Volkswagen used today’s Bologna motor show to unveil its Mk2 Golf Plus, the third Golf model (after the three- and five-door hatchbacks) to get Wolfsburg’s latest looks.

Only the nose on the new VW Golf Plus looks new! What’s changed?

That new nose is indeed the obvious change. The headlamps, now with daytime running lights, receive a little nip on the inner edges and the two-bar grille is now in high-gloss black.

The bodywork tweaks also see the rubbing strips disappear from the revised front bumper, while the rear is tidied up by new bodywork and LED rear lights.

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The countdown has began for the announcement of the European ‘Car of the Year 2009′ winner as the organizers released the shortlist with the seven finalists. The cars that made it to the final round of the 2009 COTY are: Alfa Romeo MiTo, Citroen C5, Ford Fiesta, Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Renault Megane, Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Golf VI. The COTY jury, which is made up of 59 senior motoring journalists from 23 countries around Europe will reveal the winner on November 19.

The COTY’s organizing committee also released a statement in concern of recent news stories that gave the result of a ‘European Car of the Year’. According to the committee, this contest was a national one staged by the Italian Motor Journalists Association and had no connection whatsoever with the ‘Car of the Year’.

COTY PREVIOUS WINNERS

• 2008 — FIAT 500
• 2007– FORD S-MAX
• 2006 — RENAULT CLIO
• 2005 — TOYOTA PRIUS
• 2004 — FIAT PANDA
• 2003 — RENAULT MÉGANE
• 2002 — PEUGEOT 307
• 2001 — ALFA ROMEO 147
• 2000 — TOYOTA YARIS
• 1999 — FORD FOCUS
• 1998 — ALFA ROMEO 156
• 1997 — RENAULT MÉGANE SCENIC
• 1996 — FIAT BRAVO / BRAVA
• 1995 — FIAT PUNTO

Volkswagen has made getting behind the wheel of a Scirocco just a little bit easier… in the UK. When the low-slung three-door was launched it was only available in up-level GT trim, but now it’s available in base form, starting at £18,790. For what it’s worth (not much, sadly), that converts to $32,600 at current rates, but the Scirocco still isn’t offered in the States anyway. The new standard engine is VW’s 1.4-liter TSI engine rated at 160-horsepower and nearly 43 miles per gallons in the combined EU cycle. The Base trim still includes a six-disc CD changer, air conditioning and exclusive 17-inch alloys.

A second engine is now offered in both Base and GT trims, and it’s a diesel. Displacing 2.0-liters and offering 140-horsepower, the common rail oil-burner gets over 55 European miles per gallon, with a choice of either a six-speed manual or DSG gearbox.

We already saw the first images of the new MK VI Volkswagen GTI and we now have them in all their high-res glory courtesy of VW’s German media site. As with the standard version of the Golf and the Scirocco, VW is abandoning the huge Audi-like grille of recent models in favor of something more subdued. The new GTI also harkens back to the original GTI of the late 1970s with its red-bordered grille. Under the hood, the new GTI gets the latest edition of the corporate 2.0L TFSI four cylinder cranking out 210 hp and a reasonably healthy 207 lb-ft of torque at just 1,800 rpm. The electronically controlled limited-slip XDS differential will help guide that torque to the wheel with the most grip and hopefully manage torque steer as well. The GTI is expected to hit 62 mph from a standing start in 7.2 seconds with a combined fuel efficiency on the EU cycle of 31.4 mpg. VW will start adding to the GTI’s cumulative tally of 1.7 million units sold next spring in Europe and in the U.S. during the summer of 2009, while the regular Golf VI will hit our shores as the new Rabbit in the fall of 2009.

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The new 2009 VW CC Gold Coast special edition, unveiled this week at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is German bread-and-butter car maker VW’s latest attempt to move the brand up-market. Volkswagen cars today are known for comfortable and stylish interiors, decent performance and a fit and finish level equal to or greater than their direct competitors. The Volkswagen CC is VW’s entry into the so-called “4-door coupe” market now populated by the Mercedes-Benz CLS-class and upcoming BMW Gran Turismo, among others.

How a Passat with a snarling aero kit and a roof chop job ends up being called a coupe is beyond us. Still, the 2009 CC Gold Coast does make for one attractive performance sedan–yes, we refuse to call it a coupe.

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