Volkswagen is ready to unveil a facelift for the eighth-generation Golf, but a totally unrelated and fully electric model is also rumored to get the historic nameplate. A concept previewing the entry-level electric hatchback will reportedly debut this March, with a GTI variant likely following in May, and the final production version arriving in 2025.
While the upcoming EV was previously referred to as the ID.2, a new report by Autocar suggests that it could adopt the Golf nameplate instead. The zero-emission hatchback will be offered alongside the ICE-powered Golf for a few years, so a slightly different name – like the ID.Golf – would make more sense.
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We already knew that the boxy 2021 VW ID.Life concept would be dramatically redesigned for production since officials weren’t happy with the response. Now it has been reported that the styling of the new EV will be signed off by ex-Bentley designer Andreas Mindt, who recently took over the chief designer role at Volkswagen, replacing Jozef Kaban. People familiar with the matter suggest that the exterior design will be inspired by the Golf IV rather than the current ID range.
According to insider sources, the Golf-branded EV will measure around 4,250 mm (167.3 inches) long. If this estimate is true, it would make it longer than the ICE-powered Polo, but very close to the 4,261 mm (167.8 inches) of the fully electric ID.3 which is also getting a facelift this year. For comparison, the current eighth-gen VW Golf measures 4,284 mm (168.7 inches) long.
Interestingly, Volkswagen has reportedly decided against using the GTX nameplate in future performance EVs, replacing it with the good-old GTI badge. In this context, the ID.Golf is rumored to get a GTI hot hatch variant that could mirror the specs of the mechanically related Cupra UrbanRebel and slot below the full-blown VW R models. A concept of VW’s upcoming pocket rocket could debut as early as this May, in the Worthese GTI event.
The entry-level VW is expected to ride on the upgraded MEB Plus architecture, featuring lithium iron phosphate prismatic battery cells, a single electric motor (although it could also support dual electric motors in the future), and fast charging rates of up to 200 kW. VW’s upcoming EV will be produced at the Martorell factory near Barcelona, Spain, alongside the Cupra UrbanRebel and another similarly-sized EV from Skoda.
Hopefully, we will learn more about the VW ID. Golf in the next few weeks as its rumored launch is getting closer.
