VW Golf: The rabbit keeps going... and going...

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

VW Golf: The rabbit keeps going... and going...

VW South Africa is updating the VW Citi Golf. Something which might not believe when you see the pictures, because it looks very old school.
But the more I watch it, the better it works. It has something.

In fact, Volkswagen's just announced that it's freshening the hot hatch icon. Known in SA as the Citi Golf, the 2006 facelift includes new rear light clusters and a reworked chin spoiler, among other alterations.

Inside, buyers and Windows-shoppers expecting the boxy hard-plastic first-gen era dashboard will be shocked to find that VW has massively updated the interior to appear more-or-less current. A split three-spoke steering wheel with metal-effect trim dominates the interior, and the instrument panel is slightly dated standard-VW fare, but SA consumers now have five new color choices from which to chose. Of course, the classic 'golf ball' shift knob has been retained.

With a starting price of 67,780 Rand (@ $11k U.S. dollars) and a 1.4-liter engine putting out 54 kW (74 horsepower) in base 'Chico' trim, the Volkswagen Citi Golf isn't cheap by American standards, but it is in line with local competition. Top-rung 1.6i models put out 101 horses and base at (around $16k U.S.).