2009 Volkswagen Golf MkVI leaked
August 4, 2008 by George Skentzos
The next-generation Volkswagen Golf wasn’t due to be unveiled until August 6th, however official images have already been leaked onto the web.
The sixth generation VW Golf is astoundingly similar to a rendering published by CarAdvice earlier this year – right down to the wheel design!
Already a leader in what is perhaps the most competitive market segment, the next-generation Golf sports a conservative Porsche-like evolutionary approach to its mid-life refresh.
Much of its new features are seemingly borrowed directly from the remainder of VW’s line-up, including the very Scirocco-like head lights and tail lamps straight from the Touareg parts bin.
This trend continues to the interior which also closely mimics the Scirocco, which begs the question – why bother producing two distinct models at all?
Regardless, European sales are due to begin in November mimicking the current Volkswagen Golf engine and model line-up.
Australian details to follow as they become available.
Source: VWvortex
Print it: 
i disagree
the thing looks fantastic, especially in those wheels IMO
Volkswagen lifting the bar yet again!
Doesn’t do much for me, rear lights look Chinese. Very uninspired.
Yep, definately an evolution on the Golf V, but that isn’t such a bad thing for the Golf VI. It has a history & design theme that has been followed so nothing really unexpected.
For me it looks quite good & from an aesthetic view it seems to have a lower stance which is a good thing. Wonder when the new Jetta will be unvieled…..?
That looks sweeet! And yeah it does look lower in profile, the Mk5 has that boxy look to it, this looks low and sleek. Although i think the scirocco looks nicer.
And starky, azn is in, its now cool to be azn and have slit eye! Round eye no cool.
People constantly surprise me. The FG Falcon does not share even 1 body panel with the BF and looks a completely different car and people critisize it for not being different enough. The Mark VI Golf(judging by your scoop photo’s) is almost impossible to distinguish from the Mark V, both inside and out, and yet I’ll bet that people go ape over it as some of your posters already have.
Must have something to do with the different type of people who are drawn to different types of cars for different reasons.
It looks… predictable. Toureg-stlye rear lights and a bit of a reshaping of the front. I’m sure the GTi will look nice but the car shown is a bit of a snooze. The next Megane will close the gap IMO.
It looks more like a face-lift rather than a complete rebuild. Looks better (more curves) but somehow still looks similar. My guess is that the average person can’t even tell the past few generations of golfs from one another. Don’t change something that works I guess.
Unfortunately VW doesn’t do it for me. Sad.
Did I read “same engine” lineup as the current golf V? I thought they were going to have different engines?
Also, any word/guesses if Aust will see a 2008 release as well?
mmmmmmmmmm………..the front definetly has style details from the VW Scirocco. And rear lights straight from the Scirocco. There’s alot of Parts bin there.
Yuck..
Like the front but those rear lights seem too large and bug-eyed. Decent enough interior. Lot of folk here have moved on from the golf to A3’s & BMW1’s judging by the number of them you seem around.
Fairly bland upgrade really.
I like it alot. When I was looking for a cheap family hatchback for around town a couple of years back, i looked at the Golf, the C4, the 307, the Megane, the 1 Series, the 147 and the A3. I ended up going for the C4 because there was something very big and satisfying about it. I thought the Golf was just a bit bland even though I did find it was better to drive but now with those satisfying looks and the driving quality, I might just buy one. And come one Joe, all the body panels can change but if theyre still the same basic shape than it doesnt make any difference. And this looks quite different to the MkV. If you cant destinguish it from the MkV then go get an eye test.
Looks good.
Again every body panel may infact be different from the MKV but people will perceive it only as a minimal change to it’s outside appearance-a bit like the Falcon BF changes that morphed into the “new looking” FG.
Not my favorite small car design ever, but VW really knows its game. Golf’s are brilliant little cars.
Gorgeous little car!
great looking car. Will see lots of these on the road.
I can barely contain myself!
This crispens and sharpens up the Mk V shape just to the right degree, to the point where I think it’s the best looking Golf yet. I can well see one replacing my Mk V in a couple of years’ time, thus removing a 308 or diesel Sportwagon from contention.
And, Joe, don’t worry. I’d started to appreciate what Ford had done with the FG (apart form carry-over placcy hubcaps) just in time to also appreciate this. Heck, even Honda has just played the same game with the Accord Euro.
And Porsche has always played it.
