American consumers are just barely getting a taste of the all-new MK7 Volkswagen Golf, but the next-generation is looming on the horizon, according to German outlet Hannoversche Allgemeine.
According to the paper, the next-generation Golf will debut in 2017, and borrow the upcoming Passat‘s suite of advanced safety and tech features. A new infotainment system, automatic braking with pedestrian detection, a self-parking system and distinctive styling will be the major changes for the MK8.
Both the Passat and the MK8 Golf will use VW’s MQB architecture, but don’t expect to see the MK8 in North America any time soon. While the MK7 has been in production for world markets since late 2012, sales have only just begun in North America. That should put it on track for debut around 2019 on our shores.
Why is there such a delay anyway? Seems excessive compared with other world cars, no?
Can’t say the improvements sound that compelling. More a mid model refresh?
At least with the GTI, they’re switching production over from Wolfsburg to Mexico, and it’s the first MQB platform car for North America and the Puebla plant. Engines are now also being made in Mexico. So they’re a good bit of ramping up to do, and I’m guessing VWOA wants to get it right, given the bad reputation its Mexican made Jettas have had/have.
I’m also guessing Mk8 will be more along the lines of a refresh (like Mk5 to Mk6) than any radical changes.
The Mk7 debuted in Europe in 2012, and we get it in America as a 2015. So if the Mk8 debuts in Europe in 2017, I guess we can expect it in 2020 or so. That gives the Mk7 a 5 year life, which is pretty much typical. So no, this doesn’t surprise me.
Derek was correct, we get the new Mk7 Golf and GTi in 2014. We are talking about calendar years not model years. We are around 18 months behind Europe.
There is no evidence of “master plan” to delay availability by X years. Mk7 was delayed due to the expansion of the Puebla factory, that will not be an issue with Mk8.
Wasn`t the Mk6 also later in the US than Europe? The EU is the major market for the Golf so it makes sense for it to come out there first then come over here. So I expect there will always be some delay (6 months plus).
Yeah, MK6 was out In Europe in 2008 and got here in 2010.
Late 2008 (November?) in Germany (other European countries were staggered at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009), then October 2009 in US and Canada.
For sure they will get production under way in Wolfsburg before they turn on other plants for the Mk8. A 6-9-month delay is probably a realistic expectation.
VW has pretty much always delayed the release of new Golfs in the US by at least a year. Pretty sure it has been that way for every generation. Considering they continue to make previous generation cars all over the world, why rush? Milk the old car, get the bugs out of the new one. We are not their most important market by a long shot.
True. We always seem to finally get the new Golf, only to be treated to the sight of the next new Golf already on sale in Europe. Not sure why we are always behind, but it’s been like that for several generations.
I was going to buy a Mk7 GTI, but I might as well hold out for a few more years and get a Mk8!!
I’ve got an ’11 MK6 GTI with 40k and love the car. I”ve really grown attached to it and I’d like to try to put a hundo on it, to use dudebro speak, so that’ll put me about ’18. Wonder if I’ll get a MK7 or MK8!
Is it just me, or does VW make GM look like an agile, lean-and-mean operation?
The delay between European and U.S. introduction seems bit baffling but Mike N. has already pointed out the reasons.
Just the other day, I had the chance to get a ride in a Golf Mk7. I was only sitting in the passenger seat but what I saw and felt when the car was driving impressed me.
The Golf 7 may theoretically be a compact hatchback but it feels and drives much like car two classes above it. It almost felt like a luxury car, and certainly like no other compact hatchback I know.
The only thing to remember, I guess, is that all this fancy technology underneath needs frequent and proper servicing. Probably more so than a Ford, GM, Mazda etc. pp. Then again, none of the other makers’s offerings feels as upscale as the Golf 7.
If I was in the amrket for a new car, I’d seriously consider this thing, service and maintenance costs be damned.
I have a hard time telling the Mark 5, 6 and 7 apart from each other. Do they look that much alike or is it because I don’t care much for any one of them?
The latter, I guess :-)
The Mk 5 and 6 look pretty much the same but the latest iteration, the Mk6, looks a tad more angular, more low-slung and sportier than the previous designs.
Basically Mk6 was a facelift of Mk5. Both were on the same PQ35 platform, whereas Mk7 is MQB-based.
You can’t confuse MK5 Golf with later models because of headlights.
Judging by how VW have been designing their cars lately , it probably would just be a evolution of the current model which itself was a evolution of the last generation.
The Golf design has always been about evolution: after the success of the Mk1 (advertising campaigns?), no one wanted to mess with a winning formula. Look at the progression sometime, it’s steady but very much evolutionary.
They have always been conservative in design which makes it timeless and lowers depreciation. A fad will be over soon.
They alo always appealed to well-off people as well ad poor. Not offending anyone sells many cars.
Wish they’d be equally conservative with their quality….
So the US gets the old model while Europe gets the latest and greatest.
Just like Nissan selling obsolete Tsurus in Mexico for years and years, we are now oficially being treated like a third-world country by the Germans.
Hardly. One year is not exactly huge and we get specific cars for the US market – just like Honda and Toyota do.
Are you going to rant that Europe doesn`t have the Camry but the US does, so we are treated as a third world country??
IMO, the topic has been well covered by commenters above, so I will derail it mildly by stating that I’d buy a GTI version of the upcoming Golf Sportwagon in a heartbeat!
Stick strongly preferred.
Brown not required.