Golf

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Hatchback

It's a sad, sorry testament to the decline in the popularity of cars that the all-new 2020 VW Golf won't be sold in the United States, but we can take solace in the fact that the Golf's more performance-oriented flavors - the Golf GTI and Golf R - will be sold here. We can only hope that our market-specific version of the GTI and R offer this one nifty feature: Air Care Climatronic.

Air Care Climatronic is an automatic, three-zone climate control system designed to be as intuitive as possible, despite living entirely within the Golf's central infotainment touchscreen. And it may just be the smartest climate control system ever concocted.

Why? Voice control: that's why. Now, the driver or front-seat passenger can simply say "I am cold," or "I am warm," and the Air Care Climatronic system will adjust accordingly. This being a three-zone climate system, the vehicle is actually equipped to discern whether it is the driver or passenger speaking, adjusting the temperature only for the individual making the request.

Meanwhile, a set of five frequently used modes of operation - "Clear view" (demist the windows), "Warm feet", "Warm hands", "Cool feet", and "Fresh air" - are readily available on a Smart Climate sub-menu, or by voice command. Each of these programmed functions runs temporarily after being called.

As more and more vehicle functions migrate from hard controls to vehicle infotainment systems, opportunities emerge for smart, sophisticated new programmed functions that wouldn't be practical to implement with physical buttons, knobs, and switches. With the new Golf, Volkswagen is clearly leaning into this in order to offer simple, intuitive control schemes that keep the driver's focus more fully on the road.

The new 2020 VW Golf GTI will debut this March at the Geneva Motor Show, followed a few months later by the Golf R at July's Goodwood Festival of Speed.