Golf

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Hatchback

2019 promises to be a landmark year for Volkswagen, with the launch of the brand's first electric I.D. car marking a new era for the German automaker. Equally important for VW is the launch of the next-generation Golf this year.

We know production is starting this June, but the only official images VW has released so far are some vague design sketches teasing what the 2020 Golf will look like. But thanks to leaked photos posted by Instagram user johannes.vag, we're getting an early look at the all-new Golf ahead of its official reveal.

The photos allegedly show the eighth-generation VW Golf virtually undisguised outside a McDonald's restaurant while the test driver stopped for lunch. Much like the 2020 Porsche 911, the new Golf's design changes aren't very dramatic since Volkswagen understandably doesn't want to mess with a successful formula since the iconic hatchback's inception in 1974.

As expected, we're looking at an evolutionary update compared to the current seventh-generation model. It's still instantly recognizable as a Golf, but the new model appears to have sharper design lines and slimmer LED lights that match VW's newer models. It also looks slightly longer and wider than its predecessor.

The all-new Golf will be based on an upgraded version of the current model's MQB platform. As a result, it will be significantly lighter and have a larger wheelbase than the current Golf, so it should offer a more spacious cabin and more trunk space. We're also expecting the interior to get an overhaul, as well as more safety tech and a semi-autonomous system.

Expect a range of turbocharged three- and four-cylinder gasoline and diesel units available at launch, followed by mild-hybrid version and a new next-generation Golf R, which could have as much as 400 hp on tap. With production of the eight-generation Golf starting in June, a reveal at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March seems likely.