2005 VOLKSWAGEN Golf Plus 2.0L TDI 6AT (140 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Volkswagen tried to get a slice from the European compact minivan market and introduced the Golf Plus in 2004.

While Renault was gaining with the Megane Scenic (latter named only as Scenic), Volkswagen had nothing to show on the compact minivan segment. Its engineers rushed and used the Golf MKV’s platform (PQ35) and made the Golf Plus. A minivan with a higher seating position and better headroom than the regular Golf.

The German carmaker used the name Golf for the Plus to get more attention from the public, and it shared its underpinning with its brother, but the exterior look was not on the same page. It featured a steep front fascia with a body-colored grille and two slats. Its headlights featured a sharp angle on the inner side and extended around the corners onto the front fenders. Its bumper sported a grille at the bottom and, as an option, two fog lights on the sides. Since it was 95 mm (3.7″) taller than its sibling, the Plus needed a steeper windshield too. In the back, the tailgate and the taillights resembled those from the regular, Golf.

Inside, the seats were mounted higher by 75 mm (2.9″), resulting in more legroom for the rear-seat passengers. Thus, the Plus was more comfortable for five adults, even on the long roads. The dashboard four air vents on the center stack and two more twin vents on the outer sides of the dash panel. Another essential aspect was the trunk size, which provided up to 1,450 liters (51.2 cu-ft) of space with folded rear seats.

Under the hood, Volkswagen installed a wide engine choice for the Golf Plus. It started with a 75 hp, 1.4-liter gasoline engine and ended up with a 2.0-liter, 150 hp unit. There were three turbo-diesel versions ranged between 90 hp and 140 hp.