What will happen to the Golf 9?

Electrification, crisis, Euro 7 norms. There are many questions that need answers about the next generation of Europe's most popular hatchback.

It's no secret that the eighth-generation Golf isn't selling nearly as well as its predecessor. There are many reasons, from software problems early in his career, through the crisis around semiconductors and corona viruses, to the onslaught of SUV models.

So, it is certain that the management of Volkswagen is not satisfied with the sale of the "eight", but the fact is that this model faces a number of challenges. New rumors coming out of Germany suggest that Wolfsburg have been thinking about the Golf 9 for some time.

Despite all the problems, the Golf was the best-selling car in Europe last year, with more than 312 registrations. Interestingly, almost 134 ended up in Germany, which speaks volumes about how much of that car's sales pillar is the domestic market.

This year, there is no chance that the Golf will transfer more than 300 thousand registrations to the Old Continent, which will put even more pressure on this hatchback. In September, the German ace had less than 18 registrations, so it is far from last year's results. According to Volkswagen's current plans, the new generation of Golf that will replace the "eight" should be released on the market in 2026.

But this will be a new iteration only in press releases equipped with marketing phrases. Rumors from Germany say that Volkswagen basically does not intend to invest much money in the development of the next Golf.

In fact, it will implement a recipe from the recent past when the sixth generation Golf inherited the fifth. In fact, it could be called a deep reset of a model, rather than a completely new car. Thus, the same thing is expected to happen with "eight" and "nine".

So a slight change in looks, same platform and a different engine range. Most likely, the next Golf will rely only on plug-in hybrid engines. Recall, the new edition of such Volkswagen plug-in hybrids arrives in 2023 and will have a range of 100 km in EV driving mode.

If the seven-year life cycle is followed, then the Golf 9 will disappear from the market in 2033. Given that the European Commission proposed to ban the sale of cars with SUS engines in 2035, and if EU member states actually agree to this, then it is quite certain that we will probably not see the tenth generation Golf.

Some will rejoice and some will cry, especially given the fact that it will be inherited by an electric model – apparently the second iteration of the ID vehicle. /Telegraph/