Wednesday 5th March 2014

Volkswagen: Geneva 2014

Shades on - only thing more dazzling than VW's whiter than white display is the breadth of choice

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PistonHeads, of course, is well known for its love of all things Volkswagen group. On the stand of the mothership, there really did seem to be something for everyone. If haters found something they despised, they should simply walk on. There, sitting on the stark bright white gleam of the show stand, would be something far more favourable. Guaranteed.

'Lifestyle' boxes ticked with T-ROC concept

Car type? Everything, from Up to Phaeton (yes, they do still make it). Bodystyle? You never knew there could be so many, including a mini new crossover one called T-ROC. Fuel type? Take your pick: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, electric, CNG - indeed, the Golf actually comes in a variant powered by every major fuel source.

The interesting one, of course, is the new Golf GTE, the plug-in hybrid Golf GTI. It's got warm hatch stats - 7.6 seconds to 62mph, a limited 134mph top speed - but the intriguing combination of 150hp 1.4 TSI and 102hp electric motor, for a system total of 204hp and 258lb ft of torque, certainly has us intrigued. Throttle response should be, um, electric.

Speaking of electric, it'll run for over 30 miles without the engine cutting in if you're gentle (oh, and remembered to plug it in beforehand), for an official average of 188mpg and 35g/km CO2. Crazy stats, removed from reality... but if such tech means the GTI still has a future, we're all for it.

Golf GTE takes the GTI into the electric age

In other ways, it's pure GTI, albeit with blue pinstriping and interior accents rather than red (clever detail touch, VW). It won't be cheap, of course - around £35K is the word - but the Government will give you £5K for running one which takes it down to ballpark posh DSG GTI money. Now there's an interesting conundrum: who'll be the first to go GTE instead of GTI? And of the rumoured Golf R Evo? Not a word that we heard.

Another old favourite of PH, the Scirocco R, returns this summer in new 280hp EA888 2.0-litre turbo guise, 15hp more than before. It delightfully gets an auxiliary dial pack on top of the dash: oil temperature, turbo boost and a VW variation on Porsche's Sport Chrono timer. There are also new wheels, tweaked styling and a smart flat-bottom steering wheel. This offers another option for your £30k (dare we say the first-year depreciation on that Phaeton offers yet another?).

Something for everyone, it seemed. Even us.

[WCZ]

boring from VW, no Polo R or golf evo ?

[lewisf182]

Those wheels on that Scirroco R, have to be one of the worst wheel designs on a performance car ever, how anybody could like them is beyond me. A nice looking car apart from that, one of the few cars I'd have.

[E65Ross]

The article claims a combination of 150bhp from the engine plus 102bhp from the electric motor gives 204bhp.

Can someone not add up properly or have they got the wrong stats?

[Perra]

E65Ross said:

The article claims a combination of 150bhp from the engine plus 102bhp from the electric motor gives 204bhp.

Can someone not add up properly or have they got the wrong stats?

I think it's something to do with the E-Motor only producing 54 bhp when the ICE is producing it's max power output.

[Dr Interceptor]

E65Ross said:

The article claims a combination of 150bhp from the engine plus 102bhp from the electric motor gives 204bhp.

Can someone not add up properly or have they got the wrong stats?

The article is correct. The engine can give 150hp, and the motor can give 102, but due to where they act together they combine to deliver 204.

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/about-us/news/583

[alock]

E65Ross said:

The article claims a combination of 150bhp from the engine plus 102bhp from the electric motor gives 204bhp.

Can someone not add up properly or have they got the wrong stats?

If I put a 150bhp diesel engine in the boot of my S2000. I would have 150bhp at about 3500rpm and 240bhp at 8500rpm.

[LuS1fer]

Fair play to VW for being all things to all men.

I'd still only really desire a Golf GTI though. They can keep the rest.

[E65Ross]

Thanks gents

[richardaucock]

The EV's torque should certainly help get it off the line more sharply, too. All told, rather interested in this car...

[Dave G fsi]

lewisf182 said:

Those wheels on that Scirroco R, have to be one of the worst wheel designs on a performance car ever, how anybody could like them is beyond me. A nice looking car apart from that, one of the few cars I'd have.

Seconded!

[blackchrome917]

Still no sign of the long rumoured Up! GT - c'mon VW give us something that's fun at low speeds.



Also, still no sign of the Taigun - the Up! XC, again, why do we have to wait?

[Pan Pan]

The A pillars on the new Scirrocco seem to be remarkably wide (when viewd from the inside)and seem to block a fair amount of the road out in a right turn.
Regarding the look of any car, it is likely to be highly subjective, since what looks good to one person
`could' look awful to someone else. E.g the bulky Fiat 500 people carrier derivataive looks pretty awful to me, but no doubt some others out there, will find it good to look at, just depends on peoples personal preference I guess?

It seems that most modern mainstream cars are boring to look at (in the same way that an electric train, seems boring to look, at compared to a steam engine) because they are ALL pretty much designed to meet a fixed set of criteria, laid down by governments / commercial marketing depts etc.

The addition of a little `bling' on some models is not a substitute for good aesthetic design, but to some car manufacturers it seems to be what sells cars??

[Captain Muppet]

PH said:

an official average of 188mpg and 35g/km CO2. Crazy stats, removed from reality...

I can get infinite MPG out of that car in the real world on real roads with my normal daily use.

I'm very happy to prove it if you want to lend me the GTE they lend you.

[Lucas Ayde]

lewisf182 said:

Those wheels on that Scirroco R, have to be one of the worst wheel designs on a performance car ever, how anybody could like them is beyond me. A nice looking car apart from that, one of the few cars I'd have.

They appear to be bastardised versions of Audi TT 'Turbine' wheels (which I have and are rather nice IMO). This version looks awful though, I agree.

[LuS1fer]

blackchrome917 said:

Still no sign of the long rumoured Up! GT - c'mon VW give us something that's fun at low speeds.



Also, still no sign of the Taigun - the Up! XC, again, why do we have to wait?

My guess is because nobody really cares and who wants a bunch of female muppets dancing round your ugly little faux by faux every time you park.

[toppstuff]

The thing about VAG's offerings is that they are so universally competent. Well designed. Functional. Well made. Shiny.

But it is like shopping in Marks and Spencer.

It is all so joyless.

[va1o]

As much as I love VWs this was a little disappointing. The facelift Polo had already been seen and the Scirocco really needed complete replacement rather than a mild revision. The GTE is interesting but I don't really care much for electric cars and the T-Roc looks good but can't see it making production.

The two cars I was most hoping to see, the up! GT and Polo R, haven't materialized.

[Crafty_]

Can anyone explain why they do a 3 door golf and the Scirocco ? When the first version of the Scirocco came out it was actually different to the golf, but now it just exactly the same with a different headlight and rear side window.

[E65Ross]

Crafty_ said:

Can anyone explain why they do a 3 door golf and the Scirocco ? When the first version of the Scirocco came out it was actually different to the golf, but now it just exactly the same with a different headlight and rear side window.

I THINK they use slightly different suspension etc and might offer a slightly different driving experience.

[va1o]

E65Ross said:

Crafty_ said:

Can anyone explain why they do a 3 door golf and the Scirocco ? When the first version of the Scirocco came out it was actually different to the golf, but now it just exactly the same with a different headlight and rear side window.

I THINK they use slightly different suspension etc and might offer a slightly different driving experience.

Well when it came out it shared the Golf platform but now it doesn't as the Golf has moved onto MQB and this hasn't yet. Offers a slightly lower driving position and roofline