Updated VW Golf Might Bow in Geneva

8 years, 10 months ago - 26 January 2016, Autoblog
Updated VW Golf Might Bow in Geneva
The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf still seems fresh in the US after debuting in 2014 for the 2015 model year, but visitors to the 2016 Geneva Motor Show might get a first look at the venerable hatchback's upcoming refresh.

Germany's Autobild reports that VW plans to unveil the updates sometime in March, and the international automotive event in Switzerland seems like the best place for the reveal.

VW has a bevy of updates ready to keep the Golf on the cutting edge, according to Autobild. Standard LED headlights across the range are the exterior's biggest improvement. Inside, the Golf gets the company's latest infotainment system with gesture control. A new digital instrument cluster will be optional for some trims but could be standard on higher models in the lineup like the GTI. VW will also likely offer an available head-up display, and a semi-autonomous system could make stop-and-go traffic easier by taking over below about 60 km per hour.

The company has small updates to sharpen the Golf mechanically, too. Autobild claims VW would tweak the steering to be more direct. Europe would also see more efficiency from the Golf's three-cylinder engines and more power from the GTE plug-in hybrid.

It could be hard for other motorists to know you have the refreshed Golf, though. According to this report, the only styling updates might be new bumpers.

VW could have something exciting for enthusiasts in the future, too, because the company reportedly plans to build an even more powerful version of the Golf R 400 concept. It would call the production vehicle the R 420 for the engine's 420 metric horsepower output (414 hp). If the model actually arrives, this Golf would be the king among the latest crop of European hyper hatches like the 381-hp Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, 362-hp Audi RS3 Sportback, or 350-hp Ford Focus RS.