Volkswagen last week confirmed that it will build the Concept C show car – its Golf-based folding tin-top convertible — and that it will roll into showrooms in spring 2006. The company is positioning the four-seater midway between the Golf and the Passat and is keen to stress that it will not be a direct successor to previous generations of Golf rag-top.
Instead, VW wants to shift the car above the legions of mainstream folding hard-top cabrios, such as the Peugeot 307 CC and Renault Mégane CC, and forthcoming versions of the new Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.
‘We called the concept car “semi series-mature”, which means it won’t change much for production,’ said a spokesman. ‘There is a lot of Golf componentry, but it’s larger than the Golf. It will be a standalone model.’
By making the car bigger than its rivals, VW designers have avoided the awkwardly shaped roof and A-pillars that impede the package of many rivals. It also means that VW will be able to charge a premium, with prices expected from £20,000.
To mark the decision, the Concept C will be exhibited at next week’s British Motor Show.
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