Next-generation Volkswagen Golf to Offer Electric Assist, but Just a Tad

by Steph Willems

Published: April 27th, 2018

next generation volkswagen golf to offer electric assist but just a tad

Audi is bullish on 48-volt mild hybrids, and its Volkswagen sister division is no different in wanting to see larger batteries take some of the load off of its internal combustion powerplants.

The automaker announced Thursday that its upcoming eighth-generation Golf will offer a low-cost alternative to purely gas- or diesel-powered motoring. The mild hybrid system appearing on that vehicle, due next year as a 2020 model, will soon spread throughout the VW lineup, the automaker claims.

VW’s 48V system also works with diesel engines, which should give stringent European regulators something to smile about (and perhaps extend the longevity of an engine type with a soiled reputation).

Like other belt-driven starter generators, the system allows for easy stop/start functionality, with electric power transferred to the engine’s crankshaft via the serpentine belt during acceleration. Think of it as a light electric boost. While the small battery (in hybrid terms) isn’t capable of propelling the vehicle under electric power alone, VW claims it allows for gas-free coasting on the highway, furthering the system’s fuel economy benefits.

The 48V battery replenishes itself through regenerative braking, just like a conventional hybrid.

The automaker calls the new mild hybrid a “starting point” in its quest to spread electrification through its model lineup. Don’t worry — VW didn’t neglect to mention there’ll be “extra dynamism” available in the new car, all thanks to this gas-saving feature.

As VW Group hasn’t given up on diesel just yet, the company also previewed a new 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder yesterday. The engine’s targeted at front- and rear-drive Audi applications, but don’t hold your breath waiting for it to arrive on these shores. Output ranges from 136 horsepower to 204 hp. As mentioned earlier, it’s available in mild hybrid guise.

The quintessential fun hatch, VW’s Golf stands to see a styling revamp when the new model rolls off the line next year. While it’s expected to borrow some cues from 2015’s Golf GTE Sport concept (like the flagship Arteon), you’ll surely be able to pick it out from a crowd. Messing with the Golf is like messing with the Jeep Wrangler. Go too far and you risk offending the faithful.

[Images: Volkswagen Group]

#2020VolkswagenGolf #Engines #FuelEconomy #Green #Hybrids #MildHybrids #Volkswagen #VolkswagenGolf #VW

Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 10 comments

Krhodes1 on Apr 27, 2018

Another facelift next year? They just facelifted the Golf for 2018!

Like Reply
- Hreardon on Apr 28, 2018
  
  The MK 7.5 has been on sale in Europe for over a year. The MK 8 is due to start production next summer, with a launch in September and on-sale most likely in November 2019 - for Europe. VW is pushing up the timeline a bit due to their profitability drive: there are a host of optimizations and new assembly techniques they want to put into production as soon as possible. Usually the US lags at least 12 months behind the EU launch, but this time around may be different. Word on the street is that VW wants to remove Golf production from the Puebla factory to make room for more CUVs. That would push manufacture of Golfs for the US market elsewhere - possibly back to Germany in an effort to satisfy union demands. In any event, don't expect to see a MK8 here in the US until 2020 at the earliest.
  
