Volkswagen Considers Extended Production for the Golf Mk8

Volkswagen is firmly committed to transitioning the next-generation Golf into an electric vehicle, aiming for a launch closer to the decade’s end; this doesn’t necessarily mean the current internal combustion engine (ICE) Golf has only five years left. Kai Grünitz, head of Volkswagen’s technical development, suggests the Mk8 Golf could remain in production until the mid-2030s, extending its life cycle to 2035.

In an interview with the Dutch edition of *Top Gear* magazine, Grünitz explained that the current Golf might stay in showrooms until the European Union’s 2035 deadline for banning new cars with harmful emissions. Even after this date, ICE vehicles could still reach enthusiasts with compatible carbon-neutral synthetic fuels. Notably, the MQB platform underpinning the current Golf dates back to the Mk7, introduced in 2012, even though the Mk8 itself debuted in late 2019. This extended platform use is not new for Volkswagen; for example, the sixth-generation Golf, essentially a facelift of the Mk5, remained in production for 13 years until the Golf Cabriolet’s discontinuation in 2016.

Grünitz describes the current Golf Mk8 as “MQB perfection,” indicating no immediate need for a new platform. Despite initial software issues that affected the Golf and its sibling models—the Skoda Octavia, SEAT Leon, and Audi A3—these problems have reportedly been resolved. Although the Golf recently underwent a facelift, it may reveal additional updates if Volkswagen plans to keep the model until 2035. Enthusiasts hope for the return of features like the manual transmission in the GTI and R variants and perhaps even the introduction of the R wagon to the U.S. market. However, these remain speculative desires.

Even if the Golf Mk8 remains in production until 2035, its potential 15-year lifecycle wouldn’t be the longest in Golf history. The original Mk1 Golf, launched in 1974, continued as the Citi Golf in South Africa from 1984 until 2009, resulting in an impressive 25-year run for the Citi Golf and 35 years for the Mk1 platform overall.

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Photo Source/Copyright: Volkswagen Newsroom