Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: "the little Golf fairly flew."

Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

Ever interested in any press about anything TDI, I was delighted to see a brief review (about 7 column inches) about the VW Golf Wagon TDI in the Dec. 2000 issue of Automobile magazine (p. 32).

Basically the review was overwhelmingly positive, with the only detractions having to do with the usual small car/wagon space constraints. They praised the build quality, the surprising power and refinement (a European 1.9 TDI with 115HP and 210 lb/ft of torque, coupled to a 6 speed manual), and high level of standard equipment. This Golf Wagon is what will be sold here in the states as the Jetta Wagon this coming Spring. I assume that it will have the front end of the Jetta (hood and rectangular lights, etc...) to identify it as a Jetta here and not a Golf (you know us foolish Americans have a disdain for anything hatchback). They said it will be sold here with VW/Audi's 1.8 liter turbo 4 (150HP)... and made no mention of whether it would be available here with the US-spec TDI. In the UK, the car reviewed (TDI, lots of equipment) sells for $19,700.

Thought some of you might like to know.

blue909

PS: the same issue has a much larger preview of the new Mini Cooper and of the new Porsche Garrera GT (described as "son of 959 and GT1"). Overall, a good issue... just be sure to remove and discard the bulky Chrysler advertising supplement.

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

Blue909

From my understanding it will be a Jetta (Bora Variant) Wagon that will be sold in the states and not a Golf/Jetta hybrid. The Jetta wagon is already a success in Europe (as is the Golf Variant) and I believe will be here also. It is supposed to be offered with a TDI sometime after the initial introduction.

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

The wagon is the same car! (forget about the headlights for a second)

The Golf, wagon, estate, Varient, Break (the longer one)

Is the same as the...........

Bora(european name)/Jetta (NA name) wagon estate, varient. break, the longer one.

The difference is the front-end sheetmetal, the base level equipment, and the options available. The golf wagon is/was for the low end, as it doesn't have many trim levels and options, and the Bora wagon for the luxury end, better equipped and options galore.

For example, for 2000 in France, you could not get the 115 PD motor or leather in the golf estate, you had to get the bora estate if you wanted that motor or interior, I don't have my vw catalog anylonger, but I also think that 4motion was available only on the Bora estate, and not on the Golf estate.

Based on the fact that you can get nice options on the Bora wagon, and not the Golf wagon, it's probably safe to say that the Bora face will be on the wagon that's imported to NA.

Regards

Russ

If I'm wrong, just ignore me

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

You guys in Europe should know better than I. When I looked at both of them on the German VW web page there seemed to be more difference than just the front end, sorry if I am wrong.

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

From what the article said (not that I believe everything that I read) it is the vehicle that is presently sold in Europe as the Golf Wagon that will be sold here as the Jetta Wagon. The picture included with the article did not show the car's front-end, but I assume that it will have the rectangular lights and different hood that make a Jetta front non-Golf-like.

Since the Golf and Jetta are so inherently similar to begin with, it is my assumption that the Golf Wagon and the Jetta Wagon (actually the Bora Wagon, since it's only for sale in Europe thus far) ARE the same car EXCEPT for the cosmetic differences up front and of course, the available options/equipment that VW uses to differentiate the Golf and Jetta/Bora in Europe (i.e.: the Bora is fancier, thus is available with options/trim levels that the Golf is not).

I find it hard to believe that the Golf and Jetta/Bora wagon/estate as presently sold in Europe are structurally different vehicles. That wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense from a manufacturing point of view.

blue909

PS: In any case, it will be called a Jetta wagon/estate/variant (pick one) here and will certainly get the 1.8T engine. If they make a TDI available in it, it probably won't be at introduction.



[This message has been edited by blue909 (edited November 22, 2000).]

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

I gotta agree.. the Golf and Jetta are so similar in so many respects that some of the debates as to which is better seem a bit odd to me. Hence, my assumption that the Golf and Bora wagons sold in Europe are pretty much indentical except for the front-end cosmetics (like the Bolf you referred to) and equipment levels used by VW to market the cars to different customers.

In any case, there's little doubt that it will be a very nice car. I don't think we'll see them with TDIs anytime soon. Not that there's any harm in putting down a deposit and getting your name on a dealer list anyway (like some folks may have done in hopes of getting one of the first new Passat TDIs IF AND WHEN VW ever sees fit to sell them in the states.

blue909

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

I think a member replaced the front fenders, hood etc. of a Golf with the front fenders, hood, etc of a Jetta to be different. There's a picture of it posted around here somewhere.

All the cars are built on the same A4 platform, so the authors would not be wrong if they said the wagon to be sold here in the US is a "version" of the car they drove. All the cars are a "version" of the A4 platform.

I swear, sometimes the debates around here remind me of the techies at work arguing about Star Trek

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

Visited the German VW site,
http://www.volkswagen.de/bora_va/index_.htm

tried to compare the two and they "look" to be esentially the same car with a different front end. If anyone can read German they can compare the interior dimentions, etc. and determine for sure.

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

Does anyone know for sure that they will bring it here with a TDI? Because from what I've read in magazines & such, there is no TDI version in the works.

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'82 jetta diesel (soon to be TDI)

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

RC, the cars are the same concerning dimensions. The only difference is that the Bora comes with a Bora (Jetta) front fascia and is only delivered with with the upmarket engines (no SDi for example), while you can´t get the V6 for the Golf Wagon. Today I read an interview with the guy who developed the reworked PASSAT: He said that´s he quite happy with Passat wagon sales in the US and they´ll bring over a Jetta wagon.

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

On the German site the Bora wagon is offered with the standard 110 HP TDI engine - lets hope it shows up here !!!

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2K Golf GL TDI
White/BLack
UPsolute Chip&TB Descreened and K&N

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

Based on everything that I've read/heard, I have to agree with Brendan... it's not a high priority for VW to provide the Jetta wagon in the states with a TDI engine.

blue909

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

110HP you may forget. It isn't possible to order a new car with that motor any more, it're the new PD 90, 100 or 115HP not taking into account the new motors 130 and 150 HP. So the old 90HP and 110HP are replaced with the 90 and 100HP PD fixed turbo and the 115HP PD variable turbo. Sites aren't updated yet to mislead the quick believers.

Re: Automobile magazine reviews Golf Wagon TDI: \"the little Golf fairly flew.\"

No to play devil's advocate, but of the 5 different TDI engines that Gevaert mentioned, only the regular 90HP motor is/has been available in the states. Since the Jetta wagon doesn't weigh -that- much more than a Jetta, Golf or NB (all of which can be purchased with the 90HP engine) it doesn't seem that VW would base it's decision (on whether to offer the Jetta wagon with a TDI here in the states at some point) solely on sufficient engine output. It's probably more a matter of marketing for VW... will there be sufficient demand and profit for the model so equipped? I (and many folks here like the idea of a TDI Jetta Wagon -what's not to like?- but among the small-wagon buying public in America (those folks who drive Focuses, Volvo V40s and Subarus...) will enough customers be interested in diesel to make it worth VW's effort?

Based on VW's reticence to promote/push the TDI in the US in general, I'm not wildly optimistic that the TDI will be introduced in the Jetta wagon when it's hits American shores. Maybe if VW feels that there's a possible demand later, we might see the TDI made available later on.

blue909