Volkswagen is making moves to shorten its vehicle
life cycles from
seven to five years (with a mid-cycle update after the first three
years) in an attempt to keep up with its American and Asian rivals. The first
of its models to adopt this shorter life cycle will be the Golf, which is
expected to receive a mid-cycle update for
the 2018 model year and undergo a complete redesign for 2020. And the
good news is that the sporty GTI
and Golf R variants will also be renewed along the
way.
Automobile is
reporting that the new versions of the GTI and Golf R will produce
substantially more power than their current versions. The magazine also reports
that there will be a third performance variant, a range-topping Golf RS, that’s
set to become a permanent fixture in the Golf lineup. This Golf RS is likely to
be introduced in the current MkVII Golf range in the form of a production
version of 2014’s
Golf R 400 concept, a prototype for which we’ve
already spied.
With the Golf RS expected to pack as much as 400
horsepower—yes, an insane figure for a Golf—that leaves room for engineers to
turn up the wick on the GTI and Golf R. According to Automobile, the next
GTI will pack as much as 300 hp and the next Golf R as much as 350 hp. That’s
well up on the 210 hp (220 hp with optional performance pack) of the current
GTI and 292 hp of the current Golf R.
The basis for the next Golf will be an upgraded version of
the flexible MQB platform found in the current model
. Referred to internally as MQB Evo, the upgraded platform
will offer further weight savings and more powertrain options. It’s likely some
of these performance variants will feature an electrified drivetrain. A clue
comes in the form of VW’s
recent Golf GTE Sport concept, which also hints at the styling we can
expect for the next Golf. The concept featured a plug-in hybrid system with 395
hp on tap.
Note, we won’t have to wait until the next Golf arrives for
a more powerful GTI. VW will introduce a 261-hp GTI next year to mark the
nameplate’s 40th anniversary. A preview of this more powerful GTI came in the
form of the recent GTI
Clubsport concept.
source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1029418_next-volkswagen-gti-to-pack-300-horsepower
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
No comments:
Post a Comment