Prices announced for latest Golf generation

Volkswagen has published its price list for the latest generation Golf in anticipation of its arrive on UK shores in January.

The new Golf will be sold at a starting price of £13,150 for the entry-level S three-door model (1.4-litre 80 PS engine).

The top of the range GT five-door (2.0-litre TDI 140 PS and six-speed DSG gearbox) is valued at £20,980.

Three trim levels will be available - S, SE and GT - with the former having ABS, ESP, seven airbags (including a new driver's knee airbag), remote central locking, climatic air conditioning, CD/radio, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors.

SE trim adds an uprated stereo with eight speakers and an MDI (multi-device interface) for connection to external multimedia sources such as an iPod, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and coming/leaving home lighting function as well as rain and dusk sensors.

At the top of the range, GT buyers will benefit from sports suspension (lowered by around 15 mm), sports seats with Alcantara trim, front fog lights and a multifunction steering wheel plus 17-inch alloys.

Under the bonnet, customers have a choice of four petrol and two diesel engines.

Petrol units are a 1.4-litre 80 PS or 1.6-litre 102 PS, plus 1.4-litre TSI powerplants with 122 or 160 PS; 2.0-litre common rail diesels offer power outputs of 110 or 140 PS.

A number of options are available on the Golf for the first time, including Volkswagen's Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) which allows the driver to select from normal, comfort or sport modes to define the desired suspension, steering and accelerator response settings for any particular journey.

ParkAssist which takes over steering inputs to facilitate parallel parking manoeuvres is also available as an option.