End of an era: Volkswagen confirms Golf 9 will be electric only

With a facelift set to be implemented next year, Volkswagen has confirmed that the current eighth generation Golf will be the nameplate’s swansong for internal combustion motivation.

Although not expected to become the ID. Golf and, therefore, part of the dedicated electric ID range, the Mark 9, tipped for introduction in 2028, will become one of the first models to ride on the new Porsche-developed SSP platform designed from the onset to accommodate only electrification.

The u-turn

Back in 2020, former Volkswagen Group Sales, Marketing and Aftersales Head, Jüergen Stackmann, hinted that the then-still under consideration Golf 9 could be offered as both an electric vehicle and with combustion power in response to markets where EV infrastructure hadn’t been fully develop.

“Golf will remain as a strong effort of the brand in many places and I believe in Europe as well, but in many places outside Europe where they probably don’t have the capacity to go full electric so fast. So I’m convinced that we will see a parallel run of Golf 9 and ID. next generation,” Stackmann told Britain’s Auto Express at the time.

In a complete reversal though, current Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer said the planned facelift of the Golf 8 next year will be final encore for petrol and diesel as once the Golf 9 goes on-sale, it will only have electric propulsion and nothing else.

“That [the facelift] puts it in a great position until the end of the decade. Then we will have to see how the segment develops. If the world develops completely differently than expected by 2026 or 2027, then we can also launch a completely new vehicle again. But I don’t expect that to happen. So far, that’s not planned,” Automobilwoche quoted him as saying.

ALSO READ: Volkswagen Golf 8 getting a facelift, EV Golf 9 not replacing it just yet

Polo going, Golf GTI staying…

Unlike the Polo and T-Cross that are both expected to disappear from Volkswagen’s line-up by 2025, Schäfer reiterated that no plans are in the pipeline to let go of the Golf and GTI names, as these will instead be carried over into the electric era Wolfsburg will fully embrace in 2030.

The same also applies to the Tiguan, whose almost-ready next generation is due out before the end of this year as the final iteration to offer an internal combustion engine.

“It’s clear that we will not be giving up iconic names like Golf, Tiguan and GTI, but will be transferring them to the electric world. But with the Golf in particular, it has to fit the genes. Just calling any vehicle that doesn’t work. We won’t make that mistake,” Schäfer said.

Shortly after being appointed last in place of Ralf Brandstätter as new Volkswagen Group Passenger Vehicle CEO, Schäfer, who headed Volkswagen South Africa between 2015 and 2020 before becoming Head of Skoda until April 2022, confined to Autocar at the Los Angeles International Show in November that “we will stick with the ID logic but iconic models will carry a name”, when asked about the future of the Golf and GTI.

It is known by now, the ID.2all, revealed last month, is set to replace the Polo fully by 2025, while an even smaller model, likely to be called ID.1, will debut in 2027 with a projected starting price of less than R350 000.

But what about South Africa?

While Volkswagen has already indicated that Polo and Polo Vivo production at its plant in Kariega, formerly Uitenhage, will continue in South Africa beyond 2025, the Golf, currently sold only in GTI and R guises, is likely to bow-out before 2028 in lieu of the Golf 9 going electric.

Therefore, expect the GTI and R to enter the run-out phase in South Africa after the Golf 8’s facelift next year.

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