VW Golf Countdown: 2008-2012 Mk6 Made Safety And Comfort Breakthroughs

As we edge closer to the global unveiling of the eighth-generation VW Golf, it’s time to continue our retrospect by looking back at its sixth generation, which was produced between 2008 and 2012.

All previous iterations of the Golf made various breakthroughs and it was no different with the Mk6, as the German car manufacturer introduced a plethora of new driving assist systems to improve safety and comfort.

Among the most significant upgrades werw the availability of Adaptive Cruise Control, Park Assist, Hill Start Assist, and DCC adaptive chassis control that helped the sixth-gen Golf earn the ‘World Car of the Year’ award in 2009. That’s not all, as other features such as a start/stop system, energy recovery mode, knee airbags, dynamic cornering lights and LED taillights were also introduced.

Also Read: VW Golf Countdown – 2003-2008 Mk5 Climbed Up The Premium Ladder

A selection of new TSI turbocharged petrol engines were developed by VW for the Mk6 Golf, as were updated turbodiesel engines that ditched unit injector technology in favor of the Common Rail system to provide more dynamism and comfort while cutting consumption.

Much like previous-generations, the family of Mk6 variants steadily grew throughout the car’s production run. In 2009, for example, the fourth-generation Golf Variant (aka estate) was introduced, as were the sixth-gen GTI and GTD models.

The following year, the range-topping R got its third iteration powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four producing 270PS (200kW / 268hp) and 350Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque for a 0-100lm/h (62mph) sprint time of 5.7 sec with a manual and 5.5 sec with the DSG tranmsision.

VW Golf Mk6 Timeline

2008: Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Start Assist, Dynamic cornering light, Adaptive chassis control
2009: Fourth Golf Variant
2009: Sixth Golf GTI
2009: Comeback of the Golf GTD
2010: Third Golf R
2010: New Cross Golf edition
2011: Fourth Golf Cabriolet
2011: Golf GTI Edition 35
2012: Production phased out after 2.85 million Golf Mk6 vehicles, launch of the Golf Mk7