2006 Volkswagen Golf Plus Preview

As its name might suggest, the Golf Plus shares the same advanced components of the Golf including the super-stiff chassis,

The Golf Plus is 95 mm (3.74 in) taller than the regular Golf, yielding greater interior space and improved versatility. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada)

multi-link rear suspension and self-centering electric power steering, but the similarities go beyond simple component sharing. The two have near-identical dimensions in terms of overall length and width, but the Golf Plus is 95 mm (3.74 in) taller than the regular Golf, yielding greater interior space and improved versatility.

The Golf Plus is different from other attempts at creating a tall-body hatchback, in that its designers incorporated the Golf's key styling points for the new vehicle as opposed to simply building upwards on a pre-existing model.

The integrated structure and frame of the Plus follows the general shape of the Golf, as the roofline peaks at the midpoint of the front doors, flowing back to the trademark

To attract and entice buyers, and to provide a degree of visual separation from the regular Golf, the Plus model makes a few alterations to its exterior. (Photo: Volkswagen Canada)

'boomerang'-style rear pillars. Taller doors were also crafted especially for the Plus to keep the metal-to-glass proportions close to that of the regular Golf. It's easy to see that Volkswagen's engineers and designers weren't out to cut corners or save a quick buck in the design of the Plus.

To attract and entice buyers, and to provide a degree of visual separation from the regular Golf, the Plus model has a few additions to its exterior. More sleekly-styled headlamps with active curve technology (which swivel to light a path around dark corners) have been fitted. Their new design leads upwards to a new hood which has been beveled down towards the fenders.