Golf

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Hatchback

Due to software glitches delaying its launch, the new Volkswagen Golf won't be going on sale until next year. The good news, however, is the eight-generation of Volkswagen's best-selling hatchback will still debut later this year.

Originally slated to debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show in September alongside the production-ready ID. electric hatchback, "multiple company sources" have told Automotive News the new Golf's official reveal will now take place sometime in October. Production of the eight-generation Golf will also start at VW's factory in Wolfsburg towards the end of the third quarter, according to the publication.

We also now know some of the standard equipment we can expect to see in the new Golf, including lane-keeping assist, LED headlights, a multifunction steering wheel and a fully digital cockpit that includes an 8.25-inch touchscreen display in the middle console. The infotainment system will also feature over-the-air updates, which has caused some of the software bugs that VW engineers are working to rectify.

New Golf owners will also be able to unlock the car with a smartphone utilizing a digital key, which VW hopes will help set the new Golf apart from its rivals. Engineers say this function is hooked up to more than ten different vehicle subsystems. "The navigational and infotainment system alone has between 10 to 20 million lines of code, which is more than an entire car had 10 years ago," a senior executive told Automotive News.

The new eighth-generation Golf is slated to go on sale in February 2019 in Germany, so US sales will likely kick off around a year later. Don't expect a radical redesign, as spy photos and leaked images have shown the new Golf will adopt a rather evolutionary design. The next-generation Golf GTI and Golf R are also expected to arrive in 2020, and a new range-topping Golf R Plus is also expected to pack around 400 hp if it gets the green light, making it the most powerful and extreme Golf yet.