Next-gen VW Golf Plug-in Hybrid Prototype – first details

A prototype version based on the current Golf 6 generation but underpinning the new Golf 7, in a hybrid form, has recently leaked in a magazine.

The Volkswagen Golf 7 is currently in development and the model is scheduled to debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September, but the first details on the model have already appeared in a brochure. According to the latest number of the Auto Express magazine, the February edition, the new VW Golf will also get a hybrid version, which will be powered by a 1.4 liter TSI petrol engine, being able to run on one or two cylinders under a light throttle, helped on the way by an 80 Kw electric motor. A lithium-ion battery is also fitted onto the upcoming model.

Our source is also saying that the model in question is actually a prototype of the three-door Golf 6, which will underpin the new generation of the Golf 7, in a plug-in hybrid version. The model should be able to return 141 mpg and offer around 30 miles of range in electric drive only, while emitting as low as 46 grams of CO2 every kilometer. The electric motor and battery pack won’t encroach on passenger or luggage space and the prototype version looks like a regular Golf 6. Just like we announced not too long ago, the new generation of the VW Golf will be made using the MQB platform, which was unveiled by Volkswagen earlier this month.

“Because of the position of the engine, we can move the wheels forward and shorten the front overhand, which in turn allows us to lengthen the look of the car”, as the head of exterior design, Andreas Mindt, told Auto Express magazine.

The prototype version of the VW Golf plug-in hybrid is coming with a six-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission, which is sending power to the front wheels. In the cabin, the upcoming generation of the VW Golf will get a new touch-screen interface on the center console, which will be very similar to the iPad, and it will allow the driver to access different applications very easily with its eight-inch display. The plug-in hybrid version of the Golf is expected to go on sale in 2014 and it will be offered at a price similar to the GTI.

Besides the plug-in hybrid, the new Volkswagen Golf will also be offered in a hybrid version, and its future customers will also be able to choose between new TDI diesel engines, of 1.6 and 2.0 liter displacements, with power ranging from 85 to 185 horsepower. A new and lighter VW Golf GTI is also in the books, and this is expected to be powered by a 2.0 liter TSI petrol engine, developed by Audi, which will generate a total output close to the new Opel Astra OPC, 275 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque, while offering an improved fuel economy and low CO2 emissions.

The new generation of the Volkswagen Golf will be officially presented to the public at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September, and more details on the model will be announced closer to its launch.

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• [PHOTO GALLERY] Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet revealed
• [PHOTO GALLERY] Peugeot 208 GTI Concept revealed
• Volkswagen MQB chassis unveiled – underpins the new Golf
• Volkswagen Golf VII rendered
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• Volkswagen Golf VII going to Paris Motor Show
• [PHOTO GALLERY] Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet revealed
• [PHOTO GALLERY] Peugeot 208 GTI Concept revealed
• Volkswagen MQB chassis unveiled – underpins the new Golf
• Volkswagen Golf VII rendered
• Toyota Alphard Hybrid to hit the production line
• Honda Jazz Hybrid launched in Malaysia