VW Golf May Not Get A New Generation

The world-famous and beloved Volkswagen Golf compact hatchback, one of the forebears of the C-Class, which is also called the “golf class,” may well not get its continuation. The reason for this is global warming and the desire of automakers to become more environmentally friendly.

Since the European Union has set a deadline of 2030 for the end of the internal combustion engine era and the start of production of only electric cars, the cost of developing and producing the new Golf may be prohibitive. Thomas Schaefer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said that VW divisions are currently working on a restyling of the eighth-generation Golf, but whether the project will get the green light is still unknown. After all, the investment associated with the development of cars with internal combustion engines and increasingly stringent emissions standards will not be covered in this class of car.

Thomas Schäfer also explained that in the future, if cars are produced according to Euro-VII emission standards, the price for purchasers of one car could rise from €3,000 to €5,000. After all, in order to achieve this level of environmental standards, the manufacturer will have to install a rather complex and expensive exhaust system.

In this case, the final price will be an order of magnitude higher than that of the entry-level electric cars planned for production in the future. A case in point is the VW ID.2, which is expected to cost around 25,000 euros and could debut in 2025. It is worth noting that the range of such a compact is claimed at 350 km (218 miles), which should cover the travel needs of most people who prefer compact-class cars.

If you think about the reality of such a step and whether or not Volkswagen will go for it, it is worth paying attention to the realities of the market and as an example give the current electric car model ID.3, because the car body is commensurate with the dimensions of the Golf, but the internal architecture gives more space in the cabin, thereby ID.3 is such Golf with a cabin above the class of the car. Thus, the ID.3 and the future ID.2, having smaller dimensions than the Golf but similar interior dimensions, will simply displace the more expensive Golf model from the market.

One way or another, in time we’ll find out if it was just reasoning or market incentives to increase sales. For now, let’s take a look back at how the Golf has evolved since the first model was introduced in 1974.

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