesel.
geoff 11:32AM (10/02/2009)
I agree - why must we be forced to pay for unwanted frills if we want the TDI?
zamafir 11:40AM (10/02/2009)
I think why not ls7 is onto it, in the past vw could only sell a tiny amount, so they're going to maximize their return to offset the effort of designing a special emissions system for the US market et-al. Plus they're trying to set themselves apart. The new head unit is every bit as delightful as the RNS 510.
AngeloD 12:06PM (10/02/2009)
Quote: ""Wow - we finally get the diesel golf back and all the comments complain that we have to take sport features (on a car blog, no less)""
Believe it or not, there are a lot of car enthusiasts who aren't into sports cars at all.
There exists a whole universe of automobilia that doesn't involve sports cars.
hanmojo 1:56PM (10/02/2009)
+1
a bare bone Golf TDI for < $19k.
Also a bare bone Toyota Prius with none of the gadget for < $18k (even then, still a priced corolla)
Dr. Greenthumb 2:07PM (10/02/2009)
AngeloD: A very good point about car enthusiasts that don't care for sports cars. 90% of the "Sports" cars sold in the US are not worth owning. For me, that includes ALL fwd cars. Touring cars is a different game, AWD and RWD are big on my list.
The cheapest proper sports car sold in the US is the MX5.
Camaro, Mustang, CTS, 3 Series including M3, Audi anything (bar the R8), all touring cars.
Elise, Z06, ZR1, 911,Cayman, R8, Sports cars.
Garden variety Corvette, Z4, Boxster etc more touring than sporting in nature.
Imag 4:08PM (10/02/2009)
AngeloD: My primary point was that we finally got the diesel Golf, something car enthusiasts of all stripes have been asking for, and the first page was nothing but complaints. My reference to the car blog is that generally car people like driving, which usually means liking sportier suspension. I'm sorry that I didn't overtly recognize people who get most enthused about stripper models (of the car variety, anyway).
My other point was that if they dropped the touch screen and any special suspension, their cost would drop by less than $750 (seriously - how much do you think OEMs pay for that stuff). In other words, you're paying for the TDI. The trinkets are just a way to help justify the price. Since people have been waiting for years for this, $750 shouldn't be a crisis.
jv2k 11:12AM (10/02/2009)
So the diesel starts at close to $22k?
and people wonder why americans have a habit of buying hybrids when they want to save on gas.
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jv2k 11:21AM (10/02/2009)
Also next gen petrol engines are starting to reach numbers around 40mpg too.
So yea Diesel will never take off in the states.
zamafir 11:28AM (10/02/2009)
there's our friday morning troll, just wake up from under the bridge? Tell me, little guy, how many insights are being sold? And how many jetta TDIs? Hint, you’ll want to use the one with the little end at the insight and the big end at the TDI. Insight < TDI. There you go :). I’d love to find the bridge you’re living under with VW selling every single diesel they import without issue, and diesel rabidly becoming responsible for larger chunks of their overall sales.
jv2k 11:38AM (10/02/2009)
Why don't you compare that number to priuses(priusi?)?
And yes I'm a troll for pointing out that diesel will never take off in a country where hybrid has become synonymous with fuel efficient; diesel fuel and cars are usually more expensive, the engines have a bad stigma from the 70s, and emissions regulations cause the mpg figures to go down compared to what is available overseas.
On a side note I would like to see those sales figures you mentioned though. I am curious to see how this car is selling compared to other hybrids. I may very well be wrong, but I barely see any VWs in general where I live(and they are usually beetles)