People's Car - Golf 5 (2003-2008)

      The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (VW Typ 1K), built on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October 2003 and went on sale in Europe one month later. To commemorate this, Wolfsburg was renamed "Golfsburg" for a week. It reached North American markets in June 2006 rebadged with the revived Rabbit nameplate. Most print ads for the Rabbit show the old badge (a running rabbit) with the phrase "It's back, at $14,990". TV ads show Rabbits chasing after each other with their numbers increasing until they fill the streets of a city, a take on the cliche "multiplying like rabbits".

In North America, where SEAT and Škoda are not marketed, Volkswagen sought to revive their image on that continent as a value brand, and the pricing of the new Rabbit was a part of that strategy.

Volkswagen Golf 5 - Mk5 

Design

While the interior quality of the previous Volkswagen Golf Mk4 startled rivals, and led most of them to up their game in revised/replacement models, the chassis dynamics and all round ability of the Mk1 Ford Focus startled Volkswagen (and indeed other rivals). In order to counter criticisms of the average dynamics of the previous model, it is widely reputed that Volkswagen poached from Ford the engineering team[citation needed] who designed the multi-link control blade independent rear suspension system, the class benchmark for ride and handling. The suspension changes, along with careful tuning of the chassis, led to the Mk5 Golf delivering better road manners. However, this also sacrificed usable cargo space; despite this model's considerable increase in size over the outgoing model, its hatch volume is roughly 3 cubic feet (85 L) less.

Volkswagen Rabbit 3-door (US)

The interior quality of the previous generation appears to have been lost, and although still of a very high standard and ahead of other rivals, the Golf no longer matches its in-house rival, the Audi A3.[citation needed] Many believe[who?] the reason for this step back in quality, also seen in the B5 Passat of 2005, is to allow a difference between the marketing and price positioning of Audi and Volkswagen products. The previous generation Volkswagens were generally on a par with their Audi cousins.

Volkswagen Golf 5 - Interior

The Golf 5 has proven expensive to build[citation needed] - largely due to its uncommonly long 50-hour build time. Its replacement has been moved forward from the previously stated 2009 in Europe to Autumn 2008, right after its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September 2008.

Powertrain

Options for engines and transmissions vary from country to country, but the Golf Mk5 is available with 4-cylinder petrol engines, and a new Pumpe Duse unit injector Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engine. Transmission options include manual, automatic, Tiptronic, and Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG).

The GTI comes with VW's 4-cylinder 2.0L Turbo Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) which makes 200 PS (147 kW; 197 bhp) and 280 N·m (207 lbf·ft) torque. Transmissions include a 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG.

Volkwagen Golf 5 - TDI Engine

In September 2005, the Golf Mk5 GT was announced, which featured a choice of either 1.4 L petrol engine in twincharger (TSI) configuration, or a 2.0 litre TDI. Both are available as 125 kW (170 PS; 168 bhp) versions; while the diesel also is available as a 140 PS (103 kW; 138 bhp) variant in the UK. The 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) diesel has 350 N·m (258 lbf·ft) of torque, which is more than the range topping R32. The petrol engined offering contains the new Twincharger (TSI) engine, which is based on the recent Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI), but with a pair of chargers forcing the induction of the air. The chargers are a single supercharger that disengages after a specified rev-range, at which point charging of the air is handled by a single turbocharger. This system benefits from both of the efficiency of the supercharger in the lower rev ranges, with the longevity of the turbocharger higher in the rev range. This results in constant power delivery along the rev range, and better fuel efficiency than similarly powered V6 engine 2.4 L due to its small size. Both petrol and diesel versions are also available with DSG (Direct-Shift Gearbox). Performance figures for the petrol vehicle are 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.9s (6 speed) and 6.9s (DSG), with the diesel taking 8.2s, and both reaching top speed of 220 km/h (136.7 mph).

Golf Plus

In December 2004, Volkswagen announced the Golf Plus variant of the Golf Mk5. It is 95 mm (3.74 in) taller than the standard Golf, but 150 mm (5.91 in) shorter than the other compact MPV of the marque, the seven-seater Volkswagen Touran.

Volkswagen Golf Plus

At the 2006 Paris Motor Show Volkswagen released the new CrossGolf compact MPV, which is essentially an off-road version of the Golf Plus. It was developed by VW Individual division, which developed the Golf R32 and CrossPolo.

Volkswagen Golf Plus - Rear

The CrossGolf is only available in front-wheel drive configuration (like the CrossPolo), and is powered by two petrol engines 1.6, and 1.4 TSI, and two diesel engines, 1.9 TDI and 2.0 TDI, with outputs ranging from 102 PS (75 kW; 101 bhp) to 140 PS (103 kW; 138 bhp). In the UK this model is badged as "Golf Plus Dune" and sold with the 1.9 TDI outputting 105 PS (77 kW; 104 bhp).

Mk5 GTI

The Golf GTI features a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline 4-cylinder petrol engine with Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) direct-injection technology, which produces 200PS (147 kW/197 bhp). It is available in both 3-door and 5-door hatchback body shapes, and comes with a choice of either 6-speed manual or a 6-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) which greatly reduces shift time to only 8ms.

Volkswagen Golf 5 - GTI

The concept GTI was first shown to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003. The first production model was initially unveiled at the Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris in September 2004, and went on sale around the world shortly thereafter. At the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006, the GTI made its long awaited North American debut in 3-door guise (a 5-door variant has since become available), where it is marketed solely under the 'GTI' moniker, with no reference to the Rabbit. The new GTI has a considerable price increase over the previous model, mainly due to the features mentioned above, and the fact that the exterior itself had not seen such a dramatic design change in years. The price is further raised because it is built in Germany, unlike the Mk4 some of which were built in Brazil. The innovative DSG transmission and the 200 PS (147 kW; 197 hp) TFSI engine all helped raise the retail price of the car. The Mk5 GTI was named 2007 Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine, in December 2006.

Volkswagen Golf 5 - GTI 5(five) dors

This generation marked the only generation in Canada to have the GTI as a separate nameplate rather than a trim of the Golf. When Volkswagen announced the revival of the Golf in the United States & Canada for the 2010 model year, Volkswagen reverted the GTI nameplate as a Golf trim, although the GTI remains a separate nameplate in the United States.

Mk5 R32

In late September 2005, the Mk5 R32 went on sale in Europe. It features an updated 3.2-litre VR6 engine of that fitted to the previous Mk4 version, with an extra 10 PS (7 kW; 10 bhp) courtesy of a reworked inlet manifold. Maximum power is now 250 PS (184 kW; 247 bhp) at 6,300 rpm; torque is unchanged at 320 N·m (236 lbf·ft). It reaches an electronically-governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). Going from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) will take 6.5 s, reduced to 6.2 s with the Direct-Shift Gearbox.

Volkswagen Golf - R32

Compared with the previous Mk4 R32, it is 0.1 seconds faster for the manual version, while the newer R32 is about 40 kg (88.2 lb) heavier. As with the previous R32; there is the Haldex Traction-based 4motion part-time four-wheel drive, now through 18" Zolder 20-spoke alloy wheels. Stopping the R32 comes in the form of blue-painted brake calipers with 345 mm (13.58 in) discs at the front and 310 mm (12.20 in) disks at the rear.

Volkswagen Golf - R32

The Mk5 R32 was released in the US in August 2007.