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Volkswagen Golf Mk5
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The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (VW Typ 1K), built on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform, was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October 2003 and went on sale in Europe one month later. To commemorate this Wolfsburg was renamed "Golfsburg" for a week. It reached North American markets in June 2006 rebadged with the revived Rabbit nameplate. Most print ads for the Rabbit show the old badge (a running rabbit) with the phrase "It's back, at $14,990". TV ads show Rabbits chasing after each other with their numbers increasing until they fill the streets of a city - a take on the cliche "multiplying like rabbits".
In North America, where SEAT and Škoda are not marketed Volkswagen sought to revive their image on that continent as a value brand, and the pricing of the new Rabbit was a part of that strategy.
While the interior quality of the previous Volkswagen Golf Mk4 startled rivals, and led most of them to up their game in revised/replacement models, the chassis dynamics and all 'round ability of the Mk1 Ford Focus startled Volkswagen (and indeed other rivals). In order to counter criticisms of the average dynamics of the previous model, it is widely reputed that Volkswagen poached from Ford the engineering team who designed the multi-link control blade independent rear suspension system - the class benchmark for ride and handling. The suspension changes, along with careful tuning of the chassis, led to the Mk5 Golf delivering better road manners. However, this also sacrificed usable cargo space; despite this model's considerable increase in size over the outgoing model its hatch volume is roughly 85 L less. The interior quality of the previous generation appears to have been lost and although still of a very high standard and ahead of other rivals, the Golf no longer matches its in-house rival, the Audi A3. Many believe the reason for this step back in quality, also seen in the B5 Passat of 2005, is to allow a difference between the marketing and price positioning of Audi and Volkswagen products. The previous generation Volkswagens were on a par with their Audi cousins. The Golf 5 has proven expensive to build - largely due to its uncommonly long 50-hour build time. Its replacement was moved forward from the previously stated 2009 in Europe to Autumn 2008, right after its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September 2008. Canada and US-spec Rabbits use the same 2.5L five-cylinder gasoline engine that powers the Jetta and NeoBeetle in these markets, making 110 kW and 230 N·m in 2006-2007 models and 130 kW and 240 N·m from 2008 onward. North American transmission choices include a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic for the Rabbit. Diesel engines have been unavailable on Rabbits, though they were offered through 2006 on the Jetta until tightening emissions regulations in the U.S. led to their temporary unavailability.
From "Wikipaedia" - so it must be true |
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