Volkswagen plans to launch the 8th generation of its best-selling Golf compact in 2017, just five years after launching the present model, a German magazine reported. The new VW Golf will be lower, wider and will look very different from the current 7th generation hatchback with new design features including restyled front and rear lights.
Volkswagen will also offer new safety options in the Golf, including automatic parking and automatic braking with pedestrian recognition that will also be available in the new midsize Passat which will begin sales later this year, the report added. Infotainment features carried over from the larger model will also include a heads-up display and Mirror-Link, which allows drivers to access and use smartphone apps via the car’s touchscreen display. Like the current Golf, the new model will be based on VW Group’s generic MQB architecture that underpins models including the Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Audi A3.
In a move to cut fuel consumption, Volkswagen is working on new greener engines for the Golf and has cut the overall weight of the new hatchback by 50kgs (110 pounds), the report said. Additionally, the carmaker may also offer an economical three-cylinder unit currently fitted in the new Polo subcompact model, the magazine added. Volkswagen has declined to comment on the report.
