The Golf 5 managed to cheekily evade drop-top treatment, much to the chagrin of the style-conscious out there, but Volkswagen has decided to introduce a cabriolet version of the latest Golf model at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
The new model features a considerably revised rear-end with LED brake lamps akin to those found on the current GTI model, a more sharply-raked windscreen and an electrically-folding canvas roof that can be operated at speeds of up to 30 km/h, presenting a lower profile when set in place. Dispensing with the roof obviously necessitates a host of additional safety features including side/head/thorax airbags, a knee airbag for the driver as well as an automatically deploying roll-over bar.
A total of six turbocharged, direct-injection engines with power outputs ranging from 77 kW to 155 kW will be offered. Of these, four of the petrol TSI units and one of the diesel units will be mated with the company’s DSG dual-clutch transmission. Volkswagen’s eco-friendly raft of BlueMotion technologies will also feature on three of the engines. In the case of the 1,6 TDI BlueMotion model, this technology helps the car to achieve a claimed fuel consumption figure of 4,4L/100 km and CO2 emissions of just 117 g/km.
VWSA has yet to confirm availability and potential model line-up at this stage, but given South Africa’s notorious appetite for boutique drop-tops it would be surprising if the Golf 6 Cabriolet didn’t find its way to our shores before the year is out.
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