New details surrounding the next generation
Volkswagen Golf have started to emerge. According
to AutoExpress, the compact model will debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Its launch will coincide with the release of the brand's I.D. electric vehicle
lineup, but despite the EV push, the new Golf will remain a 'core product'.
The Volkswagen Golf Mk8's
exterior design won't be a dramatic departure over the current models, adopting
an evolutionary styling. It's expected to gain sleeker-looking LED headlights,
a lower bonnet, squared-off shoulders at the rear, and the 'Golf' lettering
that will probably sit beneath the 'VW' badge on the tailgate, a move inspired
by the Arteon.
And while its exterior won't bring any dramatic
changes, the same cannot be said about the interior design, which should get a
complete makeover, with digital displays replacing most of the physical
buttons. A large central touchscreen will take center stage and most functions
of the car will be controlled through it. Finally, the instrument cluster will
be replaced by an active info display, a feature that will eventually be
carried out across the range.
Underpinning the new Volkswagen Golf will be an
updated version of the MQB platform. This will help shed up to 70 kg over the current car, allowing it to adopt a wide engine lineup that should
include the 1.5-liter turbo'd gasoline unit, and a new 1.5-liter diesel that's
said to replace the current 1.6 TDI.
The car will also feature mild hybrid technology by
adopting the 48-volt electric system on some versions, as Diess revealed:
"Mild hybrid systems will play a major role in the next generation of the
Golf; that will be the first application."
The plug-in hybrid GTE will live on with the new
generation, but the e-Golf won't, as it will be replaced by an entirely new car
that will enter the I.D. family. GTI and
R variants of the Golf will come with a small power boost that will allow them
to develop up to 250 hp and 350 hp, respectively.
