WOLFSBURG: Hot on the heels of the 2019 presentation of the eighth-generation Golf, this year Volkswagen is preparing to launch no less than four versions of its legendary compact, starting with the GTI which is to go on show at the Geneva Motor Show to be held from March 5-15.
Autocar reports that under the hood the new-generation Golf GTI will not change much from its predecessor, but will still be equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that is available in two versions with 245 hp and 290 hp.
The real innovation could be the deployment of a 48-volt mild hybrid system that can cut fuel consumption, which is increasingly common in Volkswagen Group models. On the level of performance, the new GTI is expected to reach speeds of up to 250kph and accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in less than 6 seconds.
Following on from the Golf GTI, it will be the turn of the Golf GTD (diesel), which may also show in Geneva, the GTE (plug-in hybrid), due out this spring, and the R (sports), at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood, England in July, to be presented in updated versions.
