No sooner did Volkswagen roll out a redesigned Golf at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show than it decided to rename the car before it arrives in showrooms this summer. Instead of getting a new Golf, Americans will find that a Rabbit has bounded into the U.S., complete with significant powertrain and interior improvements. The 2006 Rabbit is a new car to us, but has been on sale in Europe for several years, where consumer interest has begun to sway toward newer competitors. That’s why VW chief Wolfgang Bernhard is fast-tracking a major update for the Golf/Rabbit to arrive for the 2009 model year.

Volkswagen’s goal with the retooled Golf/Rabbit is to build the car on the existing platform, but with significant upgrades to remain viable in an increasingly competitive global premium compact market. Another goal is to cut the cost of building the car by making it simpler to assemble in a shorter time period. Currently it takes VW almost twice as long as its main competitors to get a Golf out the door – a profit-killing fact that must change for the company’s major breadwinner.

As shown in this spy illustration, the 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit adopts emerging VW design cues while retaining the two-box hatchback design known and loved around the world.