• Volkswagen is reportedly developing the next generation of its Golf R with an electric powertrain.
• The model would lose its combustion engine, and it could be ready before 2030.
• We're currently on the eighth generation of the regular Volkswagen Golf. Only the GTI and R versions are offered in Canada.
The Volkswagen Golf R and Golf GTI were revised for the 2022 model-year. At the launch of that new model, VW representatives were asked a predictable question: Would this be the last Volkswagen Golf with a gasoline engine?
Volkswagen did not confirm anything on that front, and has not since then. But there have been no denials either. It was a possibility.
Things might be moving on the electric-Golf front, however. A new report by Autocar indicates that both versions of the Golf will be going electric by the end of the current decade.
In the shorter term, both models could benefit from a mid-cycle upgrade in 2024 or 2025, giving the current model's lifecycle another two or three years. All of which brings us to around 2027 or 2028.
The company has already confirmed that the Golf will still be part of the lineup even if it goes solely electric. According to Autocar, the Golf R is already being considered for electrification. It could benefit from two motors offering a minimum of 300 hp.
Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer told the outlet that the company will keep the Golf name in the electric era. “With a strong brand, you need to spend less getting it out there," he said.
Keeping the GTI and R names is very important for Volkswagen, which recognizes the mistake it would be to do away with them.
This is another issue we'll be watching closely. Even as automakers develop and push electric SUVs, actual electric cars are far less numerous. An electric Golf R would generate a lot of interest.
