New Volkswagen Golf Plus concept unveiled

A new Volkswagen Golf Plus concept called the Sportsvan has been revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2013. The concept is described by VW as being near-production, so it gives a clear indication of what the new Volkswagen Golf Plus 2014 will be like.

Although the concept car is called the Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan, the company has confirmed that it will be the successor to the current VW Golf Plus when it launches in the middle of 2014.

Even the specification levels have been announced: Trendline will start the range as the cheapest model, moving up to Comfortline and then the top-spec Highline. Standard equipment includes air-conditioning, seven airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, an electronic handbrake, a 5-inch touchscreen display, blind spot monitoring and a versatile boot with a removable floor.

Options on the new Volkswagen Golf Plus will include a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights with automatic high beams, lane keep assist, parking sensors, a powerful stereo system and a Wi-Fi hotspot for passengers to connect their devices to. The Golf Plus will also get compatibility with Google Earth through its dashboard-mounted touchscreen.

The new 2014 Volkswagen Golf Plus will get a new range of engines, all fitted with stop-start technology as standard. There will be four turbocharged petrol engines, with 84bhp, 108bhp, 123bhp and 148bhp, and two TDI diesels, with 108bhp and 148bhp. The 1.6-litre TDI diesel will get 95g/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy of 76mpg.

The Golf Sportsvan concept is longer than the standard Golf, but slightly shorter than the Golf estate, with a new front end that uses the design elements from the standard Golf (the current Golf Plus is based on the previous generation VW Golf).

The extra length means it gets more boot space and rear legroom than the current model: the 498-litre boot beats the current version by 74 litres, and you can even expand the space to 585 litres by moving the rear seats forward. Fold the seats down and the boot expands to 1,512 litres – over 60 litres more than before.

The interior has a range of updates as well, with new instruments and a dashboard designed to make you forget you’re driving a mini MPV. The driver’s seat even features a massage function, and there’s an optional panoramic glass sunroof as well.

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