MK7 Launch Edition

[GKR47]

Ive seen a few mk7s advertised as Launch editions. Can anyone please confirm the differences.

[Guzzle]

No adaptive cruise. Sensor under the front number plate is missing.

[Exonian]

As Guzzle says, no radar cruise or city braking.
These were the initial batch of dealer demos from early 2013, here’s the one my local dealer had in, check out the lower front grille

[dfm]

I didn't know these were offered. Term brings to mind a full loaded car rather than one that appears inferior. Upside is no radar to knicked.

[GKR47]

Thanks for your replies. It makes sense that it refers to an early model but I have seen some 2016 models advertised as Launch editions. Maybe just sales talk!!

[SRGTD]

I didn't know these were offered. Term brings to mind a full loaded car rather than one that appears inferior. Upside is no radar to knicked.

I’d be surprised if a new model at launch would be fully loaded over the car’s standard spec. Normally with a new model at launch time, increased customer interest will mean the car will pretty much sell itself without the need to add lots of additional kit.

Fully loading models tends to happen at the end of a car’s lifecycle to help shift remaining cars before the launch of the new replacement model.

[SRGTD]

Thanks for your replies. It makes sense that it refers to an early model but I have seen some 2016 models advertised as Launch editions. Maybe just sales talk!!

I seem to remember the first UK mk7 Golf’s arrived around the beginning of 2013 so for a 2016 car to be described as a Launch Edition around three years after launch seems really strange. Could the cars you’ve seen advertised as Launch Editions be 66 plate (as opposed to 2016 registered) early mk7.5 facelift cars? From memory mk7.5 facelift appeared on the scene in the UK in early 2017 so would’ve been on a 66 plate - some dealers in the motor trade might refer to those early mk7.5’s as Launch Edition cars. They didn’t get any special / extra equipment though to warrant a ‘Launch Edition’ title.

[Lima29]

Just had a look on Auto Trader and there’s 6 cars on there described as “Launch Editions”.

One is a 13 plate car and doesn’t have the radar as described above, so probably one of the earliest.

But, the other 5 have the radar and there’s two 15 plates, two 16 plates and a 65 plate - so they’re not early ones and definitely before the facelift. So the theory of a facelift launch car seems to be wrong.

A bit of Googling brings up a fair few references to Launch Edition, but nothing that explains what it actually is! 🤷‍♂️

[SRGTD]

Just had a look on Auto Trader and there’s 6 cars on there described as “Launch Editions”.

One is a 13 plate car and doesn’t have the radar as described above, so probably one of the earliest.

But, the other 5 have the radar and there’s two 15 plates, two 16 plates and a 65 plate - so they’re not early ones and definitely before the facelift. So the theory of a facelift launch car seems to be wrong.

A bit of Googling brings up a fair few references to Launch Edition, but nothing that explains what it actually is! 🤷‍♂️

Seems like it’s just motor trade marketing hype then to entice would-be buyers……….

[Cozmo]

This seems to be the mystery of the ages.

I have a 2015 "launch" and it seems to be identified as such in the vehicle database - e.g. my insurance documents say "GTi launch".  Mine has ACC.

I have spent a while trying to work out what "launch" meant but have been unable to find a definitive answer.  I did see a lot of them while looking for the GTi I wanted - something as "back to basics" as possible for a mk7 - which is perhaps a clue to my theory:

These were the first mk7's off the production line and had a little to no options - i.e. they weren't customer orders.  It seems early one's had no ACC (changed sometime in 2013) and they are mainly 3-doors.  Due to this "basic" spec and most customers wanting to add options, they hung around for a while and some were not registered until later in the mk7 cycle.

Would be nice if it could be confirmed 100%.