2015 Volkswagen Golf pricing will start at $18,815

VW has released pricing for its all-new 2015 Volkswagen Golf family including the TSI, TDI and GTI variants. On sale this summer, these new Gen VII vehicles offer more style, space, comfort, sophistication and safety than any previous Golf iteration as well as greater power and enhanced fuel economy. Based on VW’s new MQB modular architecture, these initial Golf models will be joined late in 2014 by the 2015 e-Golf and the new Golf R performance model with the new 2015 Golf SportWagen to follow early next year — although there’s still no word on sticker numbers for any of those three. Collectively, they’ll represent the widest range of Golf models ever on offer in America. 

Raising the core values 

The limited-run 2015 Golf Launch Edition will be the most affordable model in the lineup when it goes on sale here in August. In addition to a touchscreen infotainment system, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, a Media Device Interface with iPod integration, air conditioning, VW’s XDS Cross Differential System culled from the GTI and new a Automatic Post-Collision Braking system, this well-appointed 2-door hatch is fitted with VW’s new turbocharged/direct-injected EA888 1.8-liter/170-horsepower 4-cylinder TSI gasoline engine that can be paired with a 5-speed manual transmission for $18,815 or a 6-speed automatic for an additional $1,100. 

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Stepping up the ladder, the Golf S 2-door hatchback adds things like alloy wheels, VW Car-Net connected services, V-Tex leatherette in place of cloth and cruise control. It starts at $19,815 or $20,915 with the autoshifter while the auto-only Golf S 4-door hatch commences at $21,515. The appropriately named Golf S with Sunroof is a 4-door hatch that rings in at $21,815 or $22,915 depending on the transmission but allows buyers to spring for a Lighting Package ($995) and/or Driver Assistance Package ($695). Moving into the mid-range of the TSI Golf set, the $25,315 Golf SE 4-door hatch adds various comfort/convenience touches that include the primo Fender audio package and 17-inch alloys while the range-topping Golf SEL adds navigation, dual-zone climate control, 12-way sport comfort power front seats and an 18-inch wheel/package.  

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Paralleling the features and equipment of their gasoline-powered siblings, the new iteration of Golf TDI models are all 4-door hatches and share VW’s new EA288 2.0-liter Clean Diesel that makes 150 horses – 10 more than before – and 236 lb-ft of torque. This lightweight oil burner can be matched with a 6-speed manual or optional 6-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic. Where the new gasoline engine in TSI models bumps EPA highway mileage by 6 mpg compared to the current 2.5-liter base engine, this new TDI alternative raises EPA ratings by 1 mpg both in town and on the road, to generate 31/35-mpg ratings. The 2015 Golf TDIs come in three flavors, with the TDI S opening at $22,815, the TDI SE beginning at $26,315 and the TDI SEL commencing at $28,815. Here, too, opting for the 6-speed DSG adds $1,100 to each.

GTI is back with value-packed vengeance 

On sale next month, the GTI will be the first new 2015 Golf to arrive in showrooms boasting what VW says is a $700 equipment-adjusted price drop compared to the current GTI.  Packing a 2.0-liter version of the EA888 engine, the 2015 GTI has 210 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque – gains of 10 and 51 output units, respectively – but delivers a 3 mpg higher EPA highway figure when paired with the standard 6-speed manual transmission. 

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The hottest Golf variant also will come in three trims. Even the GTI S that starts at $25,215 for the 2-door hatch and $25,815 for the 4-door, has a full sport suspension, 18-inch alloys, sport seats and a new Driving Mode Selection feature. The GTI SE ($28,215/$28,815) adds SE-spec goodies plus a power sunroof while the 4-door-only GTI Autobahn includes SEL-style features and opens at $30,414. All versions can be upfitted with a 6-speed DSG transmission for $1,100 as well as a $1,495 Performance Package that adds 10 more horsepower and nets larger brakes, and an electronically-controlled torque-sensing limited-slip differential. SE and Autobahn models also can augment the Performance Package with a new DCC Adaptive Damping system for $800. The Lighting and Driver Assistance Packages also are optional on all new GTIs.

New e-Golf, Golf R and SportWagen models on the horizon 

If that’s not enough, the 2015 Golf lineup will be further broadened during the next 12 months by a trio of new faces. Previewed at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2015 e-Golf will be the automaker’s first pure EV model sold in America. With a 115-horsepower electric motor that makes 199 lb-ft of torque and a 24.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the e-Golf can run from 0-60 mph in less than 10 seconds, top out at 87 mph and travel 70-90 "real-world" miles on a single charge. The next-gen Golf R will come with a 290-horse version of the EA888 engine and feature 4Motion all-wheel drive. Larger inside and out than the current Jetta SportWagen it will replace, this new Golf Sportwagen shares the same powertrains as the basic Golf TSI and TDI models and reportedly will deliver up to 17 percent better fuel economy. 

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