Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s Golf 7 may have not reached its mid-cycle facelift yet, but the German carmaker is already working to redefine the car’s aerodynamic for the next generation, which is set to arrive in 2019.
While the Golf 7 has brought us the MQB platform that will also be used by the Golf 8, the future incarnation of the famous compact has strict efficiency targets to achieve - the specialists are looking to extract every possible bit of aerodynamic performance in order to add to the advances in the powetrain department.
According to autocar, Volkswagen is looking to incorporate many of the solutions it has learned with its XL1, which has an average efficiency of 0.9 l/100 km (260 US mpg).
Of course, in terms of aspect, the distance between the XL1’s aero tricks and those that will appear on the Golf 8 will probably be the same as that between catwalk creation and the apparel that ends up on the shelf.
You see, the Golf is a mainstream vehicle and, in terms of aerodynamics, this brings two sorts of limitations. First of all, its tall profile means the frontal surface and the length of the roof can’t be played with as in the case of niche cars such as the XL1.
Then there’s the appearance of the car - a Golf customer doesn’t want his car to look like some sort of sci-fi creation, so solutions like the Toyota Prius’ Kamm tail are out of the question.
Still, Volkswagen has been refining small aerodynamic tweaks for years (Bluemotion fans know what we’re talking about), so we’re not worried. We may, for instance, see the rear spoiler extended past the normal length of such an element.
As for the mechanical side, the MQB’s weight savings could be taken even further, so we could see a base weight of 1,100 kg (lbs). However, don’t expect the Golf to switch to an aluminum body, as the solution wouldn’t justify the costs.
According to autocar, Volkswagen is looking to incorporate many of the solutions it has learned with its XL1, which has an average efficiency of 0.9 l/100 km (260 US mpg).
Of course, in terms of aspect, the distance between the XL1’s aero tricks and those that will appear on the Golf 8 will probably be the same as that between catwalk creation and the apparel that ends up on the shelf.
You see, the Golf is a mainstream vehicle and, in terms of aerodynamics, this brings two sorts of limitations. First of all, its tall profile means the frontal surface and the length of the roof can’t be played with as in the case of niche cars such as the XL1.
Then there’s the appearance of the car - a Golf customer doesn’t want his car to look like some sort of sci-fi creation, so solutions like the Toyota Prius’ Kamm tail are out of the question.
Still, Volkswagen has been refining small aerodynamic tweaks for years (Bluemotion fans know what we’re talking about), so we’re not worried. We may, for instance, see the rear spoiler extended past the normal length of such an element.
As for the mechanical side, the MQB’s weight savings could be taken even further, so we could see a base weight of 1,100 kg (lbs). However, don’t expect the Golf to switch to an aluminum body, as the solution wouldn’t justify the costs.
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