Volkswagen confirms future of the Golf and gives fans glimpse of new model as legendary motor celebrates 50th birthday
FOR a while now, there’s been much speculation about the future of Golf.
The beating heart of Volkswagen for 50 years.
The people’s car. Volkswagen means “people’s car”.
Affordable.
Classless.
As faithful as a dog.
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But is Golf really heading for the great scrapyard in the sky alongside Ford’s Fiesta and the soon-to-be-axed Focus?
No. It’s not.
Golf is here to stay.
I know this because VW’s big chief Thomas Schäfer told me straight.
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Golf will continue in the electric age as a “proper Golf”.
Not something half as good with a Golf badge on it.
A “proper Golf”.
But we’re talking 2030 here and beyond.
The freshly-updated petrol Golf 8.5 will continue for many years yet, overlapping with the battery- powered Golf 9, right up to 2033 when Volkswagen has vowed to go electric-only in Europe.
I caught up with Schäfer the gaffer at an ice racing festival in Austria at the weekend.
Volkswagen gave fans a glimpse of the new Golf R, albeit in a camou wrap, and rolled out an original GTI, legendary R32 and other old favourites to celebrate Golf’s 50th birthday.
Good times.
Here’s ten minutes inside the mind of one of the most powerful men in the car industry . . .
Is Golf 8.5 the last petrol Golf?
Schäfer said: “Yes. This new one has all the drivetrains — petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid. It comes as GTE, it comes as GTI and R.
"So you’ve got the full thing. But the next generation is definitely full electric.”
Will it be as good?
“When we bring an electric Golf it has to be a true Golf. In its proportions, in its performance.
“You can’t just call another car — like the ID3 for example — a Golf.
"It’s not a Golf. Unless it’s a Golf through and through like these vehicles outside, you can’t call it Golf.
"The genes have to be right.
“That’s why we’re waiting until the end of the decade until our new SSP (Scaleable Systems Platform) comes in.
"That has totally different proportions. So it’s a lot flatter and wider and gives you the real Golf proportions on the street.”
Why not give us one last petrol Golf 9? There’s still time.
“We will update Golf along the way, all the way to 2027, 2028, 2029.
"I’m not saying that they might not do a major upgrade or something.
“But to develop a whole new Golf from scratch as a next generation makes no sense in the numbers that we know.
“At the moment we see a bit of a slow-down in the ramp up of electric mobility and we’ll have to see in the next years what’s going on.”
When Focus goes next year, the dancefloor is yours.
Do you see the plug-in hybrid Golf continuing right up to 2033?
“Yes, probably. It’s a funny development because in the last six or seven months the perception of plug-in hybrids has changed.
"It was basically dead in Europe.
"It was an expensive technology.
"When certain countries stopped supporting it with subsidies everybody thought it was dead.
“Now there is new life in it all of a sudden.
"So lucky that we decided to do it for Tiguan, Golf and Passat and so on. Plug-in hybrids will play a strong role in the next couple of years.”
And continue all the way through to 2033?
“Absolutely.”
Tell us about Golf 8.5 . . .
“It’s the best Golf we’ve ever made.
"We’ve improved the interior quality and the infotainment is absolutely world-class now.
"We have integrated ChatGPT in the voice-control.
"There’s buttons on the steering wheel.
"That will make a lot of people happy. The vehicle is phenomenal.”
Do you have a Golf story?
“I drive a GTE at home in Ireland. It’s the perfect car.
"It’s zippy. It gets me everywhere.
"Super frugal on consumption. I love it. I also had a Golf 2 in my twenties.”
Does the electric ID family go higher than ID7 in terms of names?
“Probably not. We will still keep ID, at least until everything is electric.
"Until then, we will make it a mix out of numbers and iconic names, or names that make sense at the time.”
So like ID Buzz, the electric Golf will initially be called ID Golf?
“Probably.”
How far away is an up!-sized ID1? A small, simple, short-range electric car that’s genuinely affordable for all?
“We’re working on it. We need one. We need a car under €20,000.
"The entry car that lets you in to the brand. It’s not exactly clear when it’s coming but it can’t wait too long.”
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Before the end of this decade?
“Yes, definitely. Well before.”