Volkswagen Newest Golf Vies for No. 1 With Rolling Hotspot: Cars

For almost four decades, Volkswagen AG’s Golf has largely defined the hatchback segment -- as well as VW itself. So with its latest incarnation of the Golf, the German automaker has played it safe, focusing more on technology than the look so it wouldn’t alienate the car’s legions of fans.

Though the makeover is part of VW’s most extensive technology rollout in almost 20 years, the biggest changes won’t be visible to customers. Instead, VW has designed a lighter steel frame that helps reduce fuel consumption by as much as 23 percent and has upgraded the electronics with features such as equipment that can make the car a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot.