Day by day the move towards electrification seems inevitable. New models are being released and old ones are being updated to electric. Now, whether electrification will completely take over remains unsure; however, the effect it has on the current automotive scene is certainly profound. According to a Reuters report, VW is not planning a new combustion engine Golf, which means the Mk8 will mark the end of the line for the gas-powered Golf era.
This, we would imagine also takes the GTI into account. The Volkswagen Golf has played a significant role in the history of the automobile as it was the first vehicle to bring affordable, and usable fun to the masses. It was the car that kickstarted the hot hatchback scene – a scene that is all about peppy engines, lightweight, and huge smiles. So, since Golf plays such a big role in the automotive industry, this article will be going over everything we know regarding electrification rumors.
What We Know So Far
Volkswagen is obviously paying close attention to what is happening in the automotive world right now and has decided that the next-generation Mk9 Golf should be electric. The vehicle will probably be released to the market by 2026 or 2027. By that time, the current 8th-generation Golf will have received one or two further updates. It was stated, however, that if circumstances allow, a new electric Golf may come even sooner. The German automaker has set the goal of 80 percent of sales in Europe and 55 percent of sales in North America to be fully electric by 2030 and they aren’t messing around.
What Does Electrification Mean For The Golf?
It is important to consider how the hot hatchback world will change when the electric Golf will be released as we believe there is a significant problem here. You see, hot hatchbacks are all about fun, and as you may know, EVs can’t offer many of the attributes that lead to a fun vehicle. Sure, an electric vehicle can be extremely fast, but as of now, it can’t be fun.
The problem here is that since the Golf is a hatchback, it's not in the price range for a vehicle that can be insanely fast, and since it is an EV, it can’t be fun either. The essence of driving a hot hatchback revving the engine, working through the gears, and having a laugh while playing with the small dimensions and light weight of the vehicle around the corners. This is the recipe, low weight, decent power, engine noise, and great handling. An electric vehicle has no noise, is heavy, and doesn’t even have a transmission; therefore, no gears to shift either.
The hot hatchback is perhaps the segment that will suffer the most during this transition as the values of electric vehicles dramatically contradict the values of a hot hatchback. We can never be sure though; VW was the pioneer of the segment and they may have some ideas that will infuse fun into the vehicle. Only time can tell.
The Electric Golf Will Probably Look Like The ID2
Recently, a new VW model dubbed the ID2 had been previewed. This is a model that won’t be coming to the U.S. as it looks to be a direct replacement to the VW Polo – the Golf’s smaller brother. From a design standpoint, the ID2 looks very similar to a Golf and can give a good idea of what an Electric Golf could look like.
Rumors around this vehicle suggest that it will pack roughly 225 horsepower and 200 miles of range; therefore, we can expect a slight increase in those numbers in the larger Golf. Whether VW will keep the Golf nameplate or if it will be changed to fit the I.D line-up remains to be seen. What would you prefer? We believe that keeping the name is fitting as the Golf is well-known as VWs hatchback. However, changing it to fit the I.D lineup also makes sense.
Will The Golf 8 Become Valuable?
The fact that the Golf 8 is the last Golf with an internal combustion engine begs the question of whether these vehicles will go up in value? Think about it, the last air-cooled Porsches went up in value when water-cooling was introduced. Also, if the company changes the name of the vehicle, it means that they will be discontinuing the nameplate which may drive prices up even further. Of course, there are plenty of Golfs around; therefore, the normal version won’t be fetching any noteworthy prices. However, there is a good chance that GTI models will, and this is all down to the vehicle's incredible history as the world’s first hot hatchback.
The Golf Has Been On A Wild Ride
This section may sound like a farewell to the vehicle, and it sort of is. Electric cars are great, but the soul of the Golf probably be lost by removing its engine. Through the years, the VW Golf has gone through some incredible iterations with the first and seventh generations probably being some of the best. In fact, every Golf (except the 4th generation) released was always considered to be amongst the top hot hatchbacks in the world which is a huge achievement for Volkswagen. Think about it, eight different models, and nearly all of them performed exceptionally. The good news, however, is that the electric model hasn’t been released yet and you can still go out and buy an ICE GTI. So, if you want one, go get it now!