First Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Golf evolves the German hatchback

Outside of North America, the Golf has been Volkswagen’s bread-and-butter model for more than three decades, making the diminutive hatch one of the best selling global vehicles since its mid-Seventies launch as the Beetle’s successor. But in the States, it’s a totally different story. Except for a few brief periods when fuel prices spiked, the Golf/Rabbit has always played second fiddle to the Jetta – little more than a Golf with a trunk.

While the sixth generation Golf has been on sale in Europe for nearly a year, U.S.-spec versions are beginning to trickle into retailers on this side of the Atlantic. But before you head down to your local V-Dub dealer to check out the newest Golf (and buy a Jetta instead), we made the trek to Germany to sample the latest iteration of VW’s workhorse in and around its Wolfsburg birthplace. Is the new Golf finally enough to woo hatch-averse Americans out of their sedans and into something with an added helping of practicality? Follow the jump to find out our first impressions.

Heading into 2010, Volkswagen of America is killing off the Rabbit name for the second time in the hatch’s history. The MkI was originally dubbed the Rabbit in North America because the corporate mothership felt U.S. buyers wouldn’t understand the European “Golf” moniker. By the time the MkII arrived, VW switched over to the global nameplate, only to reverse course with the last generation MkV, reviving the cuddly name in an attempt to rekindle nostalgia and spur flagging sales. It didn’t work, so the Golf is back… hopefully for good.

The MkVI isn’t quite an “all-new” vehicle – it’s more of a MkV.5, retaining the last generation’s platform and at least half (two-thirds if you include the GTI) of the powertrain lineup. The most obvious revisions are on the outside, with none of the previous generation’s bodywork carrying over to the MkVI. We’re good with that, and Walter de Silva, Volkswagen Group’s head of design, is understandably proud of his latest creation.

source: autoblog