Volkswagen’s legendary Golf hatchback is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the company has commemorated the event with the release of a big upgrade for the current eighth-generation model. With over 37 million cars sold globally, it is unsurprising that a new model would be introduced.
The improvements cover the whole Golf line, although the United States will only receive the sporty Golf GTI and Golf R models. The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI is set to arrive in Europe in the spring of this year, and its debut in the United States should not be long behind. A redesigned Golf R is likely to be released in the second part of this year.
Externally, the 2025 Golf has new LED styling both in the rear and front, as well as a reworked lower grille as part of the redesigned fascia designs. In some markets, the Volkswagen logo on the front is also illuminated.
Inside, there’s a new dashboard with a considerably larger infotainment screen—a 10.4-inch screen as standard, with a 12.9-inch version also available. The previous generation included 8.25-inch and 10-inch displays. The digital gauge cluster has a 10.2-inch screen and a head-up display. The temperature and volume controls, which are still handled by a touch-slider, are now illuminated. The previous model’s touch-sensitive controls have been replaced with physical switches on the steering wheel.
VW has also enhanced its voice assistant, which now includes the famous ChatGPT AI technology. Occupants can communicate with the car in plain language and have content read aloud to them while driving, in addition to managing car operations like radio, climate settings, and navigation. Other enhancements include a 360-degree surround-view camera system and remote parking functionality.
The GTI’s motor is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the same as the present model, which is now producing 261 bhp, up from 242 bhp for Europe. For the United State, the current GTI is rated at 241 horsepower.
The manual transmission is no longer, and the considerably more popular 7-speed dual-clutch automatic is the only transmission option for the 2025 Golf.
