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As we are approaching the world reveal of the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf, it’s understandable why more and more reports are emerging about the spicy Grand Tourer Injection expected to go on sale in 2020. According to Autocar, former VW Group chairman Matthias Müller was eager to electrify the Golf 8 GTI, but his successor, Herbert Diess, sees things differently. Ultimately, the hot hatch from Wolfsburg will do without the hybrid setup and will stick to the tried-and-tested formula: evolution rather than revolution.

In other words, the Golf GTI in its eighth iteration will feature the same turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine available in today’s car, but output will grow to 252 horsepower for the standard model. The GTI Performance will allegedly be replaced by a new GTI TCR with 286 hp on tap, which would be exactly the same as the namesake model recently launched in Europe. The horsepower gain will be complemented by a torque bump over the current 258 pound-feet (350 Newton-meters) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm), respectively.

Not only will the Golf GTI carry over the 2.0 TSI, but the six-speed manual gearbox and the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic will also be inherited from the outgoing model. The mild hybrid setup originally planned for the car with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine working together with an electric motor and the 48V electrical architecture has been ditched, says Autocar. The lesser versions of the Golf will employ this hybrid arrangement, but with a 1.5-liter TSI for the gasoline-fueled models and a 2.0-liter TDI for the diesels.

VW has already announced plans to kick off production of the new Golf in June, and sources close to the matter have told Autocarthe official reveal is scheduled for this summer. Plot twist: “The GTI is likely to join it at that event,” according to the report.

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Earlier this month we learned Volkswagen ultimately decided to ditch a hybrid powertrain for its next-generation Golf GTI hot hatch, due to premiere next September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Instead, VW is sticking with the status quo by offering an updated version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four available in today’s GTI. And, of course, it’ll be more powerful, as we also previously reported.

Another earlier piece of information claimed that VW will offer an even more extreme GTI variant, called the TCR, though it’ll be less powerful than the next Golf R. A new report from Car Magazine, however, clarifies what this new trim will officially be called: GTI Cup, which is inspired by the current GTI TCR, a three-door, overseas only limited edition GTI good for 286 hp. That’s only 10 hp shy of the Golf R’s output.

Apparently, VW feels there’s a market for an in-between model so it’s making it a permanent thing. The GTI Cup will not be limited edition and will boast a number of exterior upgrades as well. Some of these include an extreme aero kit, lower ride height, fatter wheels, bigger brakes, and a differential lock.

Output is said to still be around 286 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. And here’s the best part: VW will remove the top speed limiter chip for an extra fee. Instead of the typical 155 mph maximum speed, that figure will increase to 166 mph. Even the current Golf R has a 155 mph top speed.

The report also notes the next Golf R will also be more powerful, which we already knew. Expect at least 328 hp and 295 lb-ft sent to all four wheels through the familiar seven-speed dual-clutch. But the big news here is really the existence of the new GTI Cup. It’ll not only cost less than the Golf R, but will also weigh less too because it lacks an AWD system. Although we won’t know specifics for several months, its power-to-weight-ratio could be best in class and maybe, just maybe, challenge the Honda Civic Type R to a certain Nurburgring record.

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While VW did not reveal the all-new 8th generation 2020 Golf at this week’s Geneva Motor Show as many of us anticipated, we believe we can make it up with the best and most revealing photos of the popular compact model yet.

It’s virtually undisguised, as only the front and rear lights have some distracting fake decals. However, the production car will use similar lighting units on both ends, so styling-wise, we don’t anticipate any surprises between now and its unveiling later this year.

VW’s latest design language seems to fit the MK8 Golf pretty well, giving it an overall sleeker and more modern appearance, while also paying homage to the MK7 model, which ditched the MK6’s curvy lines in favor of a sharper look.

Still, every single body panel is new on the MK8, and the front end design gives it a squinty, sort of menacing aesthetic, somewhat similar to the Arteon’s.

The car also looks wider than before and if you look close, you’ll notice that the base of the mirrors sits on the actual door panel, rather than on the window line – an interesting choice. As for the new rear end, it allows the MK8 Golf to hold onto its personality, as it looks nothing like the smaller Polo.

