Autocar

coronavirus: the worst for our industry may still be yet to come

‘UNPRECEDENTED TIMES’ is a phrase we’ve used frequently over the past decade to describe the impact that the credit crunch, Dieselgate, electrification and Brexit have had on the automotive industry. Now you can add another to the list: coronavirus. Late last week, it caused the cancellation of the Geneva motor show, the world’s biggest and most important motor show. Almost all the cars you see over the news pages that follow this one were due to make their public debuts in Switzerland but instead were left with their covers on in empty halls. The impact of coronavirus on the automotive industry runs much deeper than the cancellation of Geneva (p31). The travel restrictions and quarantining of huge numbers of people are already affecting factories worldwide that rely on China for key parts.…

performance injection for golf gti, gtd and gte

The new, eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI has been revealed, with the company’s technical chief promising that it’s more of a “true GTI” than its highly regarded predecessor. The newest version of the genre-defining hot hatchback is based on the Mk8 Golf, which was unveiled last year. It sticks closely to the established template for the model, retaining the Volkswagen Group’s familiar ‘EA888’ turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and sending power to its front wheels exclusively. However, the standard version of the new GTI features all the additions fitted to the GTI Performance version of the Mk7 Golf, including boosts in power to 242bhp (from 228bhp) and torque to 273lb ft (from 258lb ft), a limited-slip differential and upgraded brakes. To please enthusiasts further, the GTI retains a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although a…

a car for today, not tomorrow

The new Golf GTI holds few surprises, and that’s a very good thing. This model is so well defined that it doesn’t need reinventing with every generation; it simply needs renewing. There wasn’t much wrong with the seventh-generation version, so Volkswagen didn’t mess with the formula. That means no electrified powertrain. Fitting a 48V mild-hybrid system may be bang on-trend but, since it wouldn’t add anything to the GTI formula, Volkswagen didn’t do so. To its enormous credit, it has made the GTI that GTI fans want. Brilliant. Of course, as the industry shifts towards electrification, this does mean the GTI risks being left behind. It’s still jolting to consider that new cars like it could be banned from sale in the UK within a decade. That’s why the subtle shift of the…

matthias rabe, chief technology officer, vw

How important is it for the Golf GTI to be a true driver’s car? “It’s important to get the car to reach the fans. We can talk very openly: looking back four Golf generations ago, the GTI was like a trim line, and then Volkswagen decided to get it back to the GTI. The GTI is a special car that makes your heart beat faster. I can promise that you will love this car.” Why did you rule out a hybrid powertrain for the GTI? “I like the Golf 1.5 TSI with the mild hybrid, and you feel the low-end torque. But it adds weight, and you don’t need the extra torque on the 2.0 TSI engine. It doesn’t give you much at the high end for a performance car. “In the future, we…

four-wheel drive key to volkswagen’s first hot ev

VOLKSWAGEN TECHNOLOGY chief Matthias Rabe says the company has chosen to base its first electric performance model on the ID 4, a 4.6m-long SUV, so it can take advantage of four-wheel-drive. As first revealed by Autocar, Volkswagen is set to introduce the GTX badge for a range of hot ID models. But while the Golf-size ID 3 seems a natural choice for a sporting model, Rabe confirmed our report that Volkswagen’s first hot EV will be a version of one of the two SUVs that are set to spawn from the ID Crozz concept. Rabe noted that the initial GTX cars would appeal to “different customers” from long-time GTI fans. He said using the ID 4 “makes sense” because it has a twin-motor set-up that offers four-wheel drive, whereas the ID 3…

fiat 500 enters electric era

Fiat’s new 500 city car will be electric only when it reaches the UK early next year. Arriving first in convertible form, the new 500 is only the second iteration of the Italian icon after the original of 1957. It sticks closely to the look of the model that was launched in 2007 and went on to become an incredible sales success for Fiat. Although the styling suggests otherwise, it is all change under the skin for the 500. This is the first dedicated electric car from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and it makes use of a new architecture that allows the 500’s footprint to grow by 6cm in length and 6cm in width, to 3.63m long and 1.69m wide. It is also 4cm taller than before, at 1.53m. The powertrain of the…