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Volkswagen e-Golf Updated for 2017 MY, Range Doubles to 124 Miles

Here’s a question for you: how much do you think the 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf can travel on a full charge of its 24.2 kWh battery? At 83 miles (or 133.5 kilometers), I’m afraid that the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model 3, and the Hyundai Ioniq Electric beat it to a pulp as far as range is concerned.
2017 Volkswagen e-Golf 8 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (facelift)
Now that Volkswagen facelifted the Golf 7 for the 2017 model year, the German manufacturer also tried its best to improve the guts of the sole electric model in the compact hatchback’s lineup. Despite Wolfsburg’s best efforts, the 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf makes do with 124 miles of range as per the EPA test cycle. In European money, that’ll be 199.5 kilometers. The added range comes courtesy of a bigger battery, VW upgrading yesteryear’s 24.2 kWh pack to a 35.8 kWh lithium-ion unit.

Output also goes up for the 2017 model year, with 134 horsepower and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) compared to the 2016 model’s 115 horsepower and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) of torque. And at long last, the e-Golf now comes as standard with the 7.2 kWh on-board charger even for the entry-level SE trim. It takes roughly 6 hours to charge the car at a Level 2 station, but those who can’t afford to spend too much time on that can get the optional fast charging feature. Do that, and the Volkswagen e-Golf’s battery will replenish to 80 percent within an hour at a DC fast charging station.

The added output also translates in added performance. Compared to 2016, the 2017 e-Golf accelerates to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 9.6 seconds, on to a top speed of 93 mph (150 km/h). Beyond that and the slightly redesigned exterior, the e-Golf also prides itself on more toys to play with. One of those comes in the form of a fully digital instrument cluster inspired by that in the European-spec Passat. Or Audi’s virtual cockpit.

Infotainment also levels up with an available Discover Pro system that benefits from a 9.2-inch touchscreen. Taking cues from a concept car presented at CES 2015, the infotainment system of the e-Golf is also capable of recognizing hand gestures. Case in point: a hand swipe gesture allows the user to navigate through the main menu, change radio stations or skip to the next song. BMW 7 Series what now?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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