The new Golf will be presented the day after tomorrow, on Thursday, October 24th. In our interview, Karlheinz Hell, responsible for the development of the socalled "compact series" at Volkswagen (e.g. Golf, T-Cross, and Tiguan), gives a brief look at the car and reveals what makes it so special.
Mr. Hell, the new Golf is celebrating its world premiere. What makes it so special?
The Golf is an icon: like no other car, it embodies high-quality mobility for everyone. I can promise you that the eighth generation will once again set standards. It is modern and elegant. It stands for technology, diversity and individuality. The sporty GT- and R-models also appeal to a broad customer group.
What will distinguish it from its predecessor?
Klaus Bischoff and his design team have masterfully developed it from my point of view. It carries the typical Golf genes. It is evolutionary on the outside so that it is immediately identifiable, and revolutionary on the inside. The Golf 8 will carry us into the digital age, for example with its new Innovision Cockpit. With its innovative operating concept, it sets new standards again and democratizes many driver-assistance technologies, for example standard Lane Assist, Front Assist and Car2X. Comfort and safety like this are usually only known in higher vehicle classes.
The ID.3 (1) was just recently introduced. Is the Golf still needed?
I’m sure we’ll continue its success story. With its economical and clean power units, it will remain the first choice for many customers. The Golf 8 will also continue to develop in terms of electrification. For example, we will offer all automatic vehicles with TSI power units as eTSI and expand the E-Hybrid range to include two alternatives. We are thus making an important contribution on the road to CO2-neutral mobility.
How do you rate the project as a whole?
I’m very pleased. Within the model series, we have analyzed customer needs and eliminated less popular variants, such as the 3-door version. This enabled us to reduce the number of variants by 35 percent compared to the Golf 7. At the same time, we added new functions. We have also increased productivity: The capacities from Zwickau, Germany and Puebla, Mexico will be merged at the Wolfsburg parent plant. This will improve capacity utilization and also reduce costs.
How are the preparations for the market launch going?
We’re on schedule. The Golf celebrates its market launch in Germany at the end of the year. Customers can then configure their individual vehicle. The sporty GTx and R models will follow next year, this gradual phasing-in is normal.
Consumption data
(1) The vehicle is not yet offered for sale
