Big ergonomic, powertrain and design revisions aim to reinvigorate hatch’s appeal
GREG KABLE
OFFICIAL PICTURES
Volkswagen has comprehensively rebooted the eighth-generation Golf in a bid to sustain its appeal to the end of the decade, when it will be replaced by the electric Mk9.
As it turns 50, the German firm’s all-time best-seller receives a wide-reaching suite of technology upgrades, usability enhancements, material improvements and a new look inside and out. The powertrain line-up has been revamped, too, with the addition of new long-range plug-in hybrids, revised petrol and diesel options – and more power for the GTI hot hatch, which will head the line-up until the launch of the revised four-wheel-drive Golf R later this year.
Due in the UK in April, the 2024 Golf seeks to reinstate the model as Europe’s number one by sales volume after supply chain bottlenecks and a drop in popularity caused it to slip behind the likes of the Peugeot 208, the Dacia Sandero, Volkswagen’s own T-Roc and the Renault Clio in the sales charts.
Styling elements that distinguish the new Golf include an illuminated Volkswagen badge at the front – a feature made possible by a recent change in Europe’s advertising laws – and a reprofiled front bumper with redesigned air ducts (decorated by a honeycomb insert on the GTI). Another obvious change are the new-look, angular LED headlights, which can be optionally specified with VW’s IQ Light HD matrix technology.
There are new sills underneath the doors too, as well as a more prominent spoiler above the tailgate on the GTI, a restyled rear bumper and new-look LED tail-lights.
The 11 paint colours offered up until now have been extended to include four new metallic colours, and a black roof is being made available for the first time as an option on the GTI, GTE and R-Line variants of the Golf.
The GTI can also be ordered with carbonfibre exterior applications for the first time, and the iconic teledial alloy wheel design has returned to the options list for the first time since the Mk6 version as one of five new designs for the 2024 hot hatch.
Inside, Volkswagen has provided the upgraded Golf with a new multifunction steering wheel. It reverts back to button controls, dropping the widely criticised capacitive controls used on the pre-facelift Golf. There are also higher-quality materials throughout the cabin to help lift perceived quality.
