The eighth-generation VW Golf is expected to spawn the first-ever SUV to wear a Golf badge when it launches in 2018.
Positioned above the current Cross Golf (pictured) but not quite an off-roader, the VW Golf SUV will join the growing crossover market and is said to arrive with two wheelbase sizes: medium for Europe (2018), and large for the United States and China (2019).
The VW Tiguan will soldier on as well, but will only be sold in long-wheelbase form in the US and China. But how will VW manage to differentiate the Golf SUV from the next-generation Tiguan?
According to a report from CAR Magazine, the Tiguan will move more upmarket, while the Golf SUV will retain the familiar five-door hatchback body, but will offer options to make it look more rugged. Among these there will be the 4Motion AWD system, larger wheels with all-season tyres, a raised suspension with front and rear underbody protection, extended sills and flared arches, additional driving lights and roof rails.
Other optional features will include an on-demand off-road driving mode with hill descent control, navigation with off-road memory, a bigger fuel tank, bespoke instruments and a shock absorber adjustment with extra-compliant off-road calibration. However, the Golf SUV will not get mechanical differential locks and a low-range transfer case.
As the VW Golf Mk8 on which it will be based, the VW Golf SUV may also get a hybrid version pairing a 150hp 1.4-liter TSI engine with a 102hp electric motor with CO2 emissions as low as 35 g/km.
Note: VW Golf Alltrack pictured
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