Next-generation Volkswagen Golf could be axed

The Volkswagen Golf is one of the world’s best selling cars but new emissions regulations and development costs may bring the iconic nameplate to an end.

Volkswagen Group CEO Thomas Shafer said in an interview with German publication Welt, that a decision will be made with regard to the development of the ninth-generation Golf within the next twelve months.

One of the reasons for the Golf’s possible demise is due to the development cost for it to only live a relatively short production run as Europe nears an internal combustion engine ban by 2035.

The other reason is the new Euro 7 emissions regulations coming into play. Schafer says these will increase the price of internal combustion engine vehicles by around $4845 to $8073 due to more complex exhaust gas cleaning technology needing to be fitted.

A price hike would certainly stir buyers away from what is supposed to be an affordable vehicle.

From 2025, Volkswagen plans to release four small electric cars which would possibly render the VW Golf obsolete unless it became an EV only model.

While the current eighth-generation Golf was only released in 2019, a facelift version is already in development and could arrive as soon as next year or 2024.Volkswagen’s all-electric ID range of vehicles looks to be the focus of the brand’s future though, with the ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz and ID.Cargo already on their way to New Zealand by 2023.

The brand also plans to bring out a smaller entry-level EV dubbed ID.2 in the future.