Launched in 1974 as an intended replacement for the Beetle, the Golf has changed a lot though in some ways not too much during its eight generations. Now, as what is promised to be the final evolution before the Mk IX lands in 2028, Volkswagen is preparing the ground for the nameplate to go electric-only. Ironically, the latest IC powertrains make the refreshed Mk VIII a better car than most EVs of its size.
Many were the brickbats lobbed the way of the current generation Golf upon its international debut towards the end of 2019. The front end was not universally loved, the same applying to a then-new style and font for the VW roundels at either end of the car. Software issues and a controversial dashboard were other bones of contention.
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Faults all fixed?
Four and a bit years later, Volkswagen says it has listened to all the criticisms, made changes where they were needed and set the Golf up for a potential strong second half of its lifecycle. In fact, sales have already risen – at least in the European region – even before the 2024 car arrived in dealerships. And VW remains the number one brand in Britain whilst the marque it overtook found itself plunging to ninth place last month. With MG only 182 vehicles behind it in tenth. Can Ford turn things around? July sales data will make for fascinating reading. The Blue Oval does at least remain in second place year to date, more than four thousand units ahead of Audi and fourteen thousand clear of Kia.
An initial launch range for the new Golf has just landed in the UK but quite a few more model variants are to follow. In short, the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is gone, the wheels plus front and rear styling are new, each of the PHEVs (eHybrid and GTE) gets a bigger (19.7 kWh) battery and the 2.0 TSI gains power. As for the 1.5-litre petrol mild hybrids (eTSI) and the 2.0-litre diesels (TDI), each now offers the choice of two power outputs.
Big range of engines plus three gearboxes
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By GlobalDataVolkswagen has also recently announced the 2.0 TSI 4MOTION but that one won’t be coming to Britain until next year. What we will see here, and relatively soon, are equivalent facelifts and other changes for the GTI, GTI Clubsport and R. And as with certain rivals such as the Astra and 308, there remains a choice of five-door hatchback or a roomier estate with wheelbases still 2,620 mm and 2,669 mm.
The all-turbo line-up looks like this:
- 85 kW/116 PS & 220 Nm TSI (1.5)
- 85 kW/116 PS & 220 Nm eTSI (1.5 mild hybrid)
- 110 kW/150 PS & 250 Nm TSI (1.5), six-speed manual
- 110 kW/150 PS & 250 Nm eTSI (1.5 mild hybrid), seven-speed DSG
- 150 kW/204 PS & 250 Nm eHybrid (1.5 PHEV), six-speed DSG
- 200 kW/272 PS & 250 Nm GTE (1.5 PHEV), (+20 kW/27 PS), six-speed DSG
- 85 kW/116 PS & 300 Nm 2.0 TDI, six-speed manual
- 110 kW/150 PS & 360 Nm 2.0 TDI, seven-speed DSG
- 150 kW/204 PS 2.0 TSI 4MOTION (+7 kW/10 PS) – 2025 for UK
- 195 kW/265 PS & 370 Nm GTI (+15 kW/20 PS), seven-speed DSG
- 221 kW/300 PS & 400 Nm GTI Clubsport, seven-speed DSG
- 245 kW/333 PS & 420 Nm R, seven-speed DSG, 4MOTION all-wheel drive
Chat GPT and new touchscreens
Along with the new looks, all cars now have hard buttons on the steering wheel, these replacing the touch-sensitive ones, illumination for the volume and heating/cooling sliders which are themselves somehow much improved, and two new screens (different sizes) plus integrated ChatGPT. The touchscreens incorporate MIB4 (fourth generation modular infotainment system), which is faster and more intuitive.
As befits what could well become the best selling car in its class, overtaking the Audi A3, there are six trim levels for the 4,282 mm long five-door: Life, Match, Style, R-Line, Black Edition and GTE with the estate (4,631 mm) offered with Life, Style and R-Line. The options list is equally extensive but there are some surprises, such as the Golf never having had overhead view cameras. This, termed Area View, becomes available from October. Also, the illuminated roundel on the grille was not offered in the UK until now.
