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Thami Masemola
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Date published: 29/10/2019
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Category: Reviews
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Tags: Volkswagen;Golf 8;Golf Mk8;Golf TSI;Golf GTI;Golf R;DSG
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Volkswagen Golf 8 announced
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Volkswagen has announced the all-new shape Golf. The hatchback, which will also be referred to as
Golf 8 or Golf Mk8, will take over the mantle and run with the title of “most successful European car
for more than four decades”. Big boots to fill, but Volkswagen is confident the new Golf will do its duty
and impress. Best news is that it is definitely coming to South Africa during the fourth quarter of 2020
in three models.
At the base will be the Golf TSI, followed by the Golf GTI and then the Golf R. The first two will arrive
here at the same time, while the Golf R will follow. Most interesting is that all three will come fitted
exclusively with a DSG automatic gearbox. That means there will no longer be a manual transmission
in any new Golf model.
In terms of appearance, the car exhibits a strong evolution rather than an evolution, over the
outgoing Golf 7. Highlights include the new no-fuss front grille, unique LED headlights (Matrix LED) will
be optional on higher models), a really clean side profile with a thick C-pillar, and large rear LED lights.
That clean look is carried into the interior where the centre console has large storage spaces, thanks
in part to the smaller, stubby gear lever. The infotainment touch screen will display all the relevant
information, while music and Bluetooth sounds come out of the Harman Kardon sound system, which
replaces the beloved, but largely anonymous Dynaudio brand.
Notice that there is no diesel (TDI) mentioned. Volkswagen currently sees no need for such a model,
especially given that South Africans have not been buying the Golf TDI as much as was expected.
A model that might make it here is the eTSI that features a belt starter generator and 48V lithium-ion
battery, making it a mild hybrid. It has three stages of tune, namely 81kW, 96kW and 110kW.
Volkswagen says the new Golf is the most connected ever. It is “always on”, according to officials.
Whilst we don’t exactly know what this means in the South African context yet, we can hope that at
least most of these technologies make it here too. One such tech is the App that connects your smart
phone to the car wirelessly, instead of the current situation where you need a USB cable to enable
Apple Carplay or Android Auto for example.
Something called Car2X was also listed as a feature. This is the ability of the Golf to communicate
with external structures and objects so as to increase safety. An example is when the car uses swarm
intelligence to learn about impending traffic obstacles, or an approaching ambulance before the driver
is even aware of them.
“Over the course of seven generations, the Golf has impressed more than 35 million customers. The
entire automobile industry expects the new Golf to set the standard”, said Dr Herbert Diess, CEO of
Volkswagen AG.
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