Orders open for new Golf SV

THE replacement for the Volkswagen Golf Plus, which is now to be called the Golf SV, will go on sale in Ireland soon and Volkswagen Ireland has just opened order books for the car and announced that it will be priced from €23,350 up to €35,420.

VW says the new model will sit between the Golf and Touran models and will offered with all of the advanced technology of the Golf hatchback range, but in a larger, more practical body. It offers ample space for five people plus luggage.

At 4,338 mm long, the new SV is 134mm longer than the Golf Plus that it replaces, and is 83 mm longer than the Golf. With a longer wheelbase than the Golf — which allows for a larger and more comfortable interior space — the SV is also 81mm wider and 26mm higher than the standard Golf.

Luggage capacity — at 500 litres — is up 76 litres from the previous Golf Plus and this increases to 590 litres by sliding the rear seat bench forwards. Fold the rear seats and you can increase the overall cargo space to 1,520 litres.

VW says the engine line-up for Ireland is composed of a 1.2-litre TSI petrol with 85 bhp and 110 bhp and 1.6-litre diesel with 90 bhp and 110 bhp. At the top of the range is a 2.0-litre diesel with 150 bhp.

All engines comply with the latest EU6 emissions regulations and there is a choice of five and six speed manual gearboxes and a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The top-selling engine is expected to be the 110 bhp 1.6-litre TDI which has emissions of just 101 g/km placing it in Motor Tax Band A3 with annual motor tax of just €190.

Three trim grades on the Golf SV will feature air conditioning, five-inch touchscreen radio with aux-in, SD card slot, electronic parking brake with hill hold and a host of safety features including ESP and two ISOFIX points in the rear bench seat.

The Comfortline specified model is expected to be the most popular grade and it will add a leather multifunction steering wheel, 15” Lyon alloy wheels, drawers under the front seats, a larger 5.8-inch touch-screen radio with Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, and front comfort seats with manual height adjustment and lumbar support.

At the top of the range is the Highline specification, which adds 16” Dover alloy wheels, park distance control front and rear, chrome strips on the side windows, rain sensor and front fog lights including static cornering lamps. Inside there are upgraded sports comfort seats with lumbar support with Alcantara inserts, an auto-dimming interior mirror and ambient lighting.

Trendline prices start from €23,350, Comfortline at €26,290 and Highline at €28,085.

Deliveries to Irish customers will begin in July.