Topic: 2006 VW Golf?

[bassix]

Does anyone have info on when we'll see the 2006 Golf in Canada? Prices, options (will we ever get the 4Motion model?), trim levels, engines, etc...

VW Canada and US don't say anything about it. They did the same with the new Jetta and Passat though... nothing until the day of official release!

This new Golf has been available in Europe for over a year now.

Thanks for any info!

[JSCC]

Hmm... the 2006 Golf is exactly the same as the 2005 Golf. 
Same pricing and same options, just $20 more for freight (615 instead of 595).

Hopefully the new body style will be a 2006.5  and not 2007. 
Yes, yes! A 2 year delay, but what can you do.

[bassix]

Hmm... the 2006 Golf is exactly the same as the 2005 Golf. 
Same pricing and same options, just $20 more for freight (615 instead of 595).

Hopefully the new body style will be a 2006.5  and not 2007. 
Yes, yes! A 2 year delay, but what can you do.

Interesting as well because the UK still gets the previous Jetta (Bora over there). Lucky them! Still not a fan of the new (Corolla) styling. :-)

I'll never understand VW marketing! :-(

[a4_tom]

My aunty nearly driven her Golf 2.0FSI 5-door for a year in HK, on the other hand, everyone has a lenghty waiting list for GTI there. Unfortunately, we still stuck with Mk4 style.

[Traum]

I don't understand VWoA's decision to import the Golf this late. The MkV Jetta is a slow seller, and yet they are sticking to their super rigid tiered introduction of various models. (MkV Jetta, Passat, Jetta GLI, with the MkV Golf and GTI coming after that.)

They've been bleeding in the US market for I dunno how long. Why can't they smarten up??

-Rick

[robarakira]

Feels like VW made too many old golfs and they are just selling them off to North American suckers.  Meanwhile they have given themselves and the rest of the world a much better car for over a year.  I thought the times of us waiting years upon years for a new car that the rest of the world has already gotten was comming to an end (except for the smart).

[bassix]

I'm starting to think it may have been influenced by Honda's timing of their new Civic. Maybe VW did not want to precede or enter at the same time as the Civic. Although I'm not quite convinced that Civic and Golf owners are the same demographic. Not in Canada anyway.

[JSCC]

new GTI = new "King of hot hatch" in HK.
The A3 is HK$50,000 (CAD$8,000) more expensie.

I believe it "used" to be Pegueot's 206.

[JSCC]

From what I have heard, for Canada:

2005 Nov/Dec:
Passat 2.0T manual
Passat V6 Auto
Passat V6 Auto 4Motion

2006 Mar:
GTI
Golf (coming for Germany not Brazil)

Infinite delay on the Jetta GLI.
Canada may never have an "official" R32 land on it's soil.

[bassix]

2006 Mar:
GTI
Golf (coming for Germany not Brazil)

Canada may never have an "official" R32 land on it's soil.

Thanks... that's the sort of info I was interested in! I'll go mark next March on my calendar... in PENCIL.

I really do hope we get a 4Motion Golf in CANADA, where sometimes we get the occasional SNOW! I'd like to see 4Motion available as low down the range as possible (not just an R32-type). Don't know why VW seems to reserve traction only for their richer customers (Passat for instance).

[JSCC]

Cause it makes the cars more expensive.
$2900 more expensive.
Most people would rather spend that money on alloy rims and leather seats.

If VW had a market share in N/A similar to what they have in Euro, then maybe you would see 4Motion in everything.

[JSCC]

If you want affordable all time AWD, Subaru is your only choice in Canada.

[bassix]

Cause it makes the cars more expensive.
$2900 more expensive.
Most people would rather spend that money on alloy rims and leather seats.

If VW had a market share in N/A similar to what they have in Euro, then maybe you would see 4Motion in everything.

I don't want power windows, leather seats, 6-disc changer, automatic trans, etc. I would gladly pay $2900 for AWD on a $20k-$25k car! Right now Subaru *is* the only viable option (maybe Suzuki... one day).

[sirAQUAMAN64]

In North America we don't offer many stand-alone options on VW's like in Europe. There, you can buy a base car with HIDs, NAVI, roof, or alloys, or DSG, or upgraded audio, or colour concept, or what-have-you. Most are stand alone options. I think a-la-carte is great, but purchasing in North America is different because when people want a vehicle here, they usually want it NOW. Stand alone options added together usually get very expensive, and North Americans typically don't see compact vehicles as expensive cars, so they're harder to move. And we don't like to pay much for things. And so many configurations make ordering more 'confusing' for the dumb-dumb customers and makes inventory trickier and dealer trades more prevalent. The licensing process is also much quicker here. Europeans wait months for their cars at times, and it's not unusual (that's what I've heard).

