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Sino-German joint venture shines with latest Golf

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-20 08:39

Sagitar's 1.4 liter engine has an impressive 220Nm of torque.

New Bora received a five-star C-NCAP safety rating.

FAW-Volkswagen, one of the earliest and largest carmakers in China, has a high-profile presence at the 13th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition that started April 20, showing the public a wide lineup including the new Golf, Magotan, Sagitar and Bora, as well as its latest achievements in technology, environmental friendliness and innovation.

As the inheritor of the Golf brand culture and precedent-setting hatchback engineering, the new Golf is a focus of the Shanghai auto show after it was unveiled to mark the formal countdown to its production in China.

The latest interpretation of the legendary model is undoubtedly an outstanding car produced by the latest German car manufacturing capacity. Its exterior, a result of Volkswagen's new shaping language, includes a two-part grille design that has a much stronger visual impact.

The wholesome design of the car's profile is streamlined and dynamic. Design elements in its interior produce a feeling of modernity.

As a brand so powerful that it defines a whole class of products in Europe, the Golf's strength is clearly self-evident. Equipped with a 1.4TSI engine and 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission, its performance, safety, reliability and fuel-efficiency set a new standard in the A-segment hatchback market.

Powertrain for Magotan, Sagitar

The DSG transmission is renowned as one of the most advanced in the world, employed in the world's fastest roadster - the Bugatti.

Working with VW's TSI engine, the gearbox not only assures highly efficient power, but also helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions by more than 20 percent.

VW has creatively settled the conflicts between smooth gear changes and responsive power output, between fuel efficiency and low-speed torque, by enabling the powertrain system to achieve the maximum in efficiency.

The Magotan and Sagitar models equipped with the TSI and DSG package are on display in Shanghai to show the upgrades they received just last month

While inheriting the original luxury equipment of its forebear, the enhanced Magotan has additional comfort and entertainment equipment found only in a higher class in other vehicles. Its trendy exterior and colors help create a genuine fusion of driving pleasure, prestige and comfort.

The advanced 1.4TSI-DSG powertrain also elevates the Sagitar's fuel efficiency, handling, performance and emission reduction. Although the engine has a displacement of only 1.4 liters, its maximum power output reaches 96kW, equivalent to that of conventionally aspirated 2-liter engine. Its maximum torque of 220Nm is far higher than conventional intake 2-liter engines available on the Chinese market.

A wave of 'new life'

At FAW-VW's raceway-like display is another eye-catcher - the Bora, the first all-new A-segment car embracing both Chinese and Western elements. Designed to be an example of "new life", the Bora received a five-star C-NCAP safety rating and more than 40 top awards in the mid-class car bracket, while selling more than 10,000 units this March.

As a vehicle tailored to Chinese consumers, the new Bora not only inherited the genuine DNA of Volkswagen, but also shows its Chinese breeding through traditional elements like the dancing lion in its visual designs.

The Bora is refined to meet the higher requirements of those pursuing a "new life", with a variety of quality detailing and equipment defining such optimism and enterprising attitude.

Power of the future

With a 3,011-sq-m display, FAW-VW, Volkswagen Group (China) and Shanghai-VW jointly comprise one of the biggest lineups at the auto show.

"We have been making consistent efforts to introduce the best products and most advanced technologies into China to enable Chinese consumers to share technologies equally with the rest of the world," FAW-VW President Tiecheng An said at the show.

From its first Jetta rolling off line in 1991 to the launch of new Bora to the upgraded Magotan, FAW-VW has long produced high-quality German cars for consumers in China.

"Quality and technically advanced" have become the bywords of FAW-VW products through continuing innovations in safety, reliability, fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness.

FAW-VW has also had robust development in its corporate image and production, topping the list in 2008 sales, a trend that continues. According statistics from the National Passenger Car Information Exchange Association, FAW-VW again led in the first quarter of this year with nearly 140,000 units sold.

(China Daily 04/20/2009 page26)