We have yet to see an all-new VW Golf prototype with an exposed interior, which is a shame because the German automaker will surely bring the nameplate up to date with the rest of the C-segment as far as on-board tech and active safety is concerned. It should also feature higher quality materials than the MK7, a Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster and a bigger and better infotainment system than before.

The MK8 Golf will ride on an upgraded version of the current car’s platform, dubbed MQB Evo. As a result it will weigh less (up to 45 kg / 100 lbs) and have a slightly larger wheelbase, which in turn means more room for passengers and possibly even a bigger trunk.

Production is expected to commence this June, starting with a range of turbocharged three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel versions, joined later on by either full or mild-hybrid models, as well as top-of-the-range GTI and R models.

The public will likely see the car in person this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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One of Volkswagen’s big news stories from the Geneva motor show is the T-Roc R, a small SUV with the same 296bhp, all-wheel-drive mechanicals as a Golf R.

“I believe this car drives better than the Golf R,” VW’s R division boss, Jost Capito, bullishly tells us. Well of course he would; it’s the newer car. But it still surprised us that he’s so certain of it when you’d naturally expect a heavier, taller car to suffer compromise.

“Of course there’s a higher centre of gravity, but I would say that’s the only difference. The rest of the chassis setup you can do exactly the same.

“We changed the stiffness of the front of the car, we changed all the engine mounts and gearbox mounts, we made them all stiffer… it feels more direct. We had the basis with the Golf R but we modified everything.”

All those tweaks are learnings from Golf R, Capito tells us; things that would have been applied to a new Golf R too, had that arrived before the T-Roc R. So does it all mean we can expect the R treatment on much more stuff? More SUVs, perhaps?

“I think it’s going to be much wider in the line-up,” he says. But still no Polo. “With R you have four-wheel drive, and you don’t have four-wheel drive in the Polo platform. I also think the effort and the money you put in works from the Golf size of car upwards.”

And what of the Golf R400 concept, which has still yet to make production? “We did research and customers don’t want it. They want around 300 horsepower and a price tag below €50,000. To move up to 400 horsepower you lose 50 per cent of the sales volume and increase the cost of ownership.”

A rare case of a German performance brand actually placing a ceiling on its power outputs, then. Perhaps. Though a chat with Volkswagen board member Jürgen Stackmann revealed the R version of the mk8 Golf will still be pretty potent.

“The crown jewel of performance in a Golf remains Golf R,” he told us. “We don’t want to take hybrids to a ridiculous strength. A hybrid needs to be affordable, and have an ecological reasoning. It’s not just for performance. The GTE is an alternative choice for a GTI customer, and that will remain. The performance king will remain a Golf R, and the Golf 8 R is going to be fantastic.”

Just not 400 horsepower fantastic…

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There’s been a lot of talk lately regarding Volkswagen’s upcoming all-electric lineup, branded I.D. The first EV, the I.D. hatchback, is set to debut later this year. But what about the German automaker’s existing lineup, which does consist of a certain icon, the GTI hot hatch. We spoke with Volkswagen Group of North America CEO Scott Keogh at Geneva last week and he made something very clear that we were extremely happy to hear.

"Right now, the GTI is the heart and soul of our brand. However, I’m not naïve that the segment is getting smaller but I’m also not naïve to the fact that we gotta hang on to that (the GTI),” he said. Keogh also specifically pointed out another example of the automaker’s commitment to performance models with the recently revealed Jetta GLI.

"One of the things I’m proud of is that I think we did the right job with that Jetta (the new GLI) by basically matching it up to a GTI. Same drivetrain, same brakes up front. I actually see more opportunities to do that. That platform is used in some other places. I won’t give away anything. But I think that is a brand to Volkswagen that even if the volume is small it is our most loyal people, our most enthusiast people. And you can see it right away. The instant we announced that GLI look at all of the credibility we got. People were like ‘they did it. They finally matched it (the Jetta) up.’ So I think it’s a strategy we can match again.”

Whether this means performance crossovers or something else entirely Keogh, quite clearly, refused to go into. But Keogh fully understands and appreciates the important of performance, relatively low-volume models like the GTI and new Jetta GLI. Heck, it’s also totally possible we’ll eventually see performance EVs, but one thing at a time.

