The seventh-generation 2015 Volkswagen Golf is 2.2 inches longer, 0.5 inches wider, 51 pounds lighter and as much as 15% more fuel-efficient than the car it replaces. The Golf will be powered by a 170 horsepower 1.8-liter turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder TSI engine or a new 150 horsepower 2.0-liter common-rail, turbocharged, direct-injection diesel engine which is 10 more horsepower than the current engine. The GTI will also use an uprated version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged TSI engine expected to generate about 210 horsepower and, like the current GTI, the engine will drive the front wheels via either a six-speed manual or six-speed DSG transmission.
For the first time, Volkswagen is using touchscreens with a proximity sensor, allowing drivers to change functions with a swipe of the hand, just like a smartphone. The base radio has a 5.8-inch touchscreen and the new navigation systems are DVD-based with a 3D display.
