2018 Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan – Sportier, Larger, more Connected. 2018 Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan – Drive, Interior and Exterior.
The entry-level engine in the Golf Sportsvan is new: a three-cylinder TSI with 63 kW / 85 PS1. Two other petrol engines round out the engine range: the completely new 1.5 TSI evo with 96 kW / 130 PS1 and the further developed 1.5 TSI evo with 110 kW / 150 PS1. Both of these high-tech TSI engines are equipped with Active Cylinder Management, which shuts off two of the four cylinders during defined operating phases and is able to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The new 130 PS engine also boasts very special specifications: the high-compression four-cylinder engine works according to the Miller combustion process and has a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG) – a turbocharging design that so far has only been found in high-class sports cars. The planned engine range will be completed by a TSI with 81 kW / 110 PS1 and two direct-injection turbodiesel engines (TDI). They have outputs of 85 kW / 115 PS1 and 110 kW / 150 PS1, respectively.
Volkswagen is expanding its range of assistance systems with the update of the Golf Sportsvan, adding Traffic Jam Assist, Pedestrian Monitoring for Front Assist with City Emergency Braking, the Trailer Assist trailer manoeuvring system and Emergency Assist. On top of all this, the proactive occupant protection (PreCrash) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) were further developed. The new assistance systems of the Golf Sportsvan in detail.
Volkswagen developed Traffic Jam Assist based on Lane Assist (lane keeping system) and ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). It is available for models with a dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The system makes traffic jams and stop-and-go driving much more comfortable in the Golf Sportsvan. It also makes driving in traffic jams safer, because the assistant is able to help the driver avoid the rear-end collisions that are so typical in those situations.
The interplay between assistance systems allows the Golf Sportsvan to drive semi-autonomously for the first time at speeds up to 60 km/h. As a foundation, Lane Assist provides the functionality of adaptive lane guidance. Not only does the system execute corrective counter steering if the car is about to leave the lane, but with adaptive lane guidance it also keeps the Golf Sportsvan in the middle of the driving lane or on the driver’s preferred line within the lane. The second assistance system to be integrated in Traffic Jam Assist is ACC. When ACC is active, braking and accelerating are automatic – even in the stop-and-go speed range.
The driving speed range has been extended for ACC. Instead of the previous 0 to 160 km/h, ACC now covers a larger range: 0 to 210 km/h. A stop-and-go function is also available in conjunction with the dual-clutch transmission (DSG).
Emergency Assist. Another system in which Lane Assist and ACC merge to form a new assistance system is Emergency Assist. As soon as the sensors detect that the driver is not actively steering, braking or accelerating, the system initiates various measures to rouse the driver in escalating stages, and if the driver remains inactive, it initiates an emergency stop. The hazard warning lights are activated automatically, and the Golf Sportsvan executes a gentle steering manoeuvre to alert the surrounding traffic to the hazardous situation. ACC prevents the vehicle from colliding with the traffic ahead. Finally, the system continues to gradually brake the Golf Sportsvan to a standstill.
Front Assist is a system for warning the driver and braking automatically in the event of an imminent collision. One component of the Front Assist system is City Emergency Braking. The latest version of Front Assist being offered in the Golf Sportsvan not only detects other vehicles, but also pedestrians who are moving cross-wise to the driving lane. As soon as a pedestrian becomes at risk, the system warns the driver and in a final stage autonomously brakes the Golf Sportsvan – within system limits, as with all of these technologies.
Another innovation in the compact class is Trailer Assist. The idea behind it: Trailer Assist is designed to free the driver of the complicated rethinking needed when reversing a car with trailer: turning the steering wheel to the left so that the trailer turns to the right – and vice versa. Another overall goal was to make reversing straight back over longer distances easier and more precise. Trailer Assist is now able to do this almost automatically. To reverse a Golf Sportsvan with a trailer into an entrance or into a parking bay from the street, all the driver needs to do is stop at a suitable spot and engage reverse gear. The system is activated by pushing a button. Then the current driving angle and possible angles are visualised in the instrument cluster. These are computed by image processing algorithms based on data from the rear-view camera system, which monitors and analyses the articulation angle between the car and the trailer.
