Production of the new Golf has started at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, marking the beginning of the eighth model generation’s assembly. The first car, a Golf Style in anemone blue metallic, rolled off the line in Hall 12, exactly 50 years since the inception of the first series Golf in Wolfsburg.
Over the past five decades, Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg main plant has been critical for global Golf production, accounting for over half of the more than 37 million models sold to date. This includes various derivatives such as the Golf Variant and Golf Sportsvan, alongside a diverse range of models and powertrains. “The connection between the Golf and the Wolfsburg plant is quite unique: Wolfsburg is the Golf – and the Golf is Wolfsburg,” Plant Manager Rainer Fessel said. “As a team we have meticulously planned the start of production over the past weeks and months. Now we are delighted we will soon be seeing the new Golf on the roads.”
The redesigned front end distinguishes the new model, featuring newly-designed LED headlights. The top-of-the-range IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights offer enhanced visibility with a new high-performance main beam. Additionally, the Volkswagen logo in the radiator grille is now illuminated, a first for a European Volkswagen. The IQ.LIGHT 3D LED tail light clusters have also been redesigned for both the Golf and Golf Variant.
Inside, the Golf boasts a new generation infotainment system with faster processors and a free-standing touchscreen (diagonal: 32.2 cm/12.9 inches) with an intuitive menu structure. Illuminated touch sliders for temperature and volume control enhance user experience, along with standard digital instruments. The multifunction steering wheel and IDA voice assistant, featuring integrated ChatGPT function, provide seamless control over various functions and access to online information.
Alongside proven TSI, TDI, and eTSI mild hybrid drives, the Golf now offers two new plug-in hybrids with an electric range exceeding 100 km and a combined range of approximately 1,000 km, along with a DC quick-charging function.
With a production volume surpassing 20 million vehicles, the Golf holds the record as the most-produced model at the Wolfsburg plant. Following closely is the Beetle, with nearly 12 million units produced between 1945 and 1975, and the Tiguan, with almost 3.5 million models since production began in 2007.
“The Golf has been at the heart of the Volkswagen brand for half a century, offering affordable mobility for all at the highest technical level. The Golf has constantly adapted to customer needs, thus becoming a global bestseller – made in Wolfsburg. This is precisely what we are building on with the new evolutionary stage – with even higher efficiency, comfort and quality and a new operating concept. The Golf does not get any better than this,” Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said.
“48 million is an impressive figure that would never have been possible without a motivated and skilled workforce,” Jürgen Mahnkopf, Deputy Chair of the General and Group Works Councils, said. “Our employees have put their heart and soul into every single vehicle that has been built here over the last 50 years.”
