It seems like nowadays every car maker is slowly transitioning from old school car making to producing hybrid vehicles. Volkswagen is no different because after 43 years the Volkswagen Golf will be reworked, redesigned and most importantly, it will become a hybrid. We will see a complete redesign of the interior and the German automaker also promised a slimmer vehicle. The official reveal of this Golf is set for 2019 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
We’ve already mentioned how there will be a hybrid version of the Golf and that is no surprise because the launch of this Golf will coincide with the launch of Volkswagen’s I.D. electric car family. First, in the electric car family line up should be a Golf-sized I.D. hatchback. On the other hand, Herbert Diess (CEO) stated that Volkswagen will remain dedicated to Golf since it is the brand’s main focus despite the huge EV initiative worldwide. That doesn’t mean that VW won’t make hybrids, on the contrary, we are in store for at least five battery-powered VWs which are set to arrive by 2025.
In words of Diess: ‘The priority is Golf because in the next generation it will be our main core product and that’s where the focus goes. Public attention, press and our communications have been a lot of the electric cars because we believe in it. But I’m convinced it (the Golf) will remain our core product in the next generation.’
He also added: ‘The next generation of Golf – which we are, let’s say, quite advanced in the work on – will be the versatile car,” Diess claimed. He concluded with: ‘You might call it once again ‘Das Auto’ because it is such a good package for a five-seater; it works so well.’
The German automaker will use an upgraded variation of the MQB chassis for the next-gen hatchback and it is expected to weigh almost 70kg less because they decided to use lighter materials. We won’t see a ground breaking change applied to the exterior but we should see a more svelte front end of the car that will feature lower bonnet and more discreet LED headlamps. On the back however we can see that a lot has changed. The next gen Golf has more squared-off shoulders and the Golf lettering will sit under the VW badge. That will be the case for the first time ever when it comes to Golf. We’ve already seen something like that done to the new Arteon.
The interior of the vehicle is the most redesigned part of the vehicle really. Most of the physical buttons will be replaced by touch-screen displays. A replacement for the instrument binnacle, an info-display will be featured across the range and most of the functions will indeed be controlled through the large central touchscreen.
As we have said, besides offering petrol and diesel engines the next gen Golf will be the first VW to feature hybrid technology. To be more precise, it will feature ‘mild hybrid’ technology. The car will be offered with a 48-volt electric system in at least one variation. ‘Mild hybrid systems will play a major role in the next generation of Golf; that will be the first application.’ Diess claimed.
Therefore we speculate that in the future we will see hybrid offerings in smaller segments. Diess also mentioned the emissions scandal they had and in the light of that event according to him, the company will offer ‘a cleaner alternative’ to buyers. ‘In the face of the VW emissions scandal and rising cost of diesel technology, mild hybrid powertrains will offer a cleaner alternative to diesel with similar levels of efficiency. Conventional powertrains will remain with a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine being joined by a new 1.5 diesel, which will replace the current 1.6.’
‘Variants such as the GTI and R will benefit from performance boosts, with power up to 250bhp and 350bhp respectively. The plug-in hybrid GTE will also be offered, but the e-Golf won’t make it to another generation due to the arrival of the I.D. family’ Diess stated.
Do you like the new 2019 Mk8 Volkswagen Golf? Would you opt for a mild hybrid in the future? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
