Volkswagen’s Golf will undergo the most significant change in its history when the Mk9 arrives later this decade, with the core range becoming electric vehicles.
Set to be built in Wolfsburg on the upcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), they’ll be sold alongside what have been reported to be a heavily revised version of the current engine-powered Golf, which will move to Mexico from 2027.
While the future of the hot Golf GTI and Golf R were unclear amid these changes, a Volkswagen executive has put to rest fears of the performance hatchbacks losing their turbocharged petrol engines.
Speaking to Auto Express, Sebastian Willmann, the current head of chassis development and driving dynamics for Volkswagen, simply answered “no” when asked if the Mk8.5 Golf GTI would be the last iteration of the performance icon with a petrol engine.
Currently compliant with Euro 6 emissions standards, Willmann said Volkswagen will “bring the engine up Euro 7”, confirming the EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder will live on.
The future of the Golf R is also looking bright, with the executive saying there’s “some room for improvement” for the all-wheel drive hero, before adding, “let’s see what, over time, is possible”.
“In Volkswagen we must deliver on all aspects. We need efficient cars, we need performance cars – like the Golf R or the GTI – and we need some cheaper cars and cars which are positioned higher. The big volume [segment] is profiting from all these aspects – like the Golf always did.”
It’s still not yet clear what future lies ahead for the Golf, especially now after Europe put the wheels in motion to backtrack on its total ban of new internal combustion engine-powered light vehicles by 2035.
Instead, carmakers will need to reduce their fleet emissions by 90 per cent compared to 2021 levels before the start of 2035, effectively giving petrol and diesel engines a stay of execution, but placing much higher importance on electrification.
Willmann’s comments also reflect a change from those made by Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer, who in 2024 said the Golf R would exclusively be based on the SSP EV architecture.
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