VW

VW Golf 2028: electric, Porsche platform

Since 2013, when it launched its first battery-powered model, VW has already put around 4 million electric vehicles on the market. Now, the teaser for the future Golf, which will be exclusively EV, has been revealed.

A new A-segment electric SUV – in other words, a city car – will also be built at the Wolfsburg plant from 2026, while the so-called Project Trinity sedan, which was originally planned for the same plant, has been relocated to the Zwickau plant, where the ID.3, ID.5 and Cupra Born, destined for Europe, are assembled.

The decisions were made after a meeting between the Board of Directors of the German brand's Group and the Supervisory Board of the controlling group, which resulted in the plan to allocate vehicles to the Volkswagen brand until 2028 (for German plants only).

As part of the assembly reorganization, VW models will be grouped on a platform basis for each plant, in the hope that this will reduce complexity and costs. That said, the German manufacturer did not provide details about the aforementioned A-segment SUV, which will likely be a version of the ID.1.

Despite being, most likely, the most important electric model among those that Volkswagen is preparing to launch, the first image of the next Golf, which will be 100% electric, was not revealed by the German manufacturer, but by the IG Metal union. The revelation occurred at a meeting between union officials and Volkswagen workers, at a time when it was already known that the combustion-engine Golf would cease production in Wolfsburg, Germany, and would be manufactured in Mexico, freeing up considerable production capacity. IG Metal informed at the aforementioned meeting that it would be the Golf, but the electric one — which should replace the ID.3 — that would occupy the lion's share of the brand's largest factory.

Volkswagen had already confessed that it was not satisfied with two of the options it took when it started marketing electric models, the first being related to the different shapes of its bodies, to be more aerodynamic and to stand out from combustion engine models — nothing in line with what was tradition at the brand. The second option had to do with the names, since, according to the German manufacturer, the ID names were not as well received by customers as intended.

Volkswagen's foray into electric mobility began in 2013 with the e-up!, followed by the e-Golf, and in 2020 it abandoned electric vehicles based on combustion engine models and focused on battery-powered models based on specific platforms to maximize the potential of this technology. This was the phase of the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7 and ID.Buzz, models that, all together, have already captivated around 4 million customers, establishing itself as the brand that sells the most EV cars in the European market.

The new Golf EV, which should be called ID. Golf, is far from being Volkswagen's first electric vehicle with a combustion engine model designation, and is scheduled for 2028. Long before that, the brand will market electric vehicles with traditional names such as the ID. Polo or ID. Passat. The Golf EV will utilize the group's new electric vehicle platform, the SSP Platform, which is substantially more modern than the MEB platform used in current ID models.

The strategy will be the same as that followed by the Polo, which in the new generation will be called ID. Polo, also alluding to the electric powertrain. It's worth remembering that the ID prefix is ​​used by Volkswagen in all its electric cars and will now be combined with the traditional names, in order to take advantage of the strength and image of the combustion engine models in their battery variants.

Another piece of news revealed was a teaser, in which the silhouette of the unprecedented electric Golf appears in a sketch. In the image, it is possible to notice the familiar shape of the body, including references to previous generations of the model. The front, for example, looks more square than that of the current car, reminiscent of the Golf III and even the Corrado coupe from the 1990s.

Porsche platform...In addition to the electric motor, the unprecedented ID. Golf will have its platform as one of the great highlights of the new generation. This is the sophisticated Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) architecture, which is being designed by Volkswagen in partnership with the American company Rivian. The platform will debut in upcoming Porsche and Audi releases, starting in 2027, and will be used within the group in various applications. In the case of VW, the architecture will be inaugurated precisely by the new Golf.

The brand says that the base will be "truly scalable" and will have specific sizes according to each vehicle. In addition, it will maintain the same modules and main components, in order to maximize the scale effect. Gradually, it will replace the current MEB and EPP platforms, being used by all the group's electric cars, from Skoda and Volkswagen to Lamborghini and Bentley.

Another advantage of the platform will be the fact that it supports both electric vehicles (BEV) and series hybrids (REEV). In the first case, the SSP will allow ultra-fast charging (10% to 80% in 12 minutes) and the use of 800-volt systems. In the second, it will support small combustion engines that will only function as range extenders.

The launch of the ID. The Golf will happen by the end of the decade, but the exact date has been changing. Initially, all rumors pointed to 2029, but delays in the project would have forced Volkswagen to postpone the debut to 2030. Now, new rumors indicate that the model may arrive sooner, around 2028.

In any case, it is certain that production will be concentrated at the Wolfsburg factory in Germany. To accommodate the electric Golf, the unit will be thoroughly updated and will cease producing the current model, which will have its assembly lines transferred to Puebla, Mexico.

Volkswagen Golf 2028 (Mk9 Generation)...The ninth generation of Volkswagen's iconic hatchback is scheduled to debut in 2028. Key changes include:

Electric transition: The model will be exclusively electric (EV), possibly under the name ID. Golf.

New platform: It will utilize the SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) architecture, which replaces the current MEB and offers 800-volt charging for ultra-fast charging.

Rivian software: The vehicle's operating system and software will be developed in partnership with the American startup Rivian, allowing for advanced remote updates.

Design: Teasers indicate a silhouette that maintains the classic Golf identity (such as the wide C-pillar), but with a more robust and modern look.

by Autonews