Volkswagen Is Developing A New Hybrid Drive For The Golf As The TDI Takes A Bow

The German manufacturer is working on the development of a new standard hybrid drive assembly (HEV), the commercial launch of which will mark the end of the popular TDI diesel.

The days of diesel cars in Europe are numbered. The direction set by the European authorities is clear. In the passenger car market, the hybrid car has already become the new diesel.

Electrification to a greater or lesser extent will be decisive in the short, medium and long term future. Car manufacturers, the great giants of the European automotive industry, have decided to take a new step in order not to fall behind in this process of change in which we are immersed.

Volkswagen is no stranger to this situation. It is one of the major European automakers that remains the most reliant on diesel cars. Unfortunately, focusing on diesel, no matter how refined they are, simply has an “expiry date”, and Volkswagen’s plan was revealed thanks to information to which France’s L’argus had exclusive access.

Volkswagen Golf Diesel will leave the market

The history of the Volkswagen Golf cannot be understood without a diesel engine. TDI is a real institution in the range of Volkswagen compact vehicles. These engines made the Golf the best-selling car in Europe for many years. However, these engines cannot last forever, and Volkswagen plans to retire the popular TDI.

Volkswagen is reportedly secretly working on a new hybrid version of the Golf, the launch of which will eventually lead to the withdrawal of diesel versions. In the minds of Germans is the Toyota Corolla, one of the most successful compact cars of all time. It is one of the best-selling cars in the world, and Volkswagen wants the Golf to have the same “weapons” as the Japanese model.

The Golf will soon debut in the classic self-charging hybrid (HEV) variant. Such technology is new for the Volkswagen compact. The German manufacturer is developing a new hybrid engine to compete with Toyota, among others. Additionally, in the specific case of the classic hybrid Golf on which Toyota built its empire, it will fill a huge gap between the current 48-volt mild hybrid (MHEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions.

Golf TDI becomes Golf HEV

It’s not a technology that will be exclusive to the Golf, as Volkswagen plans to roll it out across much of its passenger car lineup. However, the Golf will be the standard bearer for this engine that will liven things up in the competitive C segment.

Volkswagen expects the new hybrid Golf to have low enough fuel consumption to compete with diesel compacts that will continue to be available on the market. That is why, in principle, the goodbye to the diesel Golf will be compensated by this hybrid engine in terms of efficiency. The new hybrid system will reportedly be present in Audi as well as in Volkswagen. For now, Seat and Škoda are excluded from this plan.

The German manufacturer does not rule out extending the commercial life of the eighth-generation Golf until 2035. To achieve this, a hybrid variant seems to be necessary. Not to mention the new emissions regulations that are just around the corner and will pose a new challenge to automakers that still rely on internal combustion engines.

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