When the redesigned Volkswagen Golf debuted in August, the question on the mind of most American VW fans was, “when will we get it?” The answer — September 2009. Both the standard issue Rabbit and the high-performance GTI model will arrive then, Volkswagen has confirmed.
Volkswagen will begin producing the new U.S.-spec models in late June, according to Edmunds. European customers can already purchase the new Golf, but the GTI won’t arrive at dealerships until some time in the summer. That means Americans are a year behind in getting the base model, but will be pretty much in line with the rest of the world when it comes to the hotter GTI.
That makes perfect sense, considering Americans have an appetite for GTIs. According to VW, 15,000 of the 42,000 Rabbits sold in North America in 2007 were GTI models. U.S. pricing is expected to go up slightly, but probably not more than $250.
The entry-level Rabbit will continue to ship with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder mill, while the GTI will get a 2.0-liter TFSI. A new 2.0-liter TDI diesel will join the lineup, and a 1.8 liter TFSI could be added if market conditions warrant it. North American GTIs are expected to come standard with adaptive cruise control, adaptive suspension, and 19-inch wheels.
Other models expected to join the Rabbit lineup include a Rabbit 4Motion, a GTI-R, a TwinDrive hybrid model, and an LPG natural gas version.
