2020 Volkswagen Golf Review

With over 35 million sold over the last 45 years, the Volkswagen Golf is the third best-selling car of all time, trailing only the Ford F-150 and the Toyota Corolla. It's understandable that when there's a redesigned new generation, it's a very big deal. And that's what we have with the all-new eighth-generation 2020 Volkswagen Golf. That alone is newsworthy, but the significance is even greater with the depth of the lineup.

Volkswagen is still deciding whether to bring this eighth-gen Golf to the United States, but even if the Golf never makes it, it's still relevant to American shoppers. For starters, Volkswagen has confirmed the U.S. will get both the next-gen GTI and Golf R (probably in 2021) based on this new Golf. Also, the new technologies debuting on the Golf are slated to eventually roll out across the rest of Volkswagen's lineup.

Worldwide, Volkswagen announced no fewer than 10 powertrains to choose from, including three mild hybrid variants and two plug-in hybrids. The Golf also sports new Volkswagen technology features, from Car2X capability (you may have heard it called "vehicle-to-everything" communication or V2X by other automakers) to new natural-language voice controls.

That's not to say nothing is lost in this new-generation Golf. Gone for good — or at least for now — is the three-door variant. All Golf models will come with four doors and a hatch.

The gasoline-powered TSI model lineup will be made up of two three-cylinder choices ranging from somewhere around 90 to 110 horsepower, while the two four-cylinder variants will churn out between 115 and 150 hp.

On the electrified side, VW will introduce five hybrid models split between the eTSI mild hybrid powertrain and the eHybrid plug-in. Three eTSI choices will produce between 108 and 147 hp thanks to a 48-volt belt starter/generator feeding off a lithium-ion battery pack. The base eHybrid plug-in will have a 13-kWh battery contributing to the 150-hp output, and a 241-hp higher-performance model will debut in the GTE. Beyond that, we're assured a sporty GTI is on the way.

Natural gas and diesel powerplants will also be sold overseas, but even if the eighth-generation Golf makes it to our shores, we don't expect either will come along for the ride. Should the 2020 Golf land here, we'd expect to see a pure-gas four-cylinder and a hybrid variant, although we'd certainly be interested to try the GTE.

In addition to the diverse range of powertrains, expect a lot of new features throughout the Golf family too. There will be four trim levels: Golf, Life, Style and R-Line. The Golf feature highlights include LED exterior lighting, a fully digital cockpit, online functions from the We Connect services, lane keeping assist, frontal collision mitigation, and Car2X communication with other vehicles and infrastructure.

Stepping up to the Life trim adds more colors and customization, along with items such as wireless charging and connectivity, a center armrest and parking sensors. The Style trim's claim to fame will be the addition of some automated driving assistants, sport seats, upgraded LED lighting and three-zone automatic climate control. The sporty R-Line version gets racy styling touches inside and out, premium sport seats, unspecified performance upgrades, progressive steering and selectable drive modes.

Technology will play a big part in the eighth-generation Golf, with the availability of a head-up display, a virtual key tied to your mobile phone, and more streaming entertainment options. We're particularly impressed by the ability to unlock some features on demand over-the-air. These include adaptive cruise control, adaptive headlights, a navigation system, smartphone apps, wireless Apple CarPlay, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and voice control with Alexa integration.

As a top-selling vehicle, it's imperative that the VW Golf remain relevant in an evolving marketplace. Greater emphasis will no doubt be placed on reduced emissions and increased efficiency, and the depth of the hybrid lineup is proof of this focus. And if this latest Golf generation remains true to its affordable roots — an imperative in our view — the Golf hybrids could challenge the established players from Toyota and Honda. In all likelihood, the VW Golf will benefit from more engaging driving dynamics.

Beyond that, the Golf introduces a lot of technology upgrades to Volkwsagen's MQB platform, the vehicle platform that underlies the rest of the lineup from the Jetta to the Atlas, from 48-volt hybrid systems to infotainment and driver information features to Car2X capability. Expect to see many of the features on the new Golf rolling out across the rest of VW's lineup in the future, making Volkswagen's offerings more competitive in their segments and more prepared for the future.

Much of the new tech represents a straightforward appeal to younger buyers who value technology, but Car2X is part of a bigger plan for the VW Group. It wants all VWs and Audis (along with Bentleys, Seats, Skodas, and every other brand in its portfolio) to benefit from the information each vehicle gathers. Get caught in a traffic jam? Other VW vehicles will navigate around the area. Drive by a parking space? Other nearby VWs will know it's free. And those are just the basics of what the Car2X network can accomplish. It's also likely to be a key infrastructure element in any potential autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles.

Volkswagen wants to build a proprietary network, one that doesn't rely on external tech giants (and doesn't share data or profits with them), to improve the user experience across its portfolio and future-proof its vehicle platforms. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the U.S., where the density of Volkswagen Group products is lower than in Europe, providing less coverage for gathering data.

On the conventional gasoline-powered side, the 2020 Volkswagen Golf will challenge its traditional hatchback foes: the Honda Civic and the Mini Cooper. More recent rivals include the top-rated Hyundai Veloster as well as the Kia Forte and the Toyota Corolla Hatchback.

Depending on what sort of fuel economy numbers the new hybrid Golf models return, we'd count the Hyundai Ioniq, Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and even some of the new subcompact crossover hybrids as direct competitors.