A recent report from Australia mentioned that the upcoming 2020 Volkswagen Golf Mk8 will drop the famed dual-clutch automatic in favour of a torque converter automatic.

Wait, what?

The report cites Volkswagen Australia that the main reason for the switch is due to emission regulations, or the lack of.

Currently, Australia conforms to the Euro 5 emission standards, which is a tad bit more lenient than Europe’s 6d regulations. When the newer Euro 6d regulations commence on 1-January 2021, it also introduces a stricter WLTP test cycle.

Volkswagen is currently prioritizing production of its newer WLTP-compliant powertrains for markets with strict emission regulations.

As such, Australia will miss out on the newer WLTP-compliant 1.5-litre TSI EVO ACT and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and soldier on with the current Golf Mk7.5’s 1.4-litre TSI engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

At the moment, Volkswagen produces the 1.4-litre TSI engine mated to an 8-speed torque converter automatic. The same 1.4-litre TSI engine and 8-speed automatic pairing can be found on the North American market Golf.

That said, Volkswagen’s performance models like the Golf GTI and Golf R will continue to feature the dual-clutch transmission.

What about Malaysia?

For us in Malaysia, we expect the same configuration to be offered here, owing to the fact that Malaysia has less-strict (or rather, non-existent) CO2 emission regulations.

Furthermore, Volkswagen has yet to introduce the 2021 Golf Mk8 in Malaysia or Australia, both of which are right-hand drive markets.

The outgoing Golf Mk7.5 that is sold in Malaysia is fitted with a 1.4-litre TSI engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

While the Golf Mk8 won’t arrive here until 2021, we can look forward to the Volkswagen Arteon and Passat R-Line, both of which set for a debut later this year.