2020 VW Golf Photographed In Great Detail At Media Launch In Portugal

The eighth-generation VW Golf is rapidly approaching its launch in Europe.

German buyers will be the first to secure their Golf Mk8, as pre-sales in VW’s home market start next month. The rest of the European markets will follow in the first quarter of 2020. Until then, feel free to check this extensive photo gallery of the 2020 Golf from the model’s international media presentation in Portugal.

By now, chances are you already a lot about the eighth-generation Golf, so we’ll focus on the essential stuff.

Related: 2020 VW Golf – Here Are All The Details, From Design To Engines And Tech

For starters, the standard equipment list has been massively expanded. The base model now includes features like a digital cockpit, an online infotainment system with 8.25-inch touchscreen, We Connect and We Connect Plus mobile online services, a multifunction steering wheel, Keyless Start, automatic air conditioning, as well as LED head- and taillights.

The list of standard safety tech consists of Lane Assist, Front Assist with City Emergency Braking System and Pedestrian Monitoring, a new oncoming vehicle braking when turning function, and Car2X communication, among other things.

When pre-sales start in Germany in December, buyers will be able to order the new Golf with one of the following powertrains: a gasoline 1.5 TSI with 130 PS (128 HP) and 150 PS (148 HP), a 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid with 150 PS (148 HP), and a 2.0 TDI diesel with 115 PS (113 HP) and 150 PS (148 HP).

Later on, more engine variants will become available. These will include a 1.0 TSI with 90 PS (89 HP) and 110 PS (108 HP), a 1.0 eTSI mild-hybrid with 110 PS (108 HP), a 1.5 eTSI mild-hybrid with 130 PS (128 HP), and two plug-in hybrids with 204 PS (201 HP) and 245 PS (242 HP) – the latter wearing Golf GTE badging. Both PHEVs will feature a 1.4-liter TSI engine combined with an electric motor and a new, 13 kWh lithium-ion battery.

Further down the line, the Golf Mk8 family will receive performance variants, namely the Golf GTI, Golf GTI TCR and Golf R, all powered by a 2.0 TSI four in various states of tune, as well as the Golf GTD powered by a 2.0 TDI.

Factor in the manual and DSG dual-clutch automatic transmissions, available 4Motion all-wheel drive (for the more powerful engines), and four trim levels (Golf, Life, Style, and R-Line), and you can only begin to understand how comprehensive the new Golf lineup will be.