VW Golf puts safety first
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Wenda Wonoseputro has a cautionary tale for those who are thinking of buying a new car.
"A noted businessman, who is a friend of mine, still regrets his choice of car. He was paralyzed permanently in an accident and has to run his business from his wheelchair. This happened simply because he didn't pay much attention to the safety features offered when he bought his car," Wenda, the president director of PT Car and Cars Indonesia, said recently.
Wenda says she always recommends a car proven to have the best safety features in the world.
Which means, conveniently, the cars she sells: "I told my children to drive the Volkswagen (VW) Polo; before the fifth generation of VW Golf entered the country," she said.
PT Car and Cars Indonesia is the authorized Volkswagen distributor for Indonesia. The company recently introduced three models: a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) called Touareg for the premium market segment, a luxurious Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) Caravelle and the Golf for the young and for hatchback fanatics.
The three cars were unveiled at the opening of the Second Jakarta Motor Show at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Wenda says the presence of the Golf -- which appears in two variants: the 1.6L and 2.0L FSI -- was much-awaited by die-hard Volkswagen fans.
"The reputation and the long history of the car has successfully convinced more than 22 million people to own the Golf (from different generations) worldwide. We want to continue the legendary car with a safer, more-comfortable and more- luxurious new generation," she said, referring to the vehicle which first entered production line in 1974.
The fifth-generation Golf received 12 stars from the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), a European-based independent institution that tests the safety of every new car launched in the continent.
In the test results released in June, the car received five stars for occupant protection in the frontal and side-impact tests, four stars for child protection as well as three stars for the protection of pedestrians.
Since safety is the top priority of the car, it is equipped with six airbags, active head restraints, an ESP (electronic stability program) with brake assist, belt pre-tensioners and belt force limiters and ABS (an anti-lock brake system).
The Golf is also equipped with "tailored blank" technology and crash-optimized foot controls (COF) to protect the driver and front-seat passenger in a high-impact car crash. The technology enables the front part of the car to absorb the maximum energy resulting from the crash.
The vehicle is also tested to be able to endure a crash from the rear at 80 kilometers per hour that hits 70 percent of the car's body -- without any rupturing of the fuel tank.
As a fifth-generation car, the new Golf has futuristic design without losing its character.
Customers have a choice of two engines -- either a four- cylinder 1.6l engine or a four-cylinder 2.0l FSI (full strasified injection) motor -- under the bonnet depending on their specifications.
The 1.6l engine puts out a maximum 102 horse power (hp) at 5,600 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a maximum torque at 148 Newton meter (Nm) at 3,800 rpm. While the 2.0l FSI's maximum power is 150 hp at 6,000 rpm with a maximum torque of 200 Nm at 3,500 rpm.
Available in six-speed tiptronic automatic transmission only, the Golf can accelerate from 0-100 kilometers in 12.5 seconds and 9.5 seconds respectively.
The Golf is offered at Rp 268.5 million (US$28,955) and Rp 315 million for the 1.6l and the 2.0l FSI respectively.
With only three months left from year's end, Wenda said she expected to sell an average of about 10 Golfs a month with sales likely to increase by 50 percent next year.