Volkswagen's eighth-generation Golf gets mild-hybrid power.

New VW Golf arrives in March

Volkswagen has taken the covers off the highly-anticipated new eighth generation Golf. The Golf is the most successful European car, with over 35 million vehicles sold.

In terms of its technology, the Golf is making the greatest leap forward since its debut over 45 years ago. Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen Passenger Cars said: “The Golf is the original. The model that has defined our brand over decades. The Golf has consistently made new technologies available for everyone. And this has never been so true as today. Because this time we are bringing features from the premium segment into the compact class – which is, again, typically for Volkswagen.”

It is a fact that the new Golf makes sustainable mobility accessible to many people. What’s more, with this Golf Volkswagen is moving to digitalised, self-explanatory operation.

Klaus Bischoff, Head Designer at Volkswagen: “In a world where complexity is ever-increasing, the new Golf allows the driver to operate the vehicle intuitively.”

Practically all displays and controls are digital: the new instruments and online infotainment systems meld together into a display landscape featuring touch buttons and touch sliders.

With the new Golf, Volkswagen has started a hybrid offensive. As the first model of the brand, the eighth Golf will be available in no less than five hybrid drive versions.

Its debut also celebrates 48V technology: a belt starter generator, 48V lithium-ion battery and the latest generation of efficient TSI engines form a new mild hybrid drive in the eTSI. Tangible benefits include: consumption has been cut by up to 10 per cent (on the basis of WLTP) and the vehicle is extremely agile and comfortable when moving off. Volkswagen will offer the Golf in three eTSI output stages: 110hp, 130hp and 150hp.

The eighth generation of the best-seller will also be available as two plug-in hybrid drive variants. A new efficiency version generates 204hp while the very sporty GTE delivers 245hp.

Both Golf versions with plug-in hybrid drives will launch with a new 13 kWh lithium-ion battery on board that enables larger electrically powered ranges of approximately 60 kilometres, and temporarily turns the Golf into a zero-emissions vehicle.

The drive options for the new Golf also include a petrol (TSI), and diesel (TDI), two four-cylinder petrol engines with 90hp and 110hp, two four-cylinder diesel engines with 115 and 150hp.

The new TSI variants have particularly low consumption values and emissions thanks to elements including the innovative TSI Miller combustion process.

An innovation in the TDI powertrains: Volkswagen uses twin-dosing technology to significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions (NOX) by up to 80 per cent; in addition, TDI consumption is lowered by up to 17 per cent compared with its predecessor.