Volkswagen used yesterday’s Annual General Meeting
to tease the interior of the 2020 Golf and now spy photographers have caught
the real thing. As the photo show, the Golf Mk8 will be a radical departure from its
predecessor as the model adopts a minimalist interior which eschews a
traditional center stack.
This is a big styling change and it appears most of
the controls will be integrated into a freestanding infotainment system. Some
people might balk at this decision, but Volkswagen has cleverly integrated dual
climate controls into a thin touch panel at the base of the display. There’s
also a third panel between the climate controls and it could be used for
adjusting the volume of the audio system.
To the left, is a digital instrument cluster which
is connected to the infotainment system via a gloss black surround with a
wave-like design. The cluster looks pretty basic, but it shows a large
speedometer and tachometer. Below the infotainment system is rectangular air vents which feature metallic
trim. This design curves around the dash and is echoed across the passenger
side.
Elsewhere, we can see a new steering wheel and
evolutionary door panels with aluminum trim. The Golf also features a stepped
upper dash and five dedicated buttons between the two central air vents. While the exterior of this
prototype is heavily camouflaged, previous photos have shown the model will be
instantly recognizable. The front fascia will receive a modest makeover that
includes a revised grille and new headlights. The car will also be equipped
with a more sculpted hood. The déjà vu design continues further back as the biggest changes are
a higher character line and new taillights. A closer inspection also reveals a
larger spoiler and a sportier bumper.
Volkswagen will unveil the 2020 Golf in October and
the company has said it will once again “set the benchmark in the compact
class.” In particular, they said the car will have class-leading comfort and
connectivity as well as good fuel efficincy and low CO2 emissions.
During yesterday’s presentation, Volkswagen
confirmed the Golf will be offered with petrol, diesel and CNG powertrains.
There will be mild- and plug-in hybrid variants and the latter will be able to
travel up to 80 km)on electricity alone.
