2016 upgrades for VW Polo, Golf and Passat

Volkswagen has announced trim upgrades across its Polo, Golf and Passat ranges for 2016.

The Polo Match replaces the SE trim. It’s available in three- and five-door bodystyles and with a range of engine and transmission options, adding more than £900-worth of extra equipment.

Among the new standard-fit features are cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, front fog lights with static cornering function, tinted rear windows and new 15-inch Stratford alloy wheels.  

A price rise of £100, means the Polo Match is available to order now from £12,735 on the road (OTR).

The Volkswagen Golf, now in its seventh generation, will get two new versions – the GT Edition and R-Line Edition. 

Priced at £23,915 OTR, the GT Edition costs £300 more than the GT it replaces, but gains an extra £1,795 worth of equipment including 18-inch Durban alloy wheels, and a panoramic sunroof. 

Meanwhile, the new Golf R-Line Edition replaces the R-Line trim and, for an increase of £250 OTR, adds £1,730-worth of equipment including larger 18-inch Serron alloys wheels and a panoramic sunroof.  

The Golf R-Line Edition will be available to order from £24,860 OTR and, as with the new GT Edition, is set to arrive in Volkswagen UK showrooms early in 2016.

An enhanced version of the Passat SE Business trim level is designed to add more style and value to both the saloon and estate variants, with standard features such as Discover Navigation, front fog lights, electric folding door mirrors and tinted rear windows– together amounting to £555 of value – for £100 OTR more than the SE model, which is being removed from the range.

New versions of the Polo, Golf, and Passat Saloon and Estate are available to order from Volkswagen UK Retailers now, with deliveries set to begin early in the New Year.

Volkswagen develops Golf for the racetrack

Volkswagen develops Golf for the racetrack

Volkswagen develops Golf for the racetrack

Volkswagen develops Golf for the racetrack

Volkswagen develops Golf for the racetrack

Volkswagen Motorsport is developing a new Golf for the racetrack.

The production-based Golf is a 330 PS concept car, assembled in accordance with TCR regulations and is intended to help Volkswagen evaluate a potential customer racing programme from the 2016 season onwards.

Visually, the racing genes are clear to see, with 18-inch racing rims, a chassis roughly 40 centimetres wider than that of the production car, and a striking rear wing give the Golf a 'ready-to-race' look and first-class handling.

An aerodynamically designed front splitter and carbon rear wing are also among the modifications for the racetrack. On the inside, components designed to protect the driver include a racing seat with head protectors, a racing safety cell, and a safety tank in accordance with FIA regulations.

The new Golf is propelled by a powerful 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine with direct fuel injection, borrowed from the range-topping Golf R. The racing version of this engine generates 330 PS (243 kW) and 410 Nm of torque and is mated to a DSG gearbox with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel.

Volkswagen says the new Golf has been meticulously prepared for its outings at the racetrack. Volkswagen Motorsport is developing the car in cooperation with the sport department at SEAT, meaning it can call on SEAT's experience with the Leon Cup Racer. As with the Volkswagen Group's production vehicles, the MQB platform also offers many synergies for racing cars and reduces the cost of assembling and running the touring car.

In order to accelerate the development of the car, the new Golf will be tested under competitive conditions between now and the end of the season: as cooperation partner, the Liqui Moly Team Engstler will run two cars at the eighth round of the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

"The newly created TCR category provides a promising platform for customer racing - on a national and international level. With exciting races, production-based technology and reasonable costs, it offers a new outlook for private racing teams," said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. "When developing the Golf-based concept car, we are able to fall back on the resources at Volkswagen. This reduces both development time and costs. We will also use the rest of the season to test the car under competitive conditions and evaluate a possible customer racing project from 2016."