A new report coming out of England finds Volkswagen will introduce the new eighth-generation Golf at a major auto show next year.
The eighth-gen model will usher in the next evolution of Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform. More of an evolution than a revolution, the hatchback will look sleeker and more modern than the current seventh-gen Golf but it will still be instantly recognizable as a member of the Volkswagen lineup.
Bigger changes will be found under the skin. British magazine Autocar reports the Golf will launch with a brand new, 48-volt mild hybrid drivetrain made up of a gasoline-burning 1.0-liter three-cylinder that will be fitted with both a turbo and an electric supercharger, and an combined starter motor/generator. On paper, the system promises to be both efficient and cost-efficient because it doesn’t use a lithium-ion battery pack or an electric motor.
Volkswagen estimates the Golf hybrid will be capable of hitting 50 mpg in a mixed European cycle; more precise figures will be published closer to its launch date. If everything goes according to plan, the drivetrain will gradually trickle down to other models in the company’s lineup.
If the rumor turns out to be true, look for the eight-generation Volkswagen Golf to go on sale in time for the 2018 model year. The family-friendly Sportwagen will benefit from roughly the same updates shortly after, and we hear that the Cabrio nameplate will return to the United States before the end of the year.
Note: Volkswagen e-Golf pictured
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