VW will phase out combustion engine Golf, brand boss Schaefer says

Volkswagen will not develop a new generation Golf with a combustion engine after the current model reaches the end of its lifecycle.

The current, eighth-generation Golf will get a comprehensive update next year. "That puts it in a great position until the end of the decade. Then we will have to see how the segment develops," VW brand boss Thomas Schaefer told Automotive News sister publication Automobilwoche.

"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," Schaefer said.

The Golf has been in production since 1974 and its name will be retained for a battery-electric vehicle.

"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," Schaefer said. "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," he added.

There will not be an electric Golf until there are really Golf genes in it -- such as a flatter roof compared to the ID3 full-electric compact hatchback. That will not be until 2028 at the earliest, Schaefer said, when VW launches its new SSP electric platform.

The VW brand will only produce full-electric cars in Europe from 2033, Schaefer has previously said.

The Golf hatchback was Europe's best-selling passenger car for many years but its popularity has been hit by the rise of SUVs and crossovers.

The Golf was the VW brand's second bestseller in Europe last year after the T-Roc crossover, according to Dataforce. The brand sold 170,689 Golfs, down from 190,837 in 2021. T-Roc sales were 174,663, down from 181,377. Sales of the ID3 were 52,391, down from 67,941.

U.S. sales of the Golf are far less, falling 9 percent to 8,425 deliveries in 2022.