VW will reportedly launch the new generation of the Golf in Europe in February 2020, following a delay caused by software glitches in the model’s advanced infotainment system.
The new, eighth-generation Golf “lies within the target corridor when it comes to eliminating bugs,” according to VW brand chief Juergen Stackmann, who spoke to AutoNews.
Stackmann revealed that VW is planning to start selling the new Golf in Europe during the ninth week of 2020, which begins on February 24. The first market to get it will be Germany, as expected, with more European countries to follow soon after.
The delay in the new Golf’s launch was in part due to the model’s always online infotainment system with over-the-air updates, which has faced a number of setbacks: “We’ve never hid the fact that software, an area of extreme importance for products in the future, is a serious challenge for us,” Stackmann said. “We have our homework ahead of us, and the teams are under heavy pressure.”
Stackmann added that the source of their Golf-related problems is the over-the-air updates function, which the company’s engineers are working towards solving 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,” Stackmann said. “A customer might get angry if their smartphone doesn’t work, but you do a debug the next day. A car is different – if something goes wrong it can become critical, so the security requirements are far higher.”
VW’s original plan was to debut the new Golf at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The company will instead focus on the public premiere of the electric ID hatchback, the first production model of the ID EV model family, at the event.
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