VW Is Killing The Standard Golf In America, But The New GTI And R Are Coming This Fall

Affordable hatchbacks are becoming increasingly rare in the United States and Volkswagen is dealing fans a major blow as the last US-spec Golf rolled off the assembly line last week.

While production has already wrapped up, Volkswagen believes they have enough inventory to sustain sales through the end of the year.

That remains to be seen, but Golf sales have plummeted in the United States. While the company sold 68,978 units as recently as 2017, sales have dropped every year since then. In 2020, Volkswagen only sold 25,693 Golfs in America and even pre-pandemic sales registered just 37,393 units in 2019.

Also Read: 2022 VW Golf R Debuts With 315 HP, Torque Vectoring AWD, A Manual Gearbox And Drift Mode

Volkswagen of America’s Senior Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategy, Hein Schafer, said “Over four decades, the Golf has delivered a great value to American drivers. It exemplified what Volkswagen does best—melding dynamic driving characteristics with purposeful packaging and unmatched quality.”

However, all good things come to an end and the Golf will go out in a single trim that features automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers and 16-inch alloy wheels. The model also sports a panoramic sunroof, keyless access and leatherette upholstery.

Power comes from a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine pumping out 147 hp (110 kW / 149 PS) and 184 lb-ft (249 Nm) of torque. It can be connected to either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic. Pricing starts at $23,195 for the stick and $23,995 for automatic – both excluding a $995 destination charge.

Euro-spec VW Golf R

While it’s the end of an era, the Golf isn’t going away entirely. Instead, the redesigned Golf GTI and Golf R will arrive this fall as 2022 models.

Details will be announced closer to launch, but the 2022 Golf GTI should have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 242 hp (180 kW / 245 PS) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque. Likewise, the Golf R will have a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 315 hp (235 kW / 319 PS) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque.