2017 VW Golf Facelift, Test Drive, Interior, Walk Around – Video

 

This is the facelifted VW Golf, which will bring much-improved infotainment and connectivity along with more efficient engines when it goes on sale in the UK in early 2017.

Volkswagen insiders are referring to the new Golf as ‘Mk 7.5’ instead of the full-spec Mk8 – but while the external differences are mild and evolutionary, and big components like the chassis remain essentially unchanged, there are significant upgrades as the embattled manufacturer tries to win back consumer confidence with its best-known model.

 

 

In particular, the Golf gets noticeable upgrades in its infotainment systems. It will now be offered across the range with the option of ‘Active Info Display’ – the same digital instrument panel that we’ve already seen on various Audis and VW’s own Passat.

Every Golf will get a colour central dashboard screen of at least 6.5 inches in size, and the resolution of that display is double that of the most basic (black and white) system in the existing car.

The existing 6.5-inch screen-based systems move up to eight inches, while the range-topping Discover Pro set-up grows from eight inches to 9.2 inches, and from 800×480 pixels to 1280×640 pixels. Discover Pro also brings voice commands and, in what VW claims is a first for this size of car, gesture control for some of its key functions. The system itself also gets a software upgrade, with a configurable homepage and the ability to swipe through items like album covers.

The engine line-up gets a rejig, and a new arrival in the shape of a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol producing 148bhp. This unit is the second in the history of the Golf to be offered with Active Cylinder Management, technology that allows it to shut down cylinders to save fuel when the car is cruising. VW also says an eco-focused version of the same engine, with Bluemotion badging and a more modest output of 129bhp, is under development.

At the top of the Golf range, meanwhile, the GTI hot hatchback gets a revised engine with more power. The ‘regular’ GTI now produces 227bhp, while the Performance edition moves up to 241bhp.

The final mechanical tweak comes in the gearbox line-up, where VW has announced that it plans to phase out the six-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission across the range and replace it with a seven-speed unit.