The Volkswagen Golf->ke164 is easily one of the most popular hot hatches on the market today, the German automaker has used the compact hatchback platform to create everything from high performance GTIs to the more affordable and equally fun to drive Rabbit and even an estate or two. Following suit from their upscale four ringed cousins at Audi, VW has announced that they too will offer a set of stylish LED lit tail lamps on a few of their classic two box hatchbacks.

Not only will the top of the line turbocharged Golf R wear a set of the bright new tail lights, but the more economical GTI and even more efficient Golf GTD diesel will now come equipped with LED rear clusters standard. The lens covers have a dark smoked tint to further distinguish the lamps even when the light emitting diodes aren't shining through. Underneath the ominous lenses resides of two curved right angles made up of eleven LEDs each, with a distinctive LED center dot, not much unlike traditional tail lamps. With a total of 48 diodes, the Golf is adopting a bit of Audi's light signature making their most iconic members of the Golf family a little bit more distinguishable.

Press release after the jump.

Press release

For the first time in the compact class, LED rear lights will now be offered on the Volkswagen compact: A concise night design is standard equipment on the Golf R, and on the Golf GTI and GTD it is available as an option for 350 Euros. A fitting added feature: Bi-Xenon headlights offer a significant plus in safety and convenience.

Each smoked rear light consists of two curved right angles, each angle containing eleven LEDs; each of these angles forms the outer border for a distinctive LED centre dot. With a total of 48 LEDs, this characteristic light signature makes the highest-performance Golf of all times easy to recognise in the dark. In daylight, another notable feature immediately comes into view: The low, white stripe defining the lower border of the rear light creates a very uniform visual surface. The overall impression is harmonious and high-end.

LED rear lights are more than just a clear signal of a sporty Golf. They are practically maintenance-free and impressively fast. Their response time to brake activation is 0.2 second faster than that of conventional incandescent lights. This difference can save lives: at a speed of 100 km/h it is equivalent to 5.6 meters braking distance.

Another safety and convenience feature are the Bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic cornering light that vary the lighting direction as a function of the steering angle, and dynamic headlight range adjustment. They also adapt the light distribution to their surroundings in city, highway and freeway driving depending on the car’s speed. For example, in city traffic - up to 35 km/h - the lane boundary on the driver’s side is illuminated much brighter. These headlights are standard on the Golf R and are available on all other Golf models starting at 1,295 Euros.