"We will be bringing the eighth-generation Golf. That will have a GTI,” Keogh added. "We’re 100 percent on board. Right now GTI will stay GTI. We need these types of cars.” The next generation Golf is expected to debut next September at Frankfurt and the new GTI will likely follow shortly thereafter.

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It was only about a month ago when Volkswagen revealed the reasons why it didn’t put the Golf R400 into production and now a new juicy rumor claims something similar in spirit is being developed for the eighth generation of the compact hatchback. The R400 was rejected because it would’ve been too expensive to buy and maintain, but now Autocar says a Golf R Plus is in the works with close to 400 horsepower and a price similar to that of the Audi RS3 Sportback.

Although not green-lighted just yet, the model in question has the support of VW’s boss Herbert Diess. Not only that, but a styling proposal has already been completed and the plan is to make it a lot more aggressive than the standard Golf R. The go-faster version is expected to have anywhere between 380 to 400 horsepower from a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine developed by Audi. In the base Golf R, the four-cylinder TSI unit will be good for somewhere in the region of 320 hp.

In charge of sending all that power to a newly developed 4Motion all-wheel-drive system will be a dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission offered as standard, so don’t hold your breath for a manual. Performance levels should mirror those of the ill-fated R400, which needed only 3.9 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 kph) and topped out at 174 mph (280 kph).

The AWD hot hatchback in regular guise is going to be offered strictly as a five-door model once it will go on sale in 2020, with the meaner Plus version in the same body style coming later in the life cycle provided it will be approved for production.

Even if it will get the full 400 hp, it will still be down on power compared to the upcoming Mercedes-AMG A45, which in its highest state of tune will have a monstrous 416 hp. It goes to show the horsepower wars are far from being over, and we’re expecting great things from the next five-cylinder Audi RS3 as well.

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The new Golf’s development hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, what with all the software bugs, but Volkswagen is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Originally slated to premiere in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the production-ready I.D. electric hatchback, the official reveal of the immensely popular compact model has been pushed back by about a month.

The folks from Wolfsburg previously said the Golf VIII would still debut before the end of the year despite being delayed, and now “multiple company sources” have told Automotive News Europe the big debut will occur sometime in October. In addition, ANE has it on good authority production of the new Golf at the factory in Wolfsburg will start towards the end of the third quarter.

The same report goes on to mention some of the goodies you will get in the eighth generation of VW’s best-selling car. Standard equipment will allegedly include LED headlights, fully digital instrument cluster, lane-keeping assist, and an 8.25-inch touchscreen in the center console. Speaking of which, the infotainment system will support over-the-air updates, a feature which has given VW’s software team a lot of headaches during the car’s development phase.

As you have probably heard by now, the market launch is programmed for the end of February 2019, with domestic market Germany being the first country to get the Golf VIII. There’s a rather wild rumor going on about the more practical Variant being axed, which would consequently mean the death of the rugged Alltrack as well. However, wagons are still fairly popular in Europe and it would probably be a mistake to kill the long-roof version, so it’s merely gossip for the time being. One body style is still expected to go the way of the dodo as the three-door Golf is likely not coming back for the eighth generation.

Don’t expect a new e-Golf either as its place in VW’s lineup will be taken by the aforementioned I.D., while the plug-in hybrid GTE will live to see another generation. As for the hotter GTI and the all-wheel-drive R, both are slated to come out in 2020, with a meaner Golf R Plus featuring close to 400 horsepower rumored to be in the pipeline.

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...the market launch is programmed for the end of February 2019...

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The eighth generation of the Volkswagen Golf will be here soon, and, according to a new report, only the GTI and Golf R are coming here. The standard and Sportwagen Golfs reportedly won’t make it to the United States.

That’s according to Motor1, which cited an unnamed Volkswagen employee in a report on Friday ahead of the new Golf’s debut in October. The employee said the standard Golf and Sportwagen were out for the U.S. once the new car comes along, and Motor1 reports that Volkswagen declined to comment further when asked for an official statement.

Jalopnik has also reached out to Volkswagen and will update if we hear back.

