The new Golf Cabriolet

2011 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

Put the car roof down and bring on the summer!
New Golf Cabriolet debuts with classic soft top
Golf’s top opens fully automatically (standard) in just 9.0 seconds
Versatile Golf Cabriolet designed for all 4 seasons

WOLFSBURG / ST. TROPEZ : May 2, 2011 - Put the car roof down and bring on the summer! Now, it will once again be: Put the Golf’s roof down and bring on the summer.

Because Volkswagen is introducing a new generation of its open air bestseller to the cities, streets and beaches. It offers all the advantages of a Golf – the most successful car in the world. And one more advantage as well: the soft top opens fully automatically in 9.0 seconds, and this can be done while driving up to 30 km/h. And what happens in autumn when the Golf top is closed and summer is over? The answer is clear: the four-seat Volkswagen is a versatile, year-round cabriolet thanks to its practical traits and the sophisticated design of its soft top. And that’s how it has always been.

A circle is completed: Volkswagen is continuing a great tradition with the Golf Cabriolet. On the past 3 models – produced between 1979 and 2002 – over 680,000 drivers chose the cabriolet version. For a time, it was the world’s most successful cabriolet. The new Golf Cabriolet has the potential to continue this history. All it lacks is one item: a roll bar. In 2011, this function of the roll bar is being performed by an extremely fast rollover protection system that deploys in fractions of a second. Front and side curtain head/thorax airbags, a knee airbag on the driver’s side and ESP are also always standard. After all, safety is a top priority.

All-rounder instead of diva: When the top is up, this Volkswagen is one of the quietest cars of its kind. In addition, the Golf Cabriolet offers one of the most spacious interiors in its class and – thanks to the soft top – unlimited use of the bootspace and its 250 litres of cargo capacity, even with the top down. This enables open-top cruising in the Golf Cabriolet with a full load of cargo in the boot. In addition, the folding rear bench seat is split, which significantly increases stowing capacity.

Maximum safety: The body of the Golf Cabriolet offers maximum all-round safety thanks to its extremely fast rollover protection system that deploys in milliseconds, a reinforced windscreen frame and numerous other structural modifications (underbody, side panels, sills, back panel, doors). These many reinforcements also give the 4.25 metre long, 1.78 metre wide and (top up) 1.42 metre tall Golf Cabriolet extreme torsional rigidity.

Exterior. Very clearly the Golf among cabriolets: In many respects, the styling of the Golf Cabriolet matches that of its hardtop, three-door counterpart, but its new rear section, lower roof line and more swept-back windscreen frame also give it a high degree of independence, as was true of previous versions of the bestselling cabriolet. When the soft top is down, the Golf Cabriolet has an elegant, extended appearance. With the top up, the compact and crisp styling lines around the ‘imaginary’ C-pillars and the boot unmistakably reflect the character of the previous model and transfer it to contemporary times – spanning over an entire decade.

Interior. High-end with cabrio feeling: The cabriolet version of the Golf follows the high styling and material quality standards of the classic hardtop Golf 1:1 in the interior. This results in a level of sophistication that is otherwise only offered in significantly more expensive cabriolets. Like the Eos before it, the Golf sets itself apart from many other convertibles in the compact class in one key interior attribute: the windscreen frame is refreshingly short, optimising the cabrio feeling.

One cabriolet, one equipment line: The Golf Cabriolet – like the Eos, Passat CC, Touareg and Phaeton – is available in one equipment line, which can be customised by various option packs (e.g. "Performance," "Design & Style," "Comfort," "Technology"), 9 exterior colours, 9 seat upholstery styles and colours as well as 50 individual options. The base vehicle already offers very extensive features. In the exterior area, standard features include smoked LED rear lights, 16-inch wheels with 205 tyres and chrome trim on the radiator grille. Upgraded interior and functional features that are standard include a fully automatic soft top, air conditioning, Easy Entry function of the height-adjustable comfort seats in front, electric windows all around and interior accents in "Matt Chrome."

Sustainable cruising: Any of the 6 turbo direct-injection engines that are offered are ideal for long and short trips throughout the 4 seasons. They span a power range from 77 kW / 105 PS to 155 kW / 210 PS. Also fun is the fast and fuel-efficient dual clutch transmission (DSG), which is available with 4 of the engines. Energy-saving BlueMotion Technologies (battery regeneration and Stop/Start systems) will be available on one of the petrol engines (TSI) and on both diesels (TDI). Illustrating just how efficiently the new Volkswagen utilises its fuel is the Golf Cabriolet 1.6 TDI with 105 PS and BlueMotion Technology: it has a combined fuel consumption of just 4.4 l/100 km (equivalent to 117 g/km CO2). An overview of all engine versions debuting over the course of 2011:

1.2 TSI – 77 kW / 105 PS (6-speed)
1.4 TSI – 90 kW / 122 PS (6-speed / 7-speed DSG)
1.4 TSI – 118 kW / 160 PS (6-speed / 7-speed DSG)
2.0 TSI – 155 kW / 210 PS (6-speed DSG)
1.6 TDI – 77 kW / 105 PS (5-speed)
2.0 TDI – 103 kW / 140 PS (6-speed / 6-speed DSG)

Technology of the bestseller: All of the Golf Cabriolet’s engines power the front wheels. As a rule, the convertible Golf also utilises the high-end powertrain and chassis systems of the hardtop version of the world bestseller. Therefore, the familiar MacPherson-type strut suspension with performance-optimised anti-roll bars is used in front. In the rear, the new Golf Cabriolet has an innovative multi-link rear suspension, which ensures that the ESP system very seldom needs to be activated.

Images : 2011 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet