The next-generation Volkswagen Golfhas been teased, though it isn’t expected to be launched any earlier than 2028.
A simple silhouette teaser of the Mk9 Golf was shared by the IG Metall union, and doesn’t reveal much of the vehicle other than appearing to show a less stubby front-end than Volkswagen’s current small electric hatch, the ID.3.
The new Golf is expected to take the place of the ID.3, which never ended up coming to Australia after all, but won’t immediately replace the existing combustion-powered Golf range.
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Instead, Volkswagen confirmed last year that production of the current Mk8.5 Golf will move to Mexico, freeing up space for the Mk9 Golf – which could be called the ID. Golf – at its Wolfsburg plant in Germany.
Automotive News Europe reports Mk8.5 production will move to Mexico in mid-2027. As to when the Mk9 Golf is due for release, this has yet to be confirmed.
It’s also unclear how long the two Golf generations will be produced in parallel, though we’d expect the combustion-powered model to receive another facelift – potentially one to make it more closely resemble the upcoming electric Golf, mirroring the strategy BMW and Mini follow for their similarly sized combustion-powered and electric models.
Volkswagen will also offer an updated version of its existing combustion-powered Polo alongside the upcoming electric ID. Polo.
The electric Golf will share the Volkswagen Group’s new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) with the upcoming electric T-Roc small SUV, with more than 500,000 vehicles planned to be built annually across both model lines.
Previous reports have indicated the Mk9 Golf’s launch was delayed by 15 months to 2029 due to delays with the SSP, and that the current MQB-based Mk8.5 can be kept in production until 2035.
While this first teaser doesn’t reveal much of the vehicle, Volkswagen design chief Andreas Mindt has provided strong hints as to how the new Golf will be styled.
“You have to stay true to the Golf. Golf is a brand of its own [within Volkswagen], and GTI is another brand within that. Within those brands there are various models you can play with,”he told Autocar last year.
“There’s a lot of nice content you can use for the future of Golf.
“We have to look forward and not backwards, but our values are important and we should play with our heritage. So many new brands coming to Europe don’t have this, so we need to use it.”
He indicated the Mk7 Golf, which he worked on, serves as a benchmark.
“The Mk7 is kind of a masterpiece, because it resembles all the best elements from history, but it’s still a fresh design.”
Inside, the next Golf will have proper buttons and controls, as Volkswagen has responded to criticism from owners of its touch-capacitive switchgear and reliance on touchscreens.
The Golf remains a crucial vehicle for Volkswagen, though in Europe it has been overtaken by the T-Roc in sales. In Australia last year, it was Volkswagen’s fourth best-selling vehicle, behind the Amarok ute, T-Roc and Tiguan mid-size SUV.