The ninth-generation Volkswagen Golf is shaping up to be the most radically reinvented iteration of the ever-popular family hatchback yet, ushering in all-electric power and a raft of technology as part of an all-encompassing transformation plan for the VW brand.
Despite the ID 3 being commonly regarded as an electric alternative to the Golf, Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer sees the former as "more a Golf Plus". The two cars share a very similar footprint, but the EV's lack of an engine and transmission tunnel make it tangibly more spacious inside, and even in its base form it's much quicker than the standard Golf.
For these reasons the two models can "co-exist" in future, according to Schäfer, meaning the ID 3 wouldn't necessarily be retired after the arrival of a new, all-electric Golf.
The two cars would be obviously differentiated by bespoke styling and capabilities in a bid to carve out a distinct positioning for each, and Schäfer's commitment to preserving Volkswagen's best-known models names means the Golf badge can live on.
"The Golf name specifically has huge value," he told Autocar. "But at the same time, the ID brand has gained huge momentum. The recognition it receives at [customer] clinics: people absolutely understand what we're talking about. So to change the name to something completely different doesn't make sense."
The ID Golf, as Schäfer has suggested it could be called, would sit between the upcoming ID 2, which will in effect replace the Polo from 2025, and the ID 3.
It isn't expected to arrive before 2027, given that the current Golf is due an extensive mid-life overhaul in the coming months to sustain its popularity for another three to four years.
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE DRAMATIC ITALIAN THAT MARKED THE END OF AN ERA
When the Huracán bowed out, the curtain fell forever on Lambo's V10
HOW EV MAKERS CAN WIN THE RACE TO 5.0MPKWH
Manufacturers are honing every detail to close in on big efficiency goal
MASERATI MC20
We bid a sad farewell to a handsome supercar that was easy to live with
The quickening
Instant acceleration is part of the appeal of an EV, but is it all getting a bit much for unwary and inexperienced drivers? JOHN EVANS investigates
Inside track
Watching an F1 race with live access to engineers and telemetry is the stuff of dreams for racing fans. ALEX WOLSTENHOLME makes a day of it
WHOLE IN ONE
The Volkswagen Golf has been all things to all motorists for half a century. At the wheel of a classic Mk1, VICKY PARROTT charts the eight-generation history of one of the world's most successful cars
DACIA DUSTER
Mk3 model gains digital tech, ADAS, slicker looks... Is this mission creep?
MAZDA CX-80 PHEV
Another look at Mazda's hefty SUV, this time in plug-in hybrid form
VAUXHALL GRANDLAND ELECTRIC
Newcomer looks to ease the average family SUV driver into EV motoring
BMW X3 20 XDRIVE
Fourth generation of brand's best-seller arrives with base petrol engine