The glass shapes and roof panel appear to be unchanged, exactly as expected.
i wonder what the GTI/R32 would look like…
Name another small car that’s been aroundas long as Golf….
All models from the MkI to the MkV have been good looking, functional vehicles which suited the mundane potterer to the raging enthusiast (with the GTI.)
This car looks great, and the design will not age like some of the current cars which look great at first glance but are too radical with the style elements.
VW has kept the Golf alive and bettered it as well, and will help it along to continuing sales growth worldwide.
I don’t mind it and there is certainly nothing wrong with evolution in the styling dapartment.
maybe some will now agree that Ford, Honda, BMW DID the right thing perhaps??
VW had a good thing going with the MKV so of course the MKVI will look similar, same thing that ford is doing from BA – FG, even if “Joe” disagrees but thats probably cause hes spent more time looking at the fords and notices the details.
This looks nice though, its non offensive and not to radical to scare off australias very bland taste in cars. will sell bucket loads of them im sure. wonder if the quality is getting better though?
The quality in my Mk V is very high Booter. It’s not perfect, having had a cruise control switch and intake manifold flap replaced under warranty, but I measure all of these things against a brand new Camry I once had that had 2 different coloured A-pillar interior garnishes and which pooped its 3rd gear synchromesh and head gasket just inside 45,000 kilometres.
Another brand newie, a VS Commodore, had 3 times the faults of the Camry!
So, in the context of the cars I’ve driven or owned over 26 years, my Golf’s a bewdy.
Golfschwein…
Your personnal experiences show that nearly every vehicle has issues of some sort.
I agree.
Who would have thought a camry would be unreliable though…
Quite right, Adam. For the record, my brand newies that had no faults in the warranty period whatsoever were, ahem, another Camry, a Hilux and a VL Commodore wagon.
Those are the ones that just ran and ran, however uninspiringly in the case of the first two.
looks good to me. I really like the new front end. Another winner from VW.
Joe, your blind, by first impressions anyone can see theres resemblance of the FG to BF,
And yes evolution could be a hard thing to judge if it works yet and then there is the question of how much do you change and call it a full new model rather than a seriese 1.5 or 2!
Marketing is a tricky business.
Joe…
I agree.
It all appears to hinge on what badge is on the vehicle, some manufacturers are let off the hook while others are questioned.
Is it just me, or does anyone else see Holden Astra resemblances in the Golf VI’s headlights and grille?
Let’s see Phillip…Astra’s headlights are nearly twice the height (relative to width) with an indicator in the top outer portion. Half of its grille consists of a solid chrome bar with a Lion emblem, whereas the Golf’s is a simple 2 bar black plastic affair with the VW roundel cutting into the lower bonnet and upper bumper.
The Astra’s lower grille is 3 sections divided by body colour and the Golf’s is straight through.
So…no…it’s probably just you. :)
Hey Adam, my parents bought a 94 camry brand new and it was a dog that we had to put down (trade in) after only 2 years and 6 warranty claims. So Golfies experience with a camry doesn’t surprise me. The camry trades on the good reputations forged by things like corolla’s, hilux’s and landcruiser’s. The camry itself has always been a pretty rubbish car, built to a specific specification and price to flog to rental fleets by the shipload.
By the way i’m not a toyota hater, have owned 2, the first a corolla which was excellent and a hiace van which i still have which is impossible to fault in any way. The camry’s are just rubbish
on the new golf, nice upgrade i think, especially inside. I always felt the golf 5 didn’t look “special” enough inside given the premium hatch price segment it occupied. The 6 seems to have addressed that. Now they just need to turn the golf R32 into the R36 with the passat R36 engine :D
I think its a case of, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Same with BA to FG styling. If you are onto something good, don’t change it too much.
This means the Jetta now has an “old” front-end, as it’s the same as the “old” Golf. Yet the Jetta was only released in 2006, meaning a replacement is still 3+ years away! Not good, VW.
Mark – the jetta has always been based on the golf, therefore if there is a new golf, there will be a new jetta.
This is not a full new model mate, its a mid cycle update, the jetta will get the same update
No, this is the 6th generation Golf – the platform may be the same, but the sheetmetal is all new. I cannot see them changing the Jetta sheetmetal after only 2 years.
I’m with Richo. The Jetta has always followed the Golf, one to two years on, right from the Mk 1 days.
If they do with the Jetta what it appears they did with the Golf, then there’s no need for a change of roof panel (although that was claimed for the Golf – where is it?), windscreens or side glass.