New VW Golf Models Will Be EVs, Says VW Boss

With ever-tightening emission restrictions looming the multi-billion automotive industry, many carmakers prefer to simply join the electrification exodus, rather than fiddling with other carbon-neutral or sustainable alternatives. This, in hand, forces marques to forgo their previous historic performance-esque ICE models and opt for new EV-specific models instead. Fortunately, not all car brands do so.

Volkswagen’s iconic hot-hatch, the Golf, is tipped to don a full-electric cape for its next-gen iteration. In line with Volkswagen’s commitment to be a full-fledged EV manufacturer by next decade, the marque also hoped such initiative will ensure its historic models will be retained and survive for years to come.

Speaking to Autocar UK at the LA Motor Show, Volkswagen’s boss Thomas Schafer said the Golf nameplate won’t be gone soon as it will join the firm’s current ID EV line-up, ensuring the Golf’s legacy to live on. Schafer further added that Golf’s performance-focused GTI and R specs will also survive the electrification ordeal. As for now, neither GTI nor R badging has yet been used on any Volkswagen’s EVs, with the next-gen Golf poised to do so.

Volkswagen’s electrified ID line-up currently comprises five models, beginning with the ID.3 small hatch, ID.4, ID.5 and China-exclusive ID.6 crossover SUVs as well as ID. Buzz EV minivan. In spite of the pre-existing ID.3 hatch in its EV line-up, Schafer insisted that the future electrified Golf won’t simply take the ID.3’s place as the two hatches are different in terms of size and its positioning in VW’s ID fleet.

As the smaller ID.2 EV city car is coming soon, the next-gen Golf EV will probably sit between it and the bigger ID.3. Schafer noted that the “ID.3 has never been a successor to the Golf, it is more a Golf Plus.” Both the ID.2 and ID.3 are tipped to underpin the Wolfsburg manufacturer’s latest SSP EV platform, rather than the current MEB platform used by the rest of the ID models.

With the next-gen Golf poised to join the ID fleet, Autocar’s report suggested that it might don the ‘ID’ name, too. The current Mk8 Golf is expected to be retired around 2027-2028, marking almost a decade of its production which began back in 2019.

Golf fans, what do you think of this new revelation regarding future Golf models? Will electrification finally mark an end to the Golf’s historic run? Or will it actually save the Golf instead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below…