Final ICE VW Golf Debuts With Buttons, More Power And Massive PHEV Range Boost

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VW’s venerable Golf hits two major milestones this spring. Not only does the iconic small family car turn 50, but VW is launching the last ever lineup of combustion-powered Golfs. The name will live on, but when the all-new Mk9 Golf appears a couple of years before the end of the decade, it’ll be a strictly electric affair, and that includes the GTI.

So, has VW pulled out all the stops for the the last of the Golfs that can trace some kind of lineage to the ’74 original? Yes and no. The Mk8.5 Golf, as you can probably tell by that decimal, isn’t all-new, but a facelifted version of the Mk8 launched in 2019. That Golf had plenty going for it, but it also made some surprising missteps, particularly in terms of interior ergonomics, and the update aims to fix all those.

But there’s plenty more to cover here besides the righted wrongs, like a PHEV whose driving range has been boosted by almost 70 percent, and more power for the GTI, the only version of the Golfs available at launch that will make it to America, and which you can read about by clicking here.

Big PHEV range boost

We’ve partially covered some of the new interior and exterior elements off the back of a teaser campaign VW published at CES in Vegas earlier this month, so we’ll come back to those elements in a minute and look at the drivetrain lineup first. The range kicks off with a pair of mild-hybrid 1.5s, one making 114 hp (116 PS) and the other 147 hp (150 PS), but both badged eTSI and driving the front wheels through a seven-speed DSG. If you want those engines with a six-speed manual you lose the mild-hybrid tech and the ‘e’ from the eTSI badge, but the power outputs stay the same.

More: New 2024 VW Tiguan Splits From U.S. Model, PHEV Offers 62 Electric-Mile Range

Next up are the PHEVs, and if you’ve followed the introduction of Europe’s new VW Tiguan and Passat you’ll know what’s coming. The entry-level eHybrid plug-in pumps out the same 201 hp (204 PS) as before while the sportier GTE makes 268 hp (272 PS), both hooked up to a six-speed DSG and driving the front wheels. The GTE’s power figure is up 26 hp (27 PS) on last year’s, but of more interest is the PHEV’s vastly improved range. The battery size has increased from 10.6 kWh to 19.7 kW (and the charging rate from 3.6 kW to 11 kW to keep pace), extending the EV driving range from 38 miles (61 km) to 62 miles (100 km).

Diesel still makes an appearance, though VW has made no attempt to improve either of the two available oil burners. The base 2.0 TDi sends its 114 hp (116 PS) through a six-speed manual, while the more powerful TDI’s 147 hp (150 PS) mill is hooked up to a seven-speed DSG. Like all of the Golfs available at launch, both are exclusively front-wheel drive.

GTI from launch, Clubsport and R come later

The GTI gets a bump from 242 hp (245 PS) to 262 hp (265), as you can read about in our separate post, and sadly, comes only with a seven-speed DSG, the manual option having been killed off by the threat of tough Euro 7 emissions regs that never materialized.

Related: VW Golf Mk9 Will Reportedly Be All-Electric, R And GTI Models Will Live On

A GTI Clubsport, Golf R and – for Europe, anyway – a Golf R wagon will follow, while buyers who want all-wheel drive security but can’t stretch to an R will eventually be able to buy a 4Motion 2.0 TSI whose 201 hp (204 PS) output is up 10 hp (10 PS) on its predecessor’s.

Design changes: blink and you’ll miss ’em

The Mk8.5 is only a facelift of the Mk8 Golf, not an all-new car, but even with that caveat, the visual tweaks are incredibly subtle at first glance. Look a little closer, though, and you might spot that the front lamp units feature straighter lines and only one bulge on the their lower edge. Base cars get a narrow lower air intake and more body-color bumper surface, while GTE and GTI trims now have two little claws reaching diagonally into their intake mesh. Also new for the European market is an illuminated VW badge that bisects the transverse light bar, while VW’s design team has come up with new colors and wheel designs.

Interior tech steps forward and back

If there was one bit of the Mk8 Golf that consistently garnered criticism, and which VW urgently needed to fix for the facelift, it was the interior. For years Golfs were lauded for having simple, logical, intuitive controls,  but the Mk8 abandoned that strategy though a combination of over-sensitive steering wheel buttons, a confusing infotainment screen menu system and horrible temperature control sliders that didn’t even light up at night.

VW’s fix involved replacing the touch-sensitive wheel buttons with old-fashioned hard keys, fitting new tablet touchscreens (10.4 inches on base cars, 12.9 inches on pricier models), revamping the graphics and menu structure and illuminating the temperature sliders. The updated screen layout separates the center display into two areas above and below the main content: a configurable top bar for your favourite functions and a fixed bottom bar that provides space for a home button and easy access to the heating and set heating controls. European models comes with a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant, but the tech is yet to be confirmed for U.S. cars.

You can also choose to configure the 10.2-inch digital gauge pack in Classic mode with two round instruments or Progressive mode with display tiles, while tech fans will approve of the Golf’s newfound ability to be driven in and out of parking spaces using a smartphone and the optional IQ.Light LED front lamps.

Trims: from Life to R-Line

Related: ChatGPT Is Coming To VW Dashboards This Spring

While America only gets the GTI, plus the R that arrives later, other markets get a full spectrum of Golfs, including a wagon and multiple trim grades. The base Golf comes with keyless access, parking sensors, cruise control and LED lights, while the Life trim adds exterior chrome,  wireless phone charging, three-colour ambient lighting, comfort seats, adaptive cruise and 16-inch alloys.

Style brings a luxury touch with electric operation for the driver’s seats, a dedicated bumper design with added exterior brightwork and a rear-view camera, and R-Line (seen on the wagon in these images) riffs on the real Golf R by serving up gloss black trim, a sports steering wheel with DSG shift paddles, driving modes and R-Line sports seats.

European sales start this spring, but U.S. fans will have to wait until next year to get their hands on the GTI.