On October 24th, Volkswagen will debut the new eighth-generation Golf. Spy shots have already caught the hatchback practically in its birthday suit, giving us a good look at this new hatchback — but Volkswagen isn’t letting that slow down its PR campaign. The brand has released some official preview images to whet everyone’s appetite for what — globally at least — remains the brand’s most important car. And based on those drawings, the new Golf looks as spectacular as ever.
The exterior appears to be a modern and straightforward evolution from what came before. The most significant difference will be the lighting: Volkswagen continued the Golf’s slow progression from round to sharply-angled headlights. It will also have a new light bar running the length of the front. (Let’s assume there will be a less aggressive wheel option than the one shown.)
Volkswagen AGA more dramatic change comes on the inside, where VW appears to have delivered its promised transition to a “digital cockpit.” The touchscreen has subsumed many of the buttons, and it will sit above, rather than below, the air vents. Volkswagen interiors tend to feel expensive for what you’re paying, and the drawings suggest this new Golf will be no different.
If Volkswagen does not muck up the car’s traditional superb handling, the eighth-generation Golf should retain its status as the best all-around affordable car on the market. It could be the sort of car that gets Americans to consider hatchback vehicles other than crossovers again.
Question is, will Volkswagen give the base model a shot here in the U.S. after the previous model’s sales downturn? We know the next-generation GTI is coming, and Volkswagen promises it will be “cool as hell.” We also know the next generation of Golf wagons won’t make it Stateside. The regular Golf, though…well, we’ll just have to cross our fingers and wait.
