Volkswagen is not planning new gasoline or diesel versions of its classic Golf, the best-selling car in Europe for a long time, said the brand’s CEO, Thomas Schaefer, to the German publication Automobilwoche (via Reuters) on Sunday.
The move, which would end the line of internal combustion Golf after eight generations since 1974, would free up funds for future investments in electric vehicles, according to the report. The plan is for the current eighth-generation Golf, introduced in 2020 and set for a major update in 2024, to conclude its life cycle and potentially be replaced by an EV with the Golf name around 2028, said Schaefer in the interview, adding that the brand will only sell electric cars from 2033 onwards.
VW stopped selling the standard Golf in the U.S. with the introduction of the eighth-generation model, leaving only the sporty Golf GTI and Golf R versions. It is unclear what the fate of these models will be. The GTI, in particular, was one of the original hot hatches, so it would be the end of an era if not reimagined as an EV.
Two recent VW concepts hint at a possible successor to the electric Golf. The ID.2all concept presented last month had a style that somehow echoed the current Golf while riding on a new variant of the VW MEB platform called MEB Entry. VW says it anticipates retail sales of affordable electric vehicles for less than $30,000 to launch in Europe in 2026.
Volkswagen also showcased the ID.Life concept in 2021. It was intended to provide a preview of a more affordable electric vehicle based on a modified version of the MEB platform, currently named MEB Small.
However, electric vehicle enthusiasts will remember that VW has already made an electric Golf. The automaker produced over 100,000 e-Golf hatchbacks, sharing a platform with seventh-generation gasoline and diesel Golf models, before betting on the MEB platform. The return of the e-Golf has also been reported as a possibility in recent months.
