We’ve Reached the End of the Line for Gas-Powered VW Golfs
The Volkswagen Golf will live on after this generation but only as an EV.
The current eighth generation Volkswagen Golf will be the last to have an internal combustion engine. According to Automobilwoche, VW boss Thomas Schaefer said the eighth-gen Golf will run its gas-powered course after its update next year.
Schaefer left the door open for a potential gas-powered revival for the Golf in the future, saying that it could happen if the world develops drastically different than expected by 2027, but Volkswagen isn't planning on that. Instead, VW is currently looking to electrify all of its core models.
"It's clear that we will not be giving up iconic names like Golf, Tiguan and GTI, but will be transferring them to the electric world," he told Automobilwoche. Thankfully, Schaefer said that VW's goal is to keep the spirit of the Golf alive as it transitions to full-electrification and that it won't just be slapping iconic names on electric vehicles.
The Golf's electric ninth generation will come toward the end of the decade, as the brand attempts to become fully electric by 2033. According to Schaefer, this won't happen until at least 2028, when VW phases out its current MEB platform and launches its new SSP electric architecture.
Unlike MEB, the SSP platform will be able to support a wider variety of cars, such as larger SUVs. So we could see further classic Volkswagen nameplates carry on to EVs, such as the Passat, Tiguan, and even Touareg. However, it's possible the "ID" name could continue on as well. Back in December, Schafer told Autocar that there's a good enough connection between Volkswagen and the ID name to keep it around even alongside more traditional names. He said there could even be an "ID Golf."
So it's possible we could see an SSP-based Volkswagen ID Golf by as early as 2028, which will kick off the brand's journey into full electrification.
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