The latest generation Volkswagen Golf (Mk7) has been spotted in India, leaving us wondering what’s cooking over at VW India’s HQ (manufacturing) in Chakan, Pune. The test mule, a petrol powered one, has a LHD (Left Hand Drive) configuration. We’ll come to our assumptions about the relevance of this spotting, but first let’s get briefly introduced to the Mk7 VW Golf first.
In the UK, the Mk7 VW Golf starts from £17,595 (INR 17.72 lakh), and is available across 7 trim levels, two body styles (3 Door and 5 Door), with as many as 10 engine options to choose from. Both petrol and diesel power is on offer, with all the diesel engines employing turbo charging (TDI), and all the petrol engines featuring a “twincharger” (TSI; turbocharger plus supercharger) setup.
The smallest engine in the range is a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, TSI petrol unit with BlueMotion technology, good for 115 PS and 200 Nm of torque, while the largest in line is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, TDI diesel unit with 150 PS and 340 Nm of torque. The quickest of the lot is a 1.4-litre TSI ACT (Fuel saving cylinder deactivation technology) petrol engine with 150 PS on tap, thus allowing for an 8.2 second sprint time to 62 mph.
Transmission options include a choice of 5- or 6-speed manuals, along with a 7-speed dual clutch automatic (DSG). A bevy of equipment is on offer, which include driver assistance systems like Adaptive Cruise Control, and in-car entertainment features like a 6.5-inch touch screen equipped infotainment system with Apple Car Play.
In the US, the Mk7 VW Golf starts from $20,175 (INR 13.5 lakh), and is available with only one petrol engine (1.8-litre TSI with 170 hp), along with both 3 Door and 5 Door body styles; spawning 2 and 4 trim levels respectively. No diesel option is available in the States as of now, post the ‘’Dieselgate” scam.
Back to the mule spotted in India, we’re not quite sure if VW is keen on launching the Golf here. With the top of the line Polo GT twins retailing for INR 8.08 lakh (ex-showroom), the Golf, clearly a notch above wouldn’t retail for anything less than INR 10-15 lakh (ex-showroom), even in its most watered down, locally manufactured guise. Lowly Match Edition Golfs with less equipment won’t really justify the premium price tag either, but we’ll be pleasantly surprised if VW India comes up with an India-spec model at a fairly competitive price.
Images: Powerdrift
