Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Volkswagen planned to premiere the Golf 8 this September at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. But that’s not the plan anymore because the programmers have a few software bugs to address.
Automotive News Europe reports that Volkswagen expects to produce 10,000 units of the Golf 8 by year’s end. The planned output was 80,000 examples of the breed, eight times more. It will be interesting to see how this will pan out for Volkswagen in Europe, the continent where the Golf reigns supreme among passenger cars.
Turning our attention to the software, Volkswagen is facing challenges in areas such as online connectivity, smartphone connectivity, and over-the-air updates. Speaking of which, “another complication is whether OTA software updates affect a vehicle's homologation.”
Brand chief Juergen Stackmann made it clear that “software, an area of extreme importance for products in the future, is a serious challenge for us. We have our homework ahead of us, and the teams are under heavy pressure." That’s right, ladies and gentlemen; cars are getting more complex, and this complexity polarizes opinion.
Stackmann let it slip the Golf 8 will launch in the ninth calendar week of 2020. That’s February 24th, and after Germany, the roll out will extend to everywhere else in the Old Continent. If you were wondering what Volkswagen is bringing to Frankfurt this fall, prepare for the ID. Neo hatchback!
The rear-wheel-drive EV is expected to cost diesel-fueled Golf money. Buyers on the budget can get the Trendline at €19,520 for the 1.0 TSI and five-speed manual. The most affordable diesel is the 1.6 TDI, which retails at €24,145 in Germany. Volkswagen didn’t mention what kind of Golf diesel they were referring to, as in trim level and engine-transmission combo.
As for the Golf 8, one of the newities we can’t help but highlight is the EA228 Evo 2.0 TDI engine. The turbo diesel features a mild-hybrid system which combines the belt starter/generator with a lithium-ion battery. Outputs will range from 136 PS (100 kW) to 204 PS (204 kW).
Turning our attention to the software, Volkswagen is facing challenges in areas such as online connectivity, smartphone connectivity, and over-the-air updates. Speaking of which, “another complication is whether OTA software updates affect a vehicle's homologation.”
Brand chief Juergen Stackmann made it clear that “software, an area of extreme importance for products in the future, is a serious challenge for us. We have our homework ahead of us, and the teams are under heavy pressure." That’s right, ladies and gentlemen; cars are getting more complex, and this complexity polarizes opinion.
Stackmann let it slip the Golf 8 will launch in the ninth calendar week of 2020. That’s February 24th, and after Germany, the roll out will extend to everywhere else in the Old Continent. If you were wondering what Volkswagen is bringing to Frankfurt this fall, prepare for the ID. Neo hatchback!
The rear-wheel-drive EV is expected to cost diesel-fueled Golf money. Buyers on the budget can get the Trendline at €19,520 for the 1.0 TSI and five-speed manual. The most affordable diesel is the 1.6 TDI, which retails at €24,145 in Germany. Volkswagen didn’t mention what kind of Golf diesel they were referring to, as in trim level and engine-transmission combo.
As for the Golf 8, one of the newities we can’t help but highlight is the EA228 Evo 2.0 TDI engine. The turbo diesel features a mild-hybrid system which combines the belt starter/generator with a lithium-ion battery. Outputs will range from 136 PS (100 kW) to 204 PS (204 kW).
Google News