VW Citi Golf: Comes with an R-badge too!

Monday, April 23, 2007

VW Citi Golf: Comes with an R-badge too!

Maybe you know that the old VW Golf is still running as Citi Golf in South Africa as a very affordable people's car. And best thing is: it now comes with an R-badge, just like its newer brothers.

Performance car? I hear you sneer. A Citi Golf? Well, yeah, the new R-line produces 90kW at 5900rpm, five more than the original hot-hatch, Mk.I Golf GTi. What’s happened is that VW’s competition department has taken a fuel-injected 1.8-litre Golf engine and beefed it up with different camshafts, crankshaft, con rods and pistons.

Visually, the R-line Citi is remarkably restrained. I had expected something aimed at the boy racer to come with huge wings and garish stripes but the body kit runs to nicely proportioned front and rear spoilers and sills.

It also has slightly lower suspension, double exhausts and new 15", six-spoked alloy rims through which red brake callipers are just visible.

In fact most of the boy racer stuff is inside the car, what with front bucket seats, a three-spoked sports steering wheel with aluminium trim, silver dials, vents and sills as well as silver foot pedals.