2015 Volkswagen Golf

 

  

                         

  A new Volkswagen Golf comes around nearly as often as a presidential election. So it is with the seventh-generation Golf, the latest in a string of cars that has been with us since the Ford administration, arriving for its North American debut Wednesday at the New York auto show. Hail to the chief, for it's the Golf A7. Light, scalable, interchangeable and infinitely flexible, VW has bet the proverbial farm on the mega-platform.

 Volkswagen spent $70 billion and four years developing the MQB. Expect the company to recoup its investment in the next four -- if all goes to plan and there aren't any, say, widespread recalls, which could be on a global scale. The 2015 Golf ends the cycle whereby new versions of a car end up heavier than the models they replace. That means a car that's larger than the outgoing one -- by about 2 inches in length and half an inch wide -- but 51 pounds lighter.The 2015 Golf will return with 15 percent better fuel economy across its range.

  the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder and hola to the 1.8-liter TSI -- built in a new plant in Silao, Mexico, complete with direct injection and a turbocharger. The GTI will also have its engine built there: the familiar 2.0-liter turbo gets 10 more horsepower, and a chance for more power with the European Performance Pack. Lastly, the TDI will use a new 2.0-liter engine with 10 more horsepower, bringing figures to 150 hp and 236 Lb-Ft.  Both the GTI and TDI will come with a choice of six-speed manual and DSG automatic transmissions.