The people of Golf, California, being residents of that most eco-conscious U.S. state, would no doubt be interested in the brand-new Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion debuting at this year’s Frankfurt auto show. After all, VW claims it achieves 62 mpg by European standards and boasts a near-900-mile range, enticing numbers for status-seeking Californians eager to trump holier-than-thou owners of Priuses and Insights. Those Golfians will be disappointed to find out, however, that the car won’t be available in America. And that their town disappeared around 1915, which presumably means that the local Volkswagen dealership closed.
Europeans, on the other hand, will be able to revel in the delights of the Golf BlueMotion’s five-speed manual gearbox and 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine, which churns out 103 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. This Golf reaches 62 mph in 11.3 seconds, or about the same amount of time it took the last guy in Golf to notice that everyone else had moved out. The top speed is 118 mph, eventually.
The BlueMotion Golf gets regenerative brakes to recapture energy, a start/stop engine function, low-rolling-resistance tires, lighter wheels, and tweaked aerodynamics, including a lowered ride. Sporty bumpers and side sills from VW’s R-Line accessories catalog will be standard, so at least there’s that.
The car goes on sale on the Continent this fall.
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