Trying the TDIs and MHEVs
Volkswagen UK recently let journalists loose in the new cars with a variety of engines available, though neither the eHybrid nor GTE (each a PHEV) was present at the drive event. Which also means only six-speed manual and seven-speed dual clutch transmissions, for now.
Best of the lot, for its terrific dose of torque and outstanding economy, is the diesel. Not that its percentage of the sales mix will be high. Still, the fact that Volkswagen keeps refining the 2.0-litre TDI is a wonderful thing. There is only the slightest trace of typical compression-ignition sound from the driver’s seat and no steering tug, as the DSG is standard on the high-output (110 kW/150 PS) engine.
I also tried the 85 kW-manual 2.0 TDI combination and that one is almost as appealing. Many of us will miss this engine (and the 3.0-litre V6 TDI fitted to other Group vehicles) once Volkswagen eventually stops production. That won’t be happening any time soon though, particularly as sales of diesel cars in general rose by double digits (12. 4 per cent) in Europe’s largest market last month (to 52,688 units). While registrations of EVs dropped by 18 percent, also year-on-year. Germany may be a bigger market but in Britain, the opposite is happening, diesel deliveries falling by 24.4 per cent and EVs rising by 7.4 per cent year-on-year in June.
HEV & MHEV now more popular than petrol
ACEA, which is the source of those registrations data above, also notes that hybrids (including mild ones) accounted for the majority of vehicle sales in Britain last month, rising by 14 per cent to 63,980. PHEVs did even better, surging by 30 per cent to 16,604 passenger vehicles. The total for petrol-only was 59,942, plus just 4,703 diesels.
Happily, the 85 and 110 kilowatt 48-volt 1.5-litre mild hybrids which most UK Golf buyers will choose are great alternatives to diesel power. Each could do with a little more torque – perhaps I should not have tried the TDIs first – but other than that, refinement is excellent.
Big improvements inside
Owners of the pre-facelift Golf will perhaps notice the changes made to the inside of the car more than all the mechanical updates. Seats are new, as is Digital Cockpit Pro (the instrumentation cluster), along with fabrics, touchscreens and those backlit sliders. The impression is that this is the car which Volkswagen should have launched four and a bit years ago. Almost all faults have been addressed and the high-quality feel is there again.
Summary
What about the restyle, if we can call it that? The looks have grown on me since 2020 – even those once strange eyebrows over the headlights – and the new range of colours plus fresh wheel styles come together to make this a very appealing vehicle. All being well, this could even become Britain’s best selling car again; maybe soon too. Even if it might not be able to catch those crossovers and SUVs such as the Puma, Juke, Qashqai which outsell it, and which so many people are hooked on.
Pricing for the just-launched 2024 Golf hatchback starts at GBP27,035 (RRP OTR) and GBP28,400 for the estate.
SSP: replaces MEB (and, eventually, PPE)
Volkswagen has not officially said when the current model will give way to a ninth generation Golf but it should be in 2028. Today’s MEB-based architecture will be replaced by the Scalable Systems Platform. Will it be rear- or front-wheel drive? This is yet to be disclosed but 4×4 drive is guaranteed for the next R, due in 2029.
Certain PPE-based Audi and Porsche models should themselves eventually be succeeded by SSP-based vehicles. As some of those models (e.g. electric Macan) are new right now, their replacements will not arrive until the 2030s. SSP is therefore quite a big deal so Volkswagen will be especially keen to launch the next Golf free of any glitches.
If the Golf hatchback remains roughly the same size, it seems hard to believe there will be a second generation ID.3. What might instead happen is the elimination of that model and the return of a Golf Plus. i.e. a rebodied, taller hatchback in the style of a crossover/MPV. Whatever VW decides to do – just the Golf or a model to supplement it – going electric-only will be a revolution for a car which has always been strong on evolution.
Why this Audi is outselling the VW Golf
