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"Volkswagen launched the seventh generation of its iconic Golf at the 2012 Paris Auto Show last month. While the Golf might not be VW&amp;#039;s most popular model sold in the U.S. it is far and away the most popular VW sold in Europe where it tops the sales charts in several countries. This makes the Golf an extremely important car in VW&amp;#039;s lineup. In many ways, it is the modern face of VW, just as the Beetle was prior to 1974, when the Golf was first introduced.   The all-new Golf 7 is built around the MQB platform that Volkswagen claims is a breakthrough in vehicle engineering as it is flexible enough to be used for a variety of different models using modular subsystems. The first car to use MQB was the Audi A3, which went on sale earlier this year.        2014 Volkswagen Golf    VW is proud of the fact that the new Golf is slightly larger but weighs up to 220 lb. less than the previous generation. These weight savings come from all-new engines and a body that uses more high-strength, hot-formed steel.   Up front I&amp;#039;ll admit I have been a long time fan of the Golf ever since I purchased my first one in 1976. The new model did not disappoint. It is immediately recognizable in photographs as a Golf, thanks to its signature thick C pillar, and it does not initially look significantly different from pervious generations. In the flesh though it does appear different. For example, from the rear it has a much squatter look, which gives it a sportier appearance. The crease along the side of the car adds character and apparently lowers the drag coefficient. Inside the Golf has a remarkably upscale feel with nice appointments.        2014 Volkswagen Golf    We drove two European spec Golfs while in Sardinia. The first was powered by a 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged gas engine that delivered 140 hp, and the second was a 2.0-liter TDI producing 150 hp. Each was available with a six-speed manual or six-speed DSG automatic.   You might think a 1.4-liter engine is too small for such a relatively large car but you&amp;#039;d be wrong. The 1.4 TSI with a manual transmission was sporty and there&amp;#039;s no turbo lag. It seems these turbocharged 1.4-liter engines are becoming the sweet spot for modern Euro compact cars.   When we drove the Golf with a DSG transmission it proved to be just as spritely. Generally speaking I&amp;#039;m not fan of automatic transmissions but the dual clutch DSG transmission that VW uses in an increasingly large number of its models is so good it does not hurt performance in the same way as traditional automatics.        2014 Volkswagen Golf    I expected the 2.0-liter TDI to feel much stronger than the 1.4 TSI and it did, but not by much. In terms of driving with either the manual or DSG transmission it felt almost identical.   There&amp;#039;s no official word yet on what versions of the Golf we will see in the U.S. when it goes on sale in 2014. Considering how well 1.4-liter engines have been accepted in competitors cars, it&amp;#039;d be nice if VW imported that version as well as others.   We do know that there is one option of the Golf that will not make it to this side of the Atlantic. It&amp;#039;s a really neat tow hook that is hidden inside the rear bumper and is lowered by pulling a lever and kicking the tow ball into a locked position. The Golf has an official towing capacity of 3500 lb. with the 2.0 TDI engine in Europe.        2014 Volkswagen Golf    On a side note it was surprising, but very encouraging, to discover that Volkswagen sells more Golf GTI cars each year in the U.S. than in any other country including Germany. The seventh generation GTI will be unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show next March. Here&amp;#039;s hoping that it will become available in the U.S. at the same time as the regular Golf in 2014. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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