This was posted over on the Golf GTI forum last week by forum member jon87 on that forum;Assuming delivery times will improve and with all the speculative articles around, does anyone know the earliest time to order a Golf MK8.5? (also assuming an order placed now will get one a MK8 sometime!)
Thanks for any replies or guesses, delivery time jokes are acceptable
Thanks SRGTD - a very comprehensive reply as usual That timeline would suit me as I usually keep a car for three to four years, mine is January 2021. Despite eighteen months of errors and disappointment etc, I would like to see what the 8.5 has to offer and if it is the last ICE model might be tempted to go for it. A lot can happen though between now and then especially with regard to EVs. I'll quote you here - Hopefully the ‘new electronics’ will include software and hardware that’s fully sorted and is fit for purposeThis was posted over on the Golf GTI forum last week by forum member jon87 on that forum;
‘Heard that the Golf 8.5 presentation will be in November 2023 and first sales in Germany around same time.
Here's what was mentioned:
Three new colors: Oyster Silver Metallic, Grenadilla Black, Anemone Blue Met.
New headlights
New graphics for the rear lights
New rims
New bumpers
New internal inserts
Plug-in version with the 1.5 tsi
New 12.9" central display
New electronics.’
The above sounds pretty standard for a VW mid lifecycle facelift, so no great surprises in the items listed. VW will want to maintain - or increase - customer interest and sales at minimal financial outlay, so the facelift is largely a ‘nip and tuck’ exercise. There are usually some cost cutting measures too with VW facelifts to help offset additional costs of any upgrades. Hopefully the ‘new electronics’ will include software and hardware that’s fully sorted and is fit for purpose , and maybe reverting back to physical controls for some of the most used functions in the car.
Historically, official unveiling of new and facelift models of the Golf have tended to be in Q4 of the year, so a November unveiling sounds a realistic possibility. UK order books usually open a few months later than in Europe, so I’d speculate UK buyers will be able to order a facelift model from sometime in Q1 2024. That’s assuming VW have cleared the backlog of customer orders for the mk8, as once the Wolfsburg plant is retooled to build the facelift car, production of the existing mk8 will have stopped.
I’d argue that the Wolfsburg track won’t have to be retooled. I work for a VAG group manufacturer and they’ve run CMP cars and FL cars on the same track at the same time. They’ve also run completely different models on the same track. FL cars are designed to cause minimal distribution to the production at minimal costs. So it is perfectly reasonable that VW will close order books for Mk8s but still ensure customers that ordered a Mk8 get theirs while also building 8.5s to get to customers that have ordered theirs.This was posted over on the Golf GTI forum last week by forum member jon87 on that forum;
‘Heard that the Golf 8.5 presentation will be in November 2023 and first sales in Germany around same time.
Here's what was mentioned:
Three new colors: Oyster Silver Metallic, Grenadilla Black, Anemone Blue Met.
New headlights
New graphics for the rear lights
New rims
New bumpers
New internal inserts
Plug-in version with the 1.5 tsi
New 12.9" central display
New electronics.’
The above sounds pretty standard for a VW mid lifecycle facelift, so no great surprises in the items listed. VW will want to maintain - or increase - customer interest and sales at minimal financial outlay, so the facelift is largely a ‘nip and tuck’ exercise. There are usually some cost cutting measures too with VW facelifts to help offset additional costs of any upgrades. Hopefully the ‘new electronics’ will include software and hardware that’s fully sorted and is fit for purpose , and maybe reverting back to physical controls for some of the most used functions in the car.
Historically, official unveiling of new and facelift models of the Golf have tended to be in Q4 of the year, so a November unveiling sounds a realistic possibility. UK order books usually open a few months later than in Europe, so I’d speculate UK buyers will be able to order a facelift model from sometime in Q1 2024. That’s assuming VW have cleared the backlog of customer orders for the mk8, as once the Wolfsburg plant is retooled to build the facelift car, production of the existing mk8 will have stopped.
Still haptics on the wheel.Seen these camouflaged photos of the new Passat Variant.. could these indicate the direction the Golf 8.5 restyling is heading...especially the interior...
https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/images/albums/the-all-new-passat-variant-6689
View attachment 285948
It’s also been suggested in various media articles that future new models, including the mk8.5 Golf, are likely to revert back to conventional buttons on the steering wheel like the one in the forthcoming new Tiguan; that car also gains a rotary control on the centre console to control certain functions.Still haptics on the wheel.
Some current Mk8 models have always had conventional buttons instead of the haptic offering of the GTI/R, so just because there’s pictures of camouflaged VW’s without haptics doesn’t mean they’ve definitely been ditched, the face lifted iD3 still has them and was also rumoured to be reverting to push buttons.It’s also been suggested in various media articles that future new models, including the mk8.5 Golf, are likely to revert back to conventional buttons on the steering wheel like the one in the forthcoming new Tiguan; that car also gains a rotary control on the centre console to control certain functions.
Picture of the new Tiguan’s interior from VW’s press release article;
View attachment 286064
I dare say we’ll just have to wait a bit longer to see whether the mk8.5’s steering wheel design loses the haptic touch pads that some trim levels have, or whether it’s the same as the one in of the forthcoming Tiguan across the whole mk8.5 model range. Link to VW’s media article on the Tiguan below;
https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com...-technologies-and-a-long-electric-range-17326
Link below to article on motor1.com website from October last year on VW’s decision to ditch the haptic controls on steering wheels (lots of similar articles on other motoring websites that were published around the same time).
https://uk.motor1.com/news/618273/volkswagen-bringing-back-steering-wheel-push-buttons/amp/
Some current Mk8 models have always had conventional buttons instead of the haptic offering of the GTI/R, so just because there’s pictures of camouflaged VW’s without haptics doesn’t mean they’ve definitely been ditched, the face lifted iD3 still has them and was also rumoured to be reverting to push buttons.
Maybe, but VW is now fitting them in the GTI version of the Polo.That’s just the base Golf wheel. Nothing new. Looks old and stupid, but whatever, I’ve got mine.
I agree, it’s likely the answer, I just think it’s a dumb answer. But I have my car and they’re taking away the manual, so my next car won’t be a VW anyway.Maybe, but VW is now fitting them in the GTI version of the Polo.
Previously, the current version of the Polo GTI got the same steering wheel with haptic touchpads as the mk8 Golf performance models, so reverting back to a steering wheel with conventional buttons in the Polo GTI could be an indication of things to come with the mk8.5 Golf performance models.
Why they did it indeed? it's like including all the AC controls etc on one display - dangerous if you want to change something while driving and you won't get points on your licence for doing so Personally I had to get used to it and set everything before setting out then use voice commands if required. Just more cost-cutting by VW following the dieselgate / emissionsgate scandal.I don't have an issue with the haptic version of the steering wheel, I quite like it actually. I do sometimes switch the heated steering wheel on but I just switch it off..the rest I like.
However, I do wonder why they did it........when you are driving it needs to be super simple to control stuff.