The attractive Rabbit has done away with the boxy look of the Golf and its structure is more crash-worthy. (Bob English)
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- 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit Hatchback
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- 2006 Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback
- 2006 Nissan Sentra Sedan
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MONT-TREMBLANT, QUE. — Impala, Stag, Mustang, Barracuda, Stingray — with so many cool animal names available only a company whose previous best-selling model was named after an insect could have come up with the name Rabbit for its top-selling car, and not just once, but twice.
Yes, the too-cutsie Rabbit name has re-emerged after a couple of decades of peaceful extinction with the introduction last week of the rebadged for North American consumption 2007 version of the car known everywhere else in the world as the Golf.
Why dredge up a rather silly name from long ago to hang on one of the slickest new small cars on the market? You'd have to ask VW of America's director of brand innovation Kerri Martin, who, apparently not too clear on what that title infers, is convinced names from the past such as The Thing, Beetle, Fox and Rabbit resonate with buyers on this side of the Atlantic.
It's also apparently a "nod to the passionate North American enthusiasts who have an emotional connection to the Rabbit name." And they would be how old and passionate at this point?
It also seems an odd choice for a company stepping further away from its "volks" car roots and into more sophisticated and up-market territory. But the marketing mavens will have their way and the deed is done and, who knows, maybe they're right. After all, VW has sold some 25 million Rabbits and equally goofily named Golfs since 1975.
And it's really nothing to make a fuss about anyway. It's all about the cars after all's said and done and there's nothing retro about Volkswagen's new 2007 Rabbit except its name.
This fifth-generation Rabbit/Golf, which began to arrive in Volkswagen dealerships this week (it's been available in Europe for two years and follows on the heels here of the sporty GTI) is a thoroughly modern vehicle from bumper to bumper.
And although not cheap, it's being pitched hard in terms of features and value, in a Canadian marketplace awash in innovative small cars. Eight out of 10 of the current top-selling cars in the country are among its direct competitors.
Volkswagen Canada's executive vice-president John White says the Rabbit remains a key factor in plans to boost VW sales back to where they once where. Also helping will be that VW Canada is now becoming more autonomous from its U.S. overseer. "We're starting to look, feel and sound like a Canadian company," he says.
That, plus other new products such as the Jetta sedan, Passat sedan and wagon, GTI three-door and five-door, Jetta GLI, Eos roadster and an entry-level mystery model, will hopefully see sales climb 14 per cent to 36,000 this year compared with 31,700 last year.
The only fly in the motor oil will be the lack of a diesel version of the Rabbit until at least the 2009 model year. Diesels accounted for 30 per cent of Golf sales last year. But White says additional inventory of '06 model diesels will allow availability through next spring, which will help bridge the gap.
The new — and built in Wolfsburg — Rabbit follows the original format of being available as either a three-door or five-door hatchback, with the former priced at $19,990 and the latter and slightly-better-equipped version at $20,990. A 48-month lease with $2,000 down will cost $218 for the three-door and $231 for the five-door.
That's a considerable premium over the entry-level prices of many competitors, but the Rabbit features list is impressive and technologically sophisticated. It includes brakes with ABS and other assist programs, cruise and traction control, traction-enhancing Electronic Differential Lock, Engine Braking Assist (which helps prevent engine-compression-induced skidding) and electro-mechanical steering that actively assists with stability when the car is affected by such things as crosswinds.
There are also front and side airbags and a side curtain protection system, semi-automatic climate control, power windows and locks, height-adjustable driver's seat, 60/40 split rear seatback, single-disc in-dash CD player and nice touches such as illuminated vanity mirrors and turn signal repeaters in the mirror housings.
A sunroof, rear side airbags, electronic stability control and 16-inch wheels are optional, along with packages that add additional gadgetry and upgrade the audio system. A lot of very clever and useful stuff in other words.
The styling is certainly more attractive, losing much of the boxy look of the Golf and the structure is all-new, of course, stiffer and more crash-worthy.
The Rabbit is somewhat longer, wider and taller than the old model, which means more room inside. This additional space has been used to enhance passenger comfort at the expense of cargo space, which at 425 litres (seatback upright) is down about 75 litres from the old model.
The increase in interior room is immediately apparent. Where the old car always seemed cramped up front, this one feels much more open. A six-footer will fit comfortably up front and in the rear, and headroom isn't an issue. Front seats have well-shaped bolsters that hold you in place positively but comfortably. They're also long enough under the thighs.
The tilt and telescopic steering wheel is a simple, but nicely shaped, unit and frames a clear instrument array with large tach and speedo sporting shiny bezels, flanking smaller fuel and temp gauges.
The centre stack places the radio — good-sized, easy-to-operate knobs and buttons — up top with the climate controls below. Flying buttresses link it to the console where some bright work surrounds the gearshift. Cup holders are placed just aft of this and are within easy reach.
A strip of pinhole-finished aluminum-look trim on doors and dash adds a nice visual touch to an interior that overall has a less austere look. It's fairly quiet at highway speeds.
Front suspension is by MacPherson struts, but there's a new multi-link independent rear suspension borrowed from the Jetta. Disc brakes are fitted all round and wheels are 15-inchers shod with all-season rubber.
Also shared with the Jetta is the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder, double-overhead-camshaft engine that produces 150 hp at 5,000 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 3,750 rpm. The standard transmission (driving the front wheels) is a five-speed manual with a tight and tidy shift pattern, but a Tiptronic six-speed automatic is available for $1,400.
Fuel economy is 10.7 litres/100 km city and 7.2 highway with the manual box and an even-better 10.5L/100 km city and 7.1 highway with the automatic.
On the twisting roads around Mont-Tremblant, the Rabbit proved it could run. The motor is workman-like rather than inspirational in the way it goes about producing power and torque, but there's plenty of both, which can be effectively employed with the five-speed manual. The six-speed automatic actually seemed to suit the engine better, however, up-shifting all but imperceptibly and downshifting promptly to an appropriate gear.
The steering has both good feel and weight and the car responds to steering inputs with an eager promptness, while the suspension deals with bumps firmly but compliantly. Brake pedal feel is positive and the response progressive.
If you're among the half of Canadian car buyers shopping in the smaller car segment, the Rabbit should definitely be on your list.
2007 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT
There's nothing retro about Volkswagen's new 2007 Rabbit except its name.
SPECS
TYPE: Compact hatchback
BASE PRICE: Three-door $19,990; five-door $20,990
ENGINE: 2.5-litre inline five, DOHC
DRIVE: Front drive
TRANSMISSION: Five-speed manual
HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 150 hp/170 lb-ft
FUEL ECONOMY (litres/100 km) : 10.7 city/7.2 highway; regular gas
ALTERNATIVES: Honda Civic, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, Kia Spectra5, Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac Pursuit, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Accent, Subaru Impreza
LIKE
- Great look
- Roomier and nicely finished interior
- Good power and road manners
DON'T LIKE
- VW's marketers could have been a little cleverer (as they once upon a time were) than conjuring the old Rabbit name out of their "brand innovation" embroidered thinking caps
