REVEAL OF THE MONTH
Biggie Smalls
For much of the past four decades, the business of Volkswagen has been the Golf. In
that time, more than 3 5 million of them have been produced—the air-cooled
/RRaYRZN[NTRQNZR_R "ZVYYV[AUR4\YSN[QVa]V[\ßUNcRORR[_R][VOYR for a disproportionate number of our favorite Vee-Dubs—GTIs, GLIs, Sciroccos, 0 \__NQ\0NOV\YRa;\d CDVU\dV[T\ßaURRVTUaUTR[Raa\YNb[PUV[2b]R
by year’s end. A few versions, but not all, are headed to the U.S. shortly thereafter.
Like the Porsche 9 11, the Golf has steadily evolved, so it’s not surprising that the
YNaRa\[RV[μaN_NQVPNYYfQVßR_R[aQRVT[6aμaVYYObVYa\[aUR@dV``._ZfX[VSR\S Nba\Z\aVcRN_PUVaRPab_RCDμUVTUYfNQN]aNOYR:>/]YNaS_Z2eaRV_QVZR[-
sions are largely unchanged, with a modest 1.1-inch increase in length, fractional
reductions in height and width, and the same 103.8-inch wheelbase as before.
:`a \S aUR 2b]R ZNXRaμ` aV[f ]\dR]YN[a d\[μa P\ZR a\ aUR B@ F\bμ_R unlikely to miss the entry-level 1.0 -liter three-cylinders that will sit at the bottom of the range on the Continent. In the wake of the Diesel- gate scandal, the pair of 2 .0 -liter diesel four-bangers will NY\ [\a OR \ßR_RQ a\ b AUR_Rμ N ORaaR_ PUN[PR dRμYY
get one of the two turbocharged 1. 5 -liter inline-fours.
Volkswagen’s new Golf is still its bread and butter, for now.
PALEOGRAPHY
—
The Golf will carry
VW’s retro- ish
new logo, which
we’re told is
meant to be
friendlier than the
old one and rep-
resent a new age
of the company:
The original
Beetle was the
first, the Golf
was the second,
and the new
range of electric
ID. models will
be the third.Front-end styling
and headlights are
reminiscent of the
handsome Arteon’s.CAR AND DRIVER ~ DECEMBER 2019 ~ PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WYCHERLEY 13