Volkswagen is preparing to give the Golf a mid-cycle update, and a spokesperson for the automaker has provided us with a better idea of what we can expect from it.
Staying true to tradition, the Golf will only get minor, evolutionary design tweaks such as a revamped lower bumper up front, updated lights on both ends, and the expected assortment of new paint colors and alloy wheel designs. Bigger changes will be found in the cockpit, where Volkswagen’s bread-and-butter hatchback will gain a state-of-the-art gesture-controlled infotainment system similar to the one found in the Golf R Touch concept (pictured) that was shown earlier this year at the CES show in Las Vegas.
Like the concept, the production-bound Golf will go buttonless thanks to three high-definition color screens and no less than five in-car sensors. The screens will let the passengers access virtually all of the car’s features, and the segment-first gesture-recognition software will allow the driver to adjust the volume of the radio, set the climate control as well as open and close the sunroof. Of course, the technology will only be available on higher-end models.
The new look and the high-tech interior will be accompanied by a few mechanical modifications. Expect the standard Golf to get more efficient gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder mills, and the GTI to get a noticeable bump in power, but it’s too early to tell precisely what Volkswagen has in store.
For the most part, Volkswagen’s management has been keeping its collective lips sealed about the next Golf so there’s no official word on when it will debut. However, rumors circulating around the auto industry indicate the hatchback will be presented either next spring at the Geneva Motor Show or next fall at the Paris Motor Show. Either way, look for the improved Golf to land in showrooms as a 2017 model.
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