  Like
Ricky Spanish on Apr 30, 2018

Great. More weight and more expensive crap to fix when it inevitably breaks.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Bouzouki Cadillac (aka GM!!) made so many mistakes over the past 40 years, right up to today, one could make a MBA course of it. Others have alluded to them, there is not enough room for me to recite them in a flowing, cohesive manner.Cadillac today is literally a tarted-up Chevrolet. They are nice cars, and the "aura" of the Cadillac name still works on several (mostly female) consumers who are not car enthusiasts.The CT4 and CT5 offer superlative ride and handling, and even performance--but, it is wrapped in sheet metal that (at least I think) looks awful, with (still) sub-par interiors. They are niche cars. They are the last gasp of the Alpha platform--which I have been told by people close to it, was meant to be a Pontiac "BMW 3-series". The bankruptcy killed Pontiac, but the Alpha had been mostly engineered, so it was "Cadillac-ized" with the new "edgy" CTS styling.Most Cadillacs sold are crossovers. The most profitable "Cadillac" is the Escalade (note that GM never jack up the name on THAT!).The question posed here is rather irrelevant. NO ONE has "a blank check", because GM (any company or corporation) does not have bottomless resources.Better styling, and superlative "performance" (by that, I mean being among the best in noise, harshness, handling, performance, reliablity, quality) would cost a lot of money.Post-bankruptcy GM actually tried. No one here mentioned GM's effort to do just that: the "Omega" platform, aka CT6.The (horribly misnamed) CT6 was actually a credible Mercedes/Lexus competitor. I'm sure it cost GM a fortune to develop (the platform was unique, not shared with any other car. The top-of-the-line ORIGINAL Blackwing V8 was also unique, expensive, and ultimately...very few were sold. All of this is a LOT of money).I used to know the sales numbers, and my sense was the CT6 sold about HALF the units GM projected. More importantly, it sold about half to two thirds the volume of the S-Class (which cost a lot more in 201x)Many of your fixed cost are predicated on volume. One way to improve your business case (if the right people want to get the Green Light) is to inflate your projected volumes. This lowers the unit cost for seats, mufflers, control arms, etc, and makes the vehicle more profitable--on paper.Suppliers tool up to make the number of parts the carmaker projects. However, if the volume is less than expected, the automaker has to make up the difference.So, unfortunately, not only was the CT6 an expensive car to build, but Cadillac's weak "brand equity" limited how much GM could charge (and these were still pricey cars in 2016-18, a "base" car was ).Other than the name, the "Omega" could have marked the starting point for Cadillac to once again be the standard of the world. Other than the awful name (Fleetwood, Elegante, Paramount, even ParAMOUR would be better), and offering the basest car with a FOUR cylinder turbo on the base car (incredibly moronic!), it was very good car and a CREDIBLE Mercedes S-Class/Lexus LS400 alternative. While I cannot know if the novel aluminum body was worth the cost (very expensive and complex to build), the bragging rights were legit--a LARGE car that was lighter, but had good body rigidity. No surprise, the interior was not the best, but the gap with the big boys was as close as GM has done in the luxury sphere.Mary Barra decided that profits today and tomorrow were more important than gambling on profits in 2025 and later. Having sunk a TON of money, and even done a mid-cycle enhancement, complete with the new Blackwing engine (which copied BMW with the twin turbos nestled in the "V"!), in fall 2018 GM announced it was discontinuing the car, and closing the assembly plant it was built in. (And so you know, building different platforms on the same line is very challenging and considerably less efficient in terms of capital and labor costs than the same platform, or better yet, the same model).So now, GM is anticipating that, as the car market "goes electric" (if you can call it that--more like the Federal Government and EU and even China PUSHING electric cars), they can make electric Cadillacs that are "prestige". The Cadillac Celestique is the opening salvo--$340,000. We will see how it works out.
Lynn Joiner Lynn JoinerJust put 2,000 miles on a Chevy Malibu rental from Budget, touring around AZ, UT, CO for a month. Ran fine, no problems at all, little 1.7L 4-cylinder just sipped fuel, and the trunk held our large suitcases easily. Yeah, I hated looking up at all the huge FWD trucks blowing by, but the Malibu easily kept up on the 80 mph Interstate in Utah. I expect a new one would be about a third the cost of the big guys. It won't tow your horse trailer, but it'll get you to the store. Why kill it?
Lynn Joiner Just put 2,000 miles on a Chevy Malibu rental from Budget, touring around AZ, UT, CO for a month. Ran fine, no problems at all, little 1.7L 4-cylinder just sipped fuel, and the trunk held our large suitcases easily. Yeah, I hated looking up at all the huge FWD trucks blowing by, but the Malibu easily kept up on the 80 mph Interstate in Utah. I expect a new one would be about a third the cost of the big guys. It won't tow your horse trailer, but it'll get you to the store. Why kill it?
Ollicat I am only speaking from my own perspective so no need to bash me if you disagree. I already know half or more of you will disagree with me. But I think the traditional upscale Cadillac buyer has traditionally been more conservative in their political position. My suggestion is to make Cadillac separate from GM and make them into a COMPANY, not just cars. And made the company different from all other car companies by promoting conservative causes and messaging. They need to build up a whole aura about the company and appeal to a large group of people that are really kind of sick of the left and sending their money that direction. But yes, I also agree about many of your suggestions above about the cars too. No EVs. But at this point, what has Cadillac got to lose by separating from GM completely and appealing to people with money who want to show everyone that they aren't buying the leftist Kook-Aid.
Jkross22 Cadillac's brand is damaged for the mass market. Why would someone pay top dollar for what they know is a tarted up Chevy? That's how non-car people see this.