Volksagen will reveal the Golf Sportsvan (pre-production) concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a car that previews the successor of the Golf Plus, scheduled to launch by mid-2014. Volkswagen doesn’t say it specifically, but the new production model may ditch the Plus moniker and replace it with Sportsvan.
Just like its predecessor, the Golf Mk7-based Sportsvan features a more spacious interior (over 1,500 liters/53 cubic feet of cargo capacity) and flexibility (the rear bench seat has 180 mm/7.1in fore-aft adjustment), than your regular Golf hatch.
The pre-production study also features assistance systems such as XDS+ electronic differential, Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, electronic parking brake and Blind Spot Monitor incorporating Rear Traffic Alert. Used on a Golf for the first time, the latter warns the driver of vehicles in the blind spot.
Other available systems include DCC dynamic chassis control, the Front Assist with City Emergency Braking surroundings monitoring system, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and a lane-keeping assistant.The Sportsvan is also fitted with 7 airbags, a 5-inch touchscreen, variable cargo floor and cargo cover.
VW says the production Golf Sportsvan will come with six engines ranging from 85PS (84hp) to 150PS (148hp), all fitted with a stop-start system as standard and up to 19 percent more fuel efficient than previous engine versions. All units are Euro-6 compliant, with the most economical being the 110PS (108hp) 1.6 TDI BlueMotion which is estimated to average 3.7 l/100 km (63.5 mpg US) and 95 g CO2/km. VW says this is the best value among compact minivans.
The new member of the Golf family looks like a cross between the Golf hatchback and the Touran MPV, both in terms of styling and size. On the inside, the dashboard is similar to the one in the Golf, but features rearranged switches and air vents on the center console, with the touchscreen positioned higher. More details are expected to be released when the car will be revealed in Frankfurt.
By Dan Mihalascu
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