The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Hot Golf is leader of the pack
V olkswagen’s ballistic Golf R is now available with even more shove, thanks to the availability of the new Performance Pack.
The £2,300 upgrade package is available on both hatchback and estate versions of the Golf R that have been specified with VW’s seven-speed DSG gearbox.
Enhancements include an improved R-Performance brake system, which saves 2kg over the standard brakes, while the regular Golf R’s 155mph top speed has also been derestricted – meaning the hatch can now hit 166mph, while the estate maxes out at 168mph.
Also included are new 19-inch Spielberg alloy wheels, while the hatchback model also gains a new rear spoiler lip that increases downforce by 20kg.
Being introduced alongside the new Performance Pack is an optional titanium sports exhaust package from Akrapovic. This is available on both manual and automatic versions of the Golf R, and is priced at £2,975.
With the Akrapovic exhaust system fitted, the Golf R gains round tailpipes as opposed to the standard oval ones. The valve control system is also adjusted to change as the driver switches between the car’s four driving modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Race.
Equipped with the Performance Pack, the Golf R hatchback is priced from £36,295, while the hatchback rises to £38,000. A fter months of conflicting information around the death of diesel, electric revolutions, the race towards scrappage and a driverless future on the horizon, new research reveals what drivers in Aberdeen are really planning to do next.
As the market continues to dip, a study of car drivers in Aberdeen by independent car-buying site carwow provides striking insight into what is holding customers back.
A staggering one in five (20%) admit that until guidelines on both petrol and diesel become clear, they’ll hold off on purchasing a new car.
A further one in five explain that they won’t look to buy another diesel due to the 2040 deadline for fear that they will lose out, financially, in the long term.
Meanwhile, 17% explain they will no longer consider purchasing a diesel, down to the perception that all diesel is bad – even newer models manufactured according to EU6 regulations.
In fact, confusion over what the future holds for drivers reigns supreme, with less than half able to correctly describe what the government’s 2040 deadline will mean for the industry, with a more humble 21% simply admitting that they don’t have enough information about the ruling to confidently say what it will mean for the industry, or more pressingly, for themselves.
So despite 18% saying their next car will be a hybrid, 10% looking to take advantage of the scrappage scheme and 9% looking to purchase an electric car, an almost equal percentage (34%) of the driving population believe that, come 2040, they’re still likely to be driving a traditionally fuelled car, taking recent announcements with a pinch of salt.
Tellingly, a quarter of drivers are so fed up that they admit that they won’t take government directives into account when buying a new car. Instead their decision will be based purely on their budget and driving needs.
Karen Hilton, head of sales and operations at carwow, said: “There has been a lot of confusion for consumers about what action, if any, they should be taking with regards to their cars in reaction to new clean air policies.
“Now is the time for greater education and real clarity.
“Manufacturers have stepped up to the plate, not only producing less polluting diesel models but in launching scrappage schemes that allow drivers to part with older models, but conflicting announcements and exaggerated reports on the future of diesel over the past 12 months had already dented consumer confidence.
“It’s now time for central government to clarify plans and the predicted impact of any new directives so that consumers feel confident in making a decision about their next car which won’t leave them out of pocket or feeling unfairly targeted, allowing them to pursue their desire for a greener approach to driving.”