2024 VW Golf Mk 8.5 facelift will be the last - to become EV-only model next

VW has announced that it will not develop a new generation VW Golf with a combustion engine after the current Mk8 generation model reaches the end of its lifecycle.

The current Golf Mk8 will receive an update next year, after which it will stay on sale until 2030.

The VW Golf Mk8, itself a heavily updated Mk7 Golf, was first launched in October 2019. However it only went on sale in Malaysia in 2022.

While the Golf as we know it will end by this decade, the Golf nameplate will live on as an EV-only model. VW brand boss Thomas Schaefer said the next generation EV Golf will retain its iconic identity.

Schaefer told German newspaper Automobilwoche that VW will not make the mistake of simply labeling any vehicle as a Golf without meeting the design and performance expectations of the brand. Schaefer indicated that an EV Golf with true Golf genes, such as a flatter roof compared to the ID3 full-electric compact hatchback, is not expected until at least 2028, when VW launches its new SSP electric platform.

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He also said that if the world develops differently than expected by 2026 or 2027, a completely new vehicle may be launched, though it is not currently planned.

VW has previously stated that the brand will only sell battery EV models in Europe from 2033, as part of its commitment to transition into a 100 percent EV company.

The Golf, which has been Europe's best-selling passenger car for many years, has faced challenges in recent years due to the increasing popularity of SUVs and crossovers. It is no longer VW’s best-selling model in Europe, the honour now belongs to the T-Roc, which is essentially a higher ground clearance VW Polo.

Also read: The RM 170k CKD Mk8 VW Golf 1.4 TSI R-Line has been discontinued in Malaysia after just 1 year