It has been confirmed that the sixth generation Golf will be launched later than had originally been expected.
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Ulrich Hackenburg, head of development for Volkswagen, told Automobilwoche that the current model is still selling well and that there is no pressure to replace the model.
Former Volkswagen management team, Bernd Pischetsrieder and Wolfgang Bernhard had said that the Golf would go on sale from the spring of 2008 after an overhaul that would see production costs considerably reduced.
New Volkswagen boss, Martin Winterkorn, has, however, demanded a series of design changes. VW works council chief last week criticized the new car’s design for not looking like a Golf.
The Golf VI is now expected to appear later in 2008.
Hackenburg told Automobilwoche that the new Golf would have a new economical engine (code-named EA888). The 1.8 litre version would have direct injection and be turbocharged to produce more than 160 horsepower. A BlueMotion diesel version would also be offered.
Hackenburg noted that a one litre car as mooted by supervisory board chief Ferdinand Piech last week, has a very high chance of coming to fruition. However, it would need to be produced at a much lower cost than a previous concept that used just one litre of fuel per 100km. Such a car could well be built in Germany because it would take advantage of available expertise in lightweight manufacturing and the use of high-tech materials.
According to the Spiegel news magazine, Volkswagen will produce a smaller version of the Phaeton based on the Audi A6. A successor to the Phaeton is due from 2010. This would make the car cheaper to develop and to produce. Similarly the new Audi A8 will share technology with the next Bentley Continental.
