The updated Volkswagen Golf family lands in Singapore

Volkswagen Singapore has officially launched its new Golf range - which includes the Golf TSI, Golf GTI and Golf R - at its Leng Kee Road showroom today. With over 33 million units sold to date, the Volkswagen Golf has always been an icon among compact cars. It is spacious, and the design of the Golf makes it timeless, helping it move beyond class boundaries. Now, the iconic design of the facelifted Golf has even more charisma.

Design modifications include new front and rear bumpers, as well as new head lights (halogen and LED) with LED daytime running lights. All Golf models come with new full-LED taillights as standard - on the Highline and R-Line variants, the taillights have an animated indicator function and a concise dynamic switchover between the taillights and brake light. New wheel designs and body colours round off the update of the exterior.

On the inside, the new Golf is studded with technological innovations. Volkswagen Singapore is introducing a new base model, the Golf TSI. Even this version has features such as LED daytime running lights and Bluetooth connectivity as standard. For the first time in the compact class, the new Discover Pro infotainment system can be operated via gesture control.

Sporting a 9.2-inch touchscreen, it forms a single conceptual and visual unit with the Active Info Display, a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster, which also debuts in the Volkswagen hatchback segment on the Golf.

Debuting in Singapore is the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged TSI petrol engine producing 108bhp of power. This engine is standard on the Golf TSI, and has a peak torque figure of 200Nm, which is particularly impressive for its engine power class. Maximum torque is available between 2,000rpm and 3,500rpm, guaranteeing sprightly performance throughout a broad engine speed range.

The Golf TSI has a top speed of 196km/h and sprints from 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds. Yet, it has a combined fuel consumption of 20km/L, and emits just 114g/km of CO₂.

The Golf GTI and Golf R have been fortified with a higher power output of 227bhp and 286bhp, respectively. These 2.0-litre turbocharged engines are among the most agile four-cylinder units in the segment, and have been given a power bump of 10bhp over the outgoing models.

The Golf GTI comes with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) while the Golf R features a newly-developed seven-speed DSG, a permanent all-wheel drive system (4MOTION) and a Dynamic Chassis Control system. The Golf R now boasts 380Nm of torque between 1,850rpm and 5,300rpm, and a top speed of 250km/h.

All models are also equipped with stop-start systems and regenerative braking modes (BlueMotion Technology).

In light of the upcoming Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES), which takes effect from 1^st January 2018, the Golf TSI and GTI will be categorised under the neutral band while the Golf R will have a $20,000 VES penalty.

Prices as of press time (inclusive of COE)

Volkswagen Golf 1.0 TSI DSG Trendline - $105,900
Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI DSG - $175,900
Volkswagen Golf R 2.0 TSI DSG - $211,900