The eagerly anticipated VW was originally due to arrive in showrooms here next year, but the project was delayed until 2009 when new boss Martin Winterkorn took control of the company and demanded a thorough review of all future model plans.
However, our spies have spotted production-ready prototypes being put through their paces, so development work is now in the final stages – and these exclusive images give the best indication yet of what we’ve got to look forward to.
The biggest changes have been made at the front, because the sixth-generation Golf will share the look of the forthcoming Scirocco. It will benefit from a toned-down version of the coupé’s distinctive nose, and feature smart clear-lens headlamps and a heavily contoured bumper.
The new approach extends to the sides of the body, where the hatch gets a sharp crease to highlight its rising waistline. Further back, chunky C-pillars give a typically solid Golf appearance, and at the back, there’s a near-vertical tailgate.
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