Even if all we get is the GTI and Golf R, it’s better than nothing, but let’s stay optimistic that there’s more to come.
Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow
A report from yesterday claimed that Volkswagen is positioning the upcoming eighth-generation Golf as the segment’s standard-bearer for connectivity. What a bummer it was, then, when we caught wind of a new report from Motor1 claiming that VW will only bring the next-generation GTI and Golf R to the US, not the standard variants. Thankfully, nothing appears set in stone just yet.
“The [next-generation] Golf R and GTI are confirmed, but other Golf models are under consideration for the North American region,” said a Volkswagen spokesperson in an emailed statement. Models in this Teutonic purgatory likely include the base five-door hatchback, in addition to the SportWagen station wagon and its Alltrack variant.
There are a number of factors that could cut off a vehicle’s intent to enter the US market. Sales is one, and considering every variant of Golf is on a year-over-year downswing, perhaps VW’s suits are thinking twice about expending the time and capital to clear a variety of variants for sale in the US. In fact, the GTI was the best-selling Golf variant in April 2019, which points to a possible reason that it’s already confirmed while other variants are not.
Nevertheless, Volkswagen has some time before it has to make a final decision. While the 2020 Golf is reportedly slated for a European debut in October, it generally takes VW an extra year to bring the latest generation of Golf to the US, so we probably won’t see it until the 2021 model year.
I’m still holding out hope for the next-gen Golf, because it sounds like a doozy. A report from Automotive News Europe claims that standard kit will include lane-keep assist, a large gauge cluster screen and another screen in the dashboard no smaller than 8.25 inches. It will also reportedly pack vehicle-to-x communication capabilities, in addition to allowing a person’s phone to act as a car key. Some of those will obviously show up on the GTI and Golf R regardless, but it’d be nice to see them in more affordable form factors, too.
Source: Future - cnet.com
