Next-gen 2019 VW Golf to be a huge leap forward in digitalisation

The 2019 VW Golf will have an evolutionary design, but in terms of technology, it will have revolutionary changes, suggests a new report from Autocar UK.

Speaking to the British publication at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show Volkswagen's Sales, Marketing & After Sales chief Jurgen Stackmann, said: "The new Golf will be everything people loved for years, but now made digital."

People want a Golf, it's iconic, but now there's a huge leap forward in the digitisation inside it. It's still a Golf, but now digital. It's kept what people have loved, and moved it to the next phase.

The next-gen VW Golf will have a much higher level of digitalisation compared to today’s model. While a more advanced Active Info Display is a sure-shot feature, reports speak of a touchscreen for the climate control system, a head-up display with Augmented Reality and a voice assistant as well. Expect a more minimalist layout for the dashboard, more comfortable seats and some new convenience features.

The 2019 VW Golf will have a low-profile front-end with visibly sleeker headlamps, substantially slimmer upper grille, two-part lower air intake and a sharply designed bumper. The designers will likely push the headlamps and upper grille much lower while they reduce their footprint, leading to a longer, more sloping bonnet. At the rear, spy shots have shown VW Tiguan-inspired L-shaped, narrower tail lamps.

To round up, the VW Golf Mk8 will feature a sharper and more aggressive design, but its dimensions won’t differ much from its predecessor. The range will include GTI, R-Line and R variants with unique styling touches once again. There's no word on the continuation of the GTD variant yet.

Moving to the engine line-up, Volkswagen’s goal is to offer petrol engines as fuel efficient as diesel engines and diesel engines as clean as petrol engines. A 95 PS/115 PS 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder petrol unit may kick-off the range. Above that, one can expect the 130 PS/150 PS 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder petrol unit, an all-new 1.5-litre TDI diesel engine and an all-new 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine.

Many engines will feature a 12- or 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The performance GTI variant and the high-performance GTI variant are likely to sport a 2.0-litre TSI engine with this fuel-sipping technology (48V) that also provides better performance with an electric boost. A GTE plug-in hybrid variant and a natural gas variant are also planned, but a pure electric variant is not. The VW ID.1 will replace the VW e-Golf.

Also Read: VW T-Cross officially unveiled as brand’s new entry-level SUV

The next-gen VW Golf will enter production in mid-2019. The VW ID.1’s production will commence at the end of the same year.

[Source: autocar.co.uk]