According to Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schäfer, it is now clear that there will be no ninth generation of the current VW Golf, despite being still a best-seller. Schäfer uttered similar thoughts in the German newspaper Die Welt in August last year. Now he has reiterated them in an interview with the specialized magazine Automobilwoche.

Schäfer enters a reservation on this decision on one condition: “If the world in 2026 or 2027 is evolving completely differently from what’s expected, we can still develop a new vehicle as the Golf successor. But I don’t think this will happen. That’s why a ninth generation of the current (ICE) Golf is not in our schedule.”

The current Golf VIII was launched in 2020 and will receive a severe update in 2024. “Then, the car will be ready to hold on until the end of this decade,” estimates Schäfer.

Dark clouds

Several dark clouds have been further blackening the Golf model’s continuation since last year. Schäfer points to the sales ban on ICE engines as of 2035, the need to make the electrification switch (a costly operation), and the stringent rules of Euro 7 looming in the following years.

The latter is expected to result in a price increase of at least 3 000 euros per car and could mount up to 5 000 euros, attributed to the increased complexity of exhaust gas cleaning systems. “With a small car, these additional costs can hardly be offset,” explained the VW boss.

And, of course, the total cost of ownership (TCO) plays a significant role here. According to leasing company Leaseplan in its ‘cost car index’, the electric counterpart of the Golf, the ID.3, already has lower running costs than a classic Golf; this difference would, of course, increase when EU7 regulations become effective.

Golf name stays

Since its production started in 1974, the Golf has been the stronghold for the Volkswagen brand. However, despite its new namesake, the model absorbed the success of the Beetle it replaced. It was partly attributed to its ‘functional’ and everlasting original design by Italian design guru Giorgetto Giugiaro.

As a result, the compact hatchback rapidly evolved into an undisputed benchmark for both new and old competitors and has been a top seller in the European market (and on other continents) ever since, with more than 35 million Golfs sold until now.

The introduction of a small diesel engine and a sporty GTI version (both in 1976) contributed significantly to this almost unparalleled success.

The Golf name has become so iconic but also every day that it has transcended the Volkswagen brand name. When one asks VW Golf owners which car they possess, they rarely answer ‘a Volkswagen’ but always refer to ‘a Golf’.

“We will keep iconic names like Golf, GTI, or Tiguan,” adds Schäfer. “But certainly, with an icon like this, the transition to the electric world has to be perfect, and the genes have to be pure. So we can’t give this name to a random model; that’s a mistake we won’t make.”

According to Schäfer, this ‘ID. Golf must be more roomy and functional than the current ID.3, “with a flatter roof and an even more iconic design”. Normally this can only be the case with the new SSP platform coming in 2028.