New Golf Match Joins VW's UK Lineup

Volkswagen's UK arm has added a new trim level to its Golf hatch range. Using the familiar Match name, the new Golf variant replaces the SE trim level, and according to the company, adds over £1,600 worth of extra equipment while costing £300 more than the outgoing model.

On top of the SE's standard features that include ABS, ESP, seven airbags, Climatic air conditioning, alarm, cruise control and iPod/MP3 player connectivity, the Match adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a leather multifunction steering wheel, DAB digital radio receiver, Bluetooth system, front and rear parking sensors and an RCD 510 touchscreen stereo with six-disc CD changer.

The Match is offered with the same petrol and diesel engines as the outgoing SE trim level including the 1.4-litre TSI petrol with 122HP, a 1.6-litre TDI 105HP or a 2.0-litre TDI with 140HP, all of which can be combined with the German firm's DSG dual clutch transmission.

The new Golf Match is available for order now with first customer deliveries to start at the end of June. Prices start from £17,730 RRP OTR for the 1.4-litre TSI three-door model.

Wörthersee Show: VW Golf GTI Excessive Study Could Spawn Sport Package [First Photos]

Volkswagen is testing the waters with its new Golf GTI Excessive study that was revealed today at this year's edition of the annual GTI-Meet at Wörthersee.

Making its debut alongside the limited production Golf GTI Adidas special (see here), the GTI Excessive features a series of motorsport-inspired add-on parts that the German firm says could make it into the catalogue of Volkswagen Original Accessories if there's enough interest from the public.

Finished in the same fire-red "Firespark Metallic" as last year's Golf GTI Wörthersee 09, the GTI Excessive gets a new bodykit trimmed in high-gloss black piano paint. The add-on parts include a front splitter beneath the front apron, side sills and rear diffuser and splitter, and flared wheel wells that add 30mm per side.

There's also a new rear spoiler painted in body colour that integrates a very narrow strip of LED brake lights along its full width, while the roof was upgraded with black piano paint.

The widened wheel arches house new 19-inch BBS lightweight rims finished in a black shade fitted in tires size 235/35 ZR19. Volkswagen also equipped the show car with new brake callipers featuring the "GTI / Wörthersee 2010" logos.

Interior upgrades include decorative brushed aluminium trim and glossy black painted frames for the vent nozzles, framed floor mats in red piping. and the modified sport comfort seats with integrated head restraints that feature black Nappa for the outer areas and flash-red Nappa for the lateral seat supports.

In terms of performance, the only upgrade includes a new exhaust system that adds an extra 4-horsepower bumping output to 214HP and 286Nm.

VW Golf GTI Adidas Special Unveiled, Goes on Sale in the U.S., Europe and Australia

This week's VW Group fest at Wörthersee saw the world premiere of the special edition Golf GTI Adidas, which will first launch in Europe at the beginning of June and shortly thereafter in Australia and the USA in both three- and five-door versions.

So what's the deal with the sports-apparel maker? Well, according to VW, the car brings together three of the world's most renowned German badges - Volkswagen, GTI and Adidas- to form a combined product. Don't you just love marketers?

While there are no mechanical upgrades with the car keeping the same 210HP 2.0-liter turbo engine, the Golf GTI Adidas gets some unique styling cues inside and out.

These include the new 18-inch machine polished alloy wheels, special logos on the B-pillars, standard bi-xenon headlights with cornering lights and smoked LED rear lights.

Inside, the car gets new black-red sport seats designed in cooperation with Adidas, color-contrasting door tread plates, special interior accents in aluminium, fabric floor mats with decorative borders and in versions equipped with the 6-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG), a gearshift grip in the golf ball design of the first generation GTI.

Buyers will be able to choose from four exterior paints including "Candy White", "Black Uni", "Tornado Red" and the metallic "Oryx White".

VW to Present Two New Special Versions of the Golf GTI at Wörthersee

Volkswagen announced today that it will pull the wraps off two new variants of its latest Golf GTI hot hatch at the Wörthersee GTI meeting in Austria next week: the limited production Adidas Golf GTI and a potential, go-fast looking version called the GTI Excessive Study.

Starting with the Adidas Golf GTI that's pictured here, the limited edition model was created in collaboration with the famous sporting-goods maker Adidas and it follows in the footsteps of the Golf GTI Pirelli special. It will be produced in a limited run of 4,410 copies with sales set to begin in July.

It keeps the standard model's 210HP 2.0-liter TSI engine and front wheel drive layout, adding bespoke touches such as the newly designed 18-inch alloy wheels, specially designed sports seats and trim. It also gets standard bi-xenon headlights and LED taillights.

Volkswagen has yet to release photos of the Golf GTI Excessive Study, but the German automaker said that the one-off prototype will feature a new bodykit inspired from the world of motorsports as well as an upgraded interior.

VW Planning Plug-in Jetta as well as Passat, Golf and Jetta Hybrid Models

Together with the unveiling of the fully-electric Golf Blue-e-Motion prototype at a special event in Berlin today, Volkswagen also outlined its future product plans for sustainable mobility.

According to Volkswagen, in 2013, the production Golf Blue-e-Motion that's powered by a 115HP electric motor will be joined by the new Up blue-e-motion city car (previewed by the Up! concept series) and the technically closely-related Jetta blue-e-motion.

In the same timeframe, the Lavida blue-e-motion sedan, which was shown in concept form at last week's Beijing Motor Show, will also launch in China.

In parallel with the electric car offensive, Volkswagen will debut new hybrid models as well. In addition to the new Touareg SUV Hybrid that is already on sale, in 2012 a hybrid version of the Jetta will debut, then in 2013 the Golf Hybrid and Passat Hybrid will launch.

VW Presents Golf Blue-e-Motion Concept, All-Electric Production Version to Launch in 2013

Volkswagen has shown a new all-electric concept version of its bread-and-butter Golf model called the "Golf blue-e-motion" that will spawn a production version powered by zero-emissions electric motor in 2013.

The "Golf blue-e-motion" concept, which was presented today to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is powered by an electric motor integrated in the engine compartment driving the front wheels. It produces 85kW or 115-horsepwoer and a maximum torque of 270Nm or 199 lb-ft right from a stop.

The car gets a set of lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 26.5 kilowatt-hours located in the bootspace, under the rear bench seat and in the centre tunnel between the front seats. Volkswagen claims that cargo capacity is 237 liters versus the standard model's 350 liters.

All in all, the all-electric Golf tips the scales at 1,545 kg / 3,406 lbs, or 205kg / 452 lbs more than a comparable Golf BlueMotion TDI with DSG

Volkswagen said that the Golf blue-e-motion has a driving range of up to 150 kilometers / 93 miles, while it can sprint from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 11.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 140km/h or 87mph.

Next year, the German automaker will build a fleet of 500 Golf blue-e-motion test cars to assess the drivetrain and energy storage modules "under all conceivable conditions".

A production version of the all-electric Golf blue-e-motion will be launched onto the market in 2013.

Volkswagen Presents E-Lavida Study at Beijing Show

Volkswagen is gauging Chinese customer reaction to electric cars with the world premiere of a battery-powered version of its Golf-based Lavida sedan. Called the 'E-Lavida', the concept study is the VW group's first ever e-car completely designed and produced in China. Details on the E-Lavida remain scarce, but the company did release a bunch of photos of the car that you can check out after the break.