Bluetooth now standard on most Volkswagen Golfs

VOLKSWAGEN Australia is now including Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming and phone book display as standard equipment on most variants of its Golf hatch and wagon range.

All newly-released model year 2012 Golf models – with the exception of base 77TSI and BlueMotion hatch variants – now come fitted with the system, which was previously available as a dealer-fit accessory on the lion’s share of the line-up.

The German company will continue to offer a more basic Bluetooth system as an accessory on both 77TSI and BlueMotion variants.

The hands-free communications system is already available as standard kit on many of the Golf’s small-car segment rivals, while the German brand’s aggressively-priced new Jetta sedan also gets the technology as standard across the range.

Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Anke Koeckler said: “We are pleased to be able to offer this added extra as standard to our already competitively priced Golf range.

“Not only is the Golf one of Australia’s safest and most award-winning vehicles, it is now even better value to own.”

Top-spec Comfortline hatch and wagon cars, as well as sports-oriented GTD, GTI and R variants, also score a standard Media Device Interface (MDI) with USB connection cable as part of the model upgrade.

The MDI integrates music storage devices with the car’s audio system and steering wheel-mounted controls, compared with the more basic standard auxiliary input in lower-spec variants that requires music to be controlled via the external device itself.

Golf sales are up 8.4 per cent to the end of July in a small-car segment that is down 4.2 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

Part of this sales growth can be attributed to the Golf’s record-breaking June sales that saw it grab 13.8 per cent segment share on the back of a drive-away promotion.

As GoAuto has reported, Volkswagen Australia is in the midst of a frenetic turnover of new models. This year alone, it has released the all-new Amarok ute range, Touareg SUV, mid-sized Passat sedan and wagon, Jetta sedan, Golf BlueMotion, facelifted Eos cabriolet and Caddy 4Motion light commercial.

Still to come before Christmas are the special-edition Golf GTI 35, Golf cabriolet, facelifted Tiguan compact SUV and additional Amarok derivatives.