Here, it's more like walking into a store and seeing what they have for sale. Mass merchandising. VW sells less here, and offers less. Of course, by offering less I believe they're limiting their potential, but VW AG really has never paid all that much attention to the needs of North America. VWoA has lousy customer service, and VW AG restricts model availability and latitude.

I really wish we had the European options sheet.

VW Canada has gotten a few unique models in the past:
- The old Passat Syncro AWD (unavil in the US, but it was an expensive option here)
- Golf CL (base 5-dr - although the US still has a 3-dr)
- Jetta TDI Sport Edition (a neat pkg with great value - hope it comes around again)

I heard a few reasons for the Golf's late arrival. The model is coming from Wolfsburg rather than Brazil, with a few implications:
- The US-Euro exchange is very high right now, which is hurting a lot of European brands. Except the Golf would be the least expensive vehicle imported from Europe (besides Smart) and doesn't have the luxury badge to simply charge more to cushion.
- Originally, VWoA wanted to import the Golf Plus and not the regular Golf. They spent time certifying that car, but late in the game determined it too expensive. They had to start from scratch with certification for the regular Golf.
- Pricing should go up. This time Golf will be priced much closer to Mexican-built Jetta because it's now larger and imported from the motherland. So the question is more: do you want a hatch, or trunk? The US doesn't favour hatches, but that's changing due to products like Mazda3 Sport, Scion xB, etc. I think VW believed they could suck the life out of the current Golf and maintain reasonable sales for the time being (importing the new one wouldn't earn them much with the Euro as it is). The new one will be much dearer I'm thinking.
- They are waiting to debut the Golf until the mid-life freshening comes along, incorporating the new 'face/shield' of VW like the Jetta/Passat have. The European GTI and Golf GT have these cues, and the standard Golf should be adopting them soon.

Honestly, I don't know why we're getting Golf 2.5+ years after Europe. The exchange rate and pricing will be similar to today - all they're losing is potential sales and the position of being a market segment leader with a superior product.

Golf engines should be limited to the 2.5 150hp I5 and TDI from Jetta. The GTI would have the 2.0T like the 2.0T/GLI Jettas.

I think Audi did a good job with the A3. And with lots of things - their cars arrive much sooner and with greater spec availability/colours. Some stand alone options and combinations, but it's significantly more expensive. Still hope sales start building - it's a neat urban-chic machine.

From what I had last heard, GTI was coming slightly before Golf but later than the US (March). So sometime late spring/early summer (April/May?). Golf was to come in June '06, as an '07MY vehicle. Much like the Jetta arrived in March '05 as an '06MY, which I prefer - why would you want to have an '06.5 when you can have an '07???

When Hunt was head of VWoA, I PMed him a few times and he said to look for Golf Plus or Touran in Canada. But now that he's gone, and was leading that charge, well...  much less hopeful we'll see them

[bassix]

If you want affordable all time AWD, Subaru is your only choice in Canada.

I've driven a Legacy GT and an Outback... they are very nice cars. And the fact that I could buy an Impreza for $23k (and that I've seen MANY on the road) *should* convince VW that there is a market here for affordable AWD.

I think the problem is that Canada gets lumped in with the US when VW decide on which models and options can/will sell here. I wish we got more European-type models. And while I'm wishing, can VW PLEASE return to their stiffer suspensions! Still to this day, the best handling car I've ever driven was a 1989 Jetta Carat. I hate the American-ized soft suspensions they've been giving us for the last decade!

[bassix]

Golf engines should be limited to the 2.5 150hp I5 and TDI from Jetta. The GTI would have the 2.0T like the 2.0T/GLI Jettas.

I hope we get some smaller engines. Gas is not going to go down much in price. I'd like to see the 1.6 litre FSI! Otherwise I'd go for the 1.9 litre TDI.

Thanks for the information. I agree that VW US and Canada lack a lot where consumer support is concerned. Hopefully that will change (for the better) soon.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Even tho it takes premium, I would much rather the 2.0 FSI non-turbo over the 2.5. 150hp and smooth response in a lighter engine with great fuel economy.

[a4_tom]

Even tho it takes premium, I would much rather the 2.0 FSI non-turbo over the 2.5. 150hp and smooth response in a lighter engine with great fuel economy.

Totally agree. I have driven both 2.0FSI and 2.5 I-5. While both are 150hp, former has better torque and smoother response than latter.

[Traum]

Considering that VW of Canada is merely a tiny branch of VWoA, it is no surprise that we're being treated like a second class stepchild.

-Rick

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Even tho it takes premium, I would much rather the 2.0 FSI non-turbo over the 2.5. 150hp and smooth response in a lighter engine with great fuel economy.

Totally agree. I have driven both 2.0FSI and 2.5 I-5. While both are 150hp, former has better torque and smoother response than latter.

...and I bet doesn't sound like rocks in a can with high idle upon startup.