The all-new Volkswagen Golf Mk7 has landed on Malaysian shores, and we’ve just seen it in the flesh in an exclusive celebrity-laden customer/prospective buyer/media party near the Subang Airport.
With the sultry Jojo Struys as emcee and local dance queen Mizz Nina providing the night’s entertainment, Volkswagen Malaysia’s most important model for the next six or seven years has been given a grand welcome fitting of its market significance, to say the least.
We can confirm that the Golf Mk7 arrives in petrol 1.4 TSI (140 PS) guise, with a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox being the sole drivetrain option available. Its local price and final specifications have yet to be revealed, and will only be announced later today (Wednesday).
But while speculation may continue over the final price, specs wise, what you see here is what you get. On the outside the latest Golf gets five-spoke 16-inch ‘Dover’ alloy wheels wearing 205/55 R16 rubbers. The ‘U’ shaped LED daylight running lights is now a standard feature.
Inside, the fabric upholstery remains, but the dashboard gains a 5.8-inch ‘Composition Media’ touchscreen head unit as a standard fitment. It features a proximity sensor to come alive when you move your hand to operate it, responds to smartphone-like swiping and zooming gestures and has built-in Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
An electronic handbrake with a separate auto hold button makes its debut in a Golf. Cruise control, automatic headlights, engine idle start/stop system, dual-zone climate control and the usual set of traction control and stability management systems are all present.
Notably missing from the local cars are the sunroof, Adaptive Cruise Control, selectable driving modes, auto park, powered seats, satellite navigation and the colour screen within the instrument panel (replaced by a high-res monochrome unit).
Stay tuned for the price and final specifications, still to be released later today. For now, feast your eyes on our 110-photo gallery of the launch party, including live pictures of all six past generations of the Golf.
UPDATE: Read our Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Review, from our test drive session in Sardinia. For a local context, a test drive review of the Golf Mk7 on Malaysian roads is in the works and will be published soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4lGDsx5igg
