Facelifted Mark 7 VW Golf hatchback launches in Singapore: 1.0-litre base model, 1.4-litre incoming, more power for Golf GTI and Golf R – and goodbye to the Jetta sedan?

Singapore

Volkswagen took the covers off its facelifted Golf hatchback at its Alexandra Road showroom on October 20, 2017, at a media event in the afternoon and a 200-person customer event in the evening.

A unique three-container setup featuring outside the showroom facing Alexandra by day…

…reveals the three new Golf models at night.  

The new Golf range gets into swing with three offerings at launch: the entry-level 1.0-litre model, the hot hatch Golf GTI and the super-hatch Golf R.

The 1.0, shown above, has a new, 999cc, three-cylinder engine that replaces the old 1.2-litre inline four as the most affordable of the Golf range. It makes the same 110hp but with more torque, 200Nm, so the 0-100km/h time is reduced from 10.2 to 9.9 seconds. Efficiency figures are identical, at 5.0L/100km and 114g/km CO2.

Notably, a new 6.5-inch TFT touchscreen infotainment display is standard equipment on the 1.0, replacing the old monochrome, 5.0-inch unit. The new unit also has Bluetooth and USB connectivity as standard. Rest Assist, a driver attention system, is also now standard.

The facelift mildly reshapes the front and rear end styling, with all cars having a novel bumper design with different air intakes too. All Golf variants have re-designed LED daytime running lights too, though the Golf 1.0 has new halogen units, while the GTI and R models have full-LED setups.

Both GTI and R models get a modest 10hp boost to power. The GTI makes 230hp in total, with 350Nm of torque, 0-100km/h is done in 6.4 seconds on to a 248km/h top speed, consuming 6.5L/100km and emitting 151g/km of CO2. It retails for $175,900 with COE.

The Golf R has 290hp on tap, with 380Nm of torque, it breaks 100km/h from nothing in only 4.6 seconds – thanks to all-wheel drive – and has a 250km/h top speed. It consumes 7.1L/100km and emits 163g/km of CO2. Another addition is a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (the previous version had six-speeds), paired with the same ‘4MOTION’ all-wheel drive as before. The Golf R retails for $211,900 with COE.

Both cars have a virtual instrument setup – the Active Info Display – that’s seen on the Passat and Tiguan models and is clear and easy to use, as well as drive mode selection and Dynamic Chassis Control (adaptive dampers).  

The GTI and R also have the latest Discover Pro infotainment system – it has a 9.2-inch screen that’s larger and clearer than the previous 8.0-inch unit. It boasts VW’s App Connect system plus a new ‘Volkswagen Media Control’ function where a user can use Wifi to control the car’s infotainment functions. Other premium features of the pair are an eight-speaker 400w Dynaudio sound system with surround sound and keyless entry.

Wonder how the new car drives? We’ve already tested the tweaked Golf at its international debut, both in 1.5-litre and GTI guises.

What’s news is that the 1.5-litre variant we tested, with 150hp and advanced Miller cycle and cylinder-on-demand efficiency technology won’t be coming to Singapore.

Instead the middle-range Golf models will be a 1.4 Comfortline and 1.4 Highline model, both powered by the current 1.4-litre engine, albeit with 125hp. There will also be a slightly racier 1.4 R-line variant, with 150hp. The 1.4-litre engines will be launched in 2018.

All new Golf and VW models come with a five-year warranty, the brand having introduced the new extended warranty (up from three-years) earlier in April this year.

The Volkswagen Golf looks to extend its reign as king of the hatchback realm thanks to technology improvements and better equipment and quality levels even in the least expensive model.

That’s good news, though VW fans might be wondering about the new 2019 Jetta, which might look a little like the sleek Arteon four-door GT. The sad news is that the new Jetta will not be produced in a right-hand drive variant, so it looks like the end of the small sedan’s run here in Singapore. With families flocking to crossovers, and between the funky new VW T-Roc and the current Golf, we say the Jetta sedan may not be that missed after all.