Volkswagen Golf 8 global reveal - VW goes all in on the latest Golf

Global reveal

Volkswagen has produced the famed Golf for well over 45 years and 7 generations. It has been the bread and butter of the Wolfsburg giant for decades and it would seem that the latest iteration may just be their last. Perhaps due to the "Dieslgate" scandal and worldwide adoption of electric mobility it seems the future may just be one without an ICE powered Golf.

 

Volkswagen has been on a major push to get full electric cars and driver assistance into the market and have done just that with the ID.3 that was unveiled at the 2019 Frankfort motor show. The Golf 8 was also slated to be released at the same show but was pulled back at the last minute so as not to steal from the ID.3's fanfare.

Related: Low pricing structure key to the all new ID.3 success

The global reveal showed us that VW still has lots to offer before the axe finally falls on their ICE program. Now going onto its 8th generation, the Volkswagen Golf 8 is the first vehicle to wear the german automakers new badge and will sport a complete exterior makeover and a compete redesign of its interior, and this is what we can expect from the motoring giant.

Styling

The new Volkswagen Golf 8 gets a major upgrade with its own unique LED lighting signature upfront which leads into a straight sharp line running down its flanks into a wider rear end with once again, a very unique rear lighting system. It shows that a great deal of design thought has gone into the new model. The interior though sees an even bigger change.

The Volkswagen Golf 8 gets two touchscreens that are driver-centric. The Innovision Cockpit takes centre stage in the drivers binnacle and a touchscreen infotainment screen is angled towards the driver while a heads up display sits directly in the drivers line of sight. Technology integration is the name of the game with voice control and one touch button activation being standard. Confirmed driver assist functions such as lane keep assist, auto air con and hill-start assist are confirmed as well as Harmon Kardon as an optional sound system.The centre console has also been slimmed down with a small toggle style switch replacing the gear selector arrangement.

Engines

The full range of engines that will be available has yet to be finalised but VW has confirmed high efficiency diesel engines, hybrid assisted petrol and diesel engines, dubbed e-TSI, and an a petrol engine line-up.

The Volkswagen Golf 8 launches with five hybrid powertrains. Three of them use 48-volt mild-hybrid systems, and they produce 81 kW, 96 kW, and 110 kW. There are also two plug-in hybrids with 13-kilowatt-hour batteries that offer 150 kW and 180 kW.

There are also two versions of the 1.0 turbo three-cylinder petrol engines making 66 kW and 81 kW and two versions of a 1.5 turbo four-cylinder offering 85 kW and 110 kW. The 2.0 diesel four-cylinder engine comes in versions producing 85 kW and 110 kW. The versions of these engines South Africa will get has been confirmed, we will get the 1.4 TSi, 2.0 GTi and the 2.0 R, all with DSG transmissions as no manual options will be made.

The announcement was peppered with mentions about ensuring that the engines be as environmentally friendly as possible and that Golf will be looking at an all electric future by 2050.

So when do we get it?

Dr Herbert Deiss, Chairman of the management board, confirmed that Germany would begin pre sale in December with a European rollout in the first quarter of 2020. The rest of the world will have to wait a little longer. We speculate that South Africa may see the Volkswagen Golf 8 by the later half of the second to third quarter of 2020.

Pricing is yet still largely unknown and when they will arrive has yet has yet to be announced.

Keep an eye on Autotrader.co.za for further information about the all new Volkswagen Golf 8.

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