We knew it was coming for a while, but it’s now officially here. Today, VW debuted its 2017 e-Golf with a slightly refreshed look and new battery pack at the LA Auto Show.
The new 35.8 kWh battery pack enables a welcomed range boost to now 124 miles on a single charge – up from the 83-mile range of the previous version.
It will put the new e-Golf on par or better than the latest versions of the Nissan LEAF and BMW i3, but a little behind the new 2017 Renault ZOE, which is equipped with a 41 kWh battery pack and is an important competitor to the e-Golf in Europe.
The battleground should be in Germany, where the new e-Golf will be made available first starting in December. The company says that it will also come to the US, but in “select states”, aka states with a ZEV mandate.
VW also upgraded the powertrain in the 2017 version:
“The electric motor has been upgraded as well. It now develops 134 horsepower, which is 19 hp more than the first version of the e-Golf. At the same time, the maximum torque of the electric motor has been boosted from 199 pound-feet to 214 lb-ft. The 2017 e-Golf runs zero to 60 mph more than a second faster than its predecessor—now in just 9.6 seconds, and its top speed increases to 93 mph.”
The German automaker made the 7.2 kW on-board charger now standard on both SE and SEL Premium trims of the 2017 version, but DC fast charging is still optional.
The 2017 e-Golf will also have more optional driver assist features such as: Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist) with Pedestrian Monitoring, Blind Spot Monitor Plus, Lane Assist, Park Assist and Light Assist.
Overall, it looks like a decent upgrade from the previous year model and if it can maintain a similar price (~$30,000), it should still find a market. VW will reveal pricing details closer to the market introduction of the car.
Here’s a gallery of promotional shots released by VW:
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments