Volkswagen – The Golf is the heart of the Volkswagen brand, eight generations in 50 years

The most successful European car

It was an automotive revolution when VW introduced the first Golf in 1974, the successor to the legendary Beetle – front-wheel drive (instead of rear-engined), with a changed overall concept thanks to the large tailgate and folding rear seat backs. In addition, the straight-line design by Giorgetto Giugiaro introduced a new design language at Volkswagen, which also continued in its successors. The Golf quickly became a true Volkswagen because the first million were sold in 1976. To date, 37 million units have been delivered. This makes the compact car the most successful European car, the best-selling Volkswagen of all time – and the best-selling Volkswagen of all time. icon.

Regardless of the generation, the secret to success was and remains the sum of its features: the Golf was and remains the ideal daily companion that embodies versatility, function, reliability and quality. Over the decades, the range has been expanded to include more variants: be it Golf GTI, Golf Cabriolet or Golf Variant… With each new model generation, advanced technologies, safety concepts and comfort features have moved to the compact segment. The Golf has not only democratized technologies such as a controlled catalytic converter and anti-lock braking system, but also airbags, cruise control, electronic assistance systems, mild hybrid drives and plug-ins.

In the anniversary year of 2024, Wolfsburg presents the evolutionary stage of the eighth generation Golf, which will impress with visual improvements, new assistance systems and drives as well as the next generation of infotainment and software. The world premiere of the new Golf will take place in a few weeks, and pre-sale is scheduled for spring 2024.