From Motor1's story:

If it does happen, it’s easy to understand why VW would cut the lower versions over here. The sales numbers on those cars from the Motor1 story don’t look good. American buyers’ overwhelming tendency to lean toward crossovers and SUVs, not hatchbacks, doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

But if this is the case when the October reveal comes around, at least we’ll still have some new hot hatches to choose from. That’s a sigh of relief, in a market like this one.

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The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf has been snapped without any camouflage during a recent commercial shoot for the car

The images that were sent to us by an eagle-eyed reader, were apparently (briefly) posted on the Instagram page of _adrianmay. They show the Golf Mk8 painted in the same color as recent prototypes and confirm that the many renderings previewing the latest Golf’s design have been accurate.

The most significant alteration made to the rear of the eighth-gen Golf are the new taillights which are certainly more aggressive than those of the outgoing model. In addition, we can see chrome accents around the tailpipes and two horizontal reflectors on either side of the license plate cut-out. Only a single, low-resolution photo of the new Golf’s front end is available, but it reveals newly-shaped taillights and an overhauled lower grille area with accents painted in the same shade as the rest of the car.

Beyond the exterior modifications, the interior of the new VW Golf will also be a significant upgrade over the current car. For example, there will be a fully-digital gauge cluster and a large touchscreen for the infotainment system in the center of the console. The new Golf will also support over-the-air updates, which has made VW ensure the car’s software remains safe from cyberattacks. As a result, it’s quite complex; ee’re told that the new car features 100 million lines of code, versus the 10 million needed by a new car a decade ago.

Volkswagen was originally expected to unveil the Mk8 Golf at September’s Frankfurt Auto Show, but that launch has allegedly been pushed back until October, while initial production should kick off in September.

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While no official explanation was provided, a glance at the sales figures provides some insight. In 2018, the GTI and Golf R combined for 48 percent of the Golf family’s sales, with the GTI out-selling the standard Golf nearly three-to-one. Though none of the Golf's variants sell in massive numbers, VW only sold 6,642 base Golfs in 2018 – less than two percent of overall car sales for the brand.

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The all-new, eighth-gen VW Golf is scheduled to debut officially on October 24, but photos of the final item have already begun circulating on social media

While the Golf Mk8 is far from being the best kept secret in the industry, having been spotted countless times so far with very little camo or none at all, these images offer us the best look yet at the new compact hatchback’s design.

Posted on Facebook by a VW fan page from Slovakia, the photos show a production-spec 2020 Golf (notice the sticker on the interior of the windshield). This exterior image gives us an uncensored look at the headlights, as VW has cleverly camouflaged them so far and concealed the upper LED DRL bar.

The illuminated bars fit flush with the grille’s horizontal trim strip, emphasizing the Golf Mk8’s width. Down below, the bumper also features horizontal bars in the lower grille, some of which are partially or fully painted in the vehicle color.

We don’t know what trim this is, but it definitely has an entry-level vibe about it, seeing as the window trim is black and the wheels seem rather small. Seen from the side, the 2020 Golf does not seem that much different compared to the Mk7 generation, with the notable exception of the side mirrors which are now mounted lower on the doors.

The interior is a different story, though, as the driver-oriented cockpit looks hi-tech and very modern. If this is indeed an entry-level version (an impression reinforced by the manual transmission gear stick), VW should receive praise for not making it look cheap. While no one expected the Golf Mk8 to adopt a revolutionary design, we’re curious to learn what is your take on the new model’s styling.

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The press releases for the all-new 2020 aren’t due to come out until tomorrow, but a German newspaper called Augsburger Allgemeinemust have been so excited they forgot because they published what appear to be official photos already. What’s German for “oops?” It’s probably 30 letters long, whatever it is.

The newspaper published a large photo of the front of the car, and another, somewhat smaller three-quarter image.

As far as leaks go, it’s really pretty minor, as we’ve seen the Mark 8 Golf running around in the wild, already.

The new Golf is crisp and fairly handsome looking, though it does look sort of nonplussed in that head-on image. It also appears that there will be some slight variations, like how on that green one above there’s bits above the headlights to give them a rounder shape, and not all the models appear to have that.

I like the proportions, and it feels true to its original, boxier, Giugiaro-penned original. Like all generations of Golf, this one shows some carefully-considered evolutions of design, not a radical departure, which is really what the Golf has always been about.

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