Geneva 2011: Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

A successful attempt from Volkswagen to try and bring summer to our hearts sooner than projected, the new Golf Cabriolet is a true show-stopper at this year’s Geneva Auto Show. Coming with a soft top roof and a electro-hydraulic drive mechanism as standard, the four-seater aim to shatter the 684,000 vehicles sold so far under the Golf label.

The German automaker says the Golf’s soft top opens in just 9.5 seconds, and it may even be opened while driving at speeds of up to 30 km/h. “When it is closed, this Volkswagen is one of the quietest convertibles – even when compared to steel folding roof models,” the company brags.

Safety wise, the new Golf Cabriolet comes with an automatically deploying roll-over bar, front airbags and side curtain head/thorax airbags, a knee airbag on the driver’s side and ESP are standard on all models.

In addition, the Golf Cabriolet provides ample interior space due to its soft top as well as a fully utilizable bootspace (250 litres) even with the top stowed.

In terms of performance, the vehicle comes fitted with a choice of six direct-injection turbocharged engines with a power range from 105 PS to 210 PS. Four of these units come mated to high-tech dual-clutch gearboxes (DSG).

There will be three petrol engines (TSI) and a diesel (TDI) with the energy-saving BlueMotion Technology modifications (battery regeneration and Stop/Start system).

“Just how efficiently the new Volkswagen handles its fuel is illustrated by the Golf Cabriolet 1.6 TDI with 105 diesel PS and BlueMotion Technologies; its combined fuel consumption is just 4.4 l/100 km (equivalent to 117 g/km CO2),” Volkswagen says in a statement for the press.