Sales of the new generation Volkswagen Golf in Europe will begin at the end of February next year. This new VW Golf Mk8 will appear on the German market first and only then in other countries. Malaysia will probably see it towards the year end like with other right hand drive markets.
This new VW Golf was initially planned for global release this year but engineers will have to solve a number of problems with the electronics of the car, including improving the functionality of the OTA software updates which affect a vehicle’s homologation.
The reasons for postponing the launch is the complexity of internal security systems, as the car has ceased to represent a closed ecosystem. Its electronic part now has 10 times more code than the modern smartphone operating systems, and each subsequent update can lead to serious consequences if it is not fixed right now. Due to their online connectivity there is a lot more software especially in the area of security, which is a real challenge since the car is no longer a closed ecosystem. Already now there are ten times more lines of code in the latest Golf than in a smartphone, but it is not just the complexity in the vehicle that causes problems.
Initially, the new Volkswagen Golf was scheduled to be shown at the Geneva Motor Show, after which it was postponed to the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and now we find out that the date has been postponed again. The premiere will most likely take place in a dedicated event, but before New Year 2020. Instead, the Frankfurt Motor Show will be used to fully promote the first ID series family electric car, known as the VW Neo.
An Instagram user recently caught on camera the new VW Golf near a McDrive in Germany (picture above). The VW Golf Mk8 test drivers were hungry and stopped at a fast-food restaurant and this new VW was easily photographed.
Production of the new Golf 8 is scheduled to begin in June this year.
