Volkswagen seems to have sided with fuel efficiency and preferring it over performance in its upcoming models. In the most recent development from the company, reports suggest that it has decided to chuck the 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is currently seen on the Golf.
The company has now opted a 1.4-litre turbo four engine that is currently available throughout the Jetta lineup. With the transition, the hot hatch will witness a drop in its power from 170bhp to 147bhp. This transition comes after the company's 1.4-litre engine on the 2018 Jetta was rated with 11kmpl in the city, 17kmpl on highways, and 14 kmpl of both combined for the five-speed manual and 11kmpl in the city, 16kmpl on highways and 13kmpl of both combined for the six-speed automatic.
The company has made significant changes in options that available across its range too. The entry-level Golf S will come with an automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitors; which will be options on the SportWagen S. Meanwhile, the SE model will be available with a adaptive cruise control and other driver assistance features.
In the same breath, Golf is not the only model that will undergo the down-powering. The company has also planned significant changes in the Passat lineup which in the upcoming model year, won't be available in a four-cylinder turbo engine. The company is dropping the GT trim model from the US market after just one year of being on sale along with the S and SEL specifications.
Pricing or the sale date of the Golf, as well as the Passat, has not yet been revealed by the company. This move might also be a resultant of the Volkswagen's sales from January to July which saw a 34 per cent drop this year compared to 2017. Meanwhile, the company's compact SUV has been returning impressive sales figures in the US market.
