The Golf is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and Volkswagen is launching an enhanced version of its bestseller to mark the anniversary.
Discerning Irish customers are able to order the new Golf from this month (February ), with the first models arriving in showrooms from July.
Pricing and model specifications will be announced in early February with the order books opening soon after.
The updated Golf will be available in several powertrains, including a new plug-in hybrid which Volkswagen says has all-electric range of around 100 kilometres, and is additionally equipped with a DC quick-charging function.
The other options – mild hybrid (eTSI ), plug-in hybrid (eHybrid and GTE ), turbocharged petrol (TSI ) and turbocharged diesel (TDI ) – will be available for the product line in the launch phase.
According to Volkswagen, the new Golf will be equipped with a next-generation infotainment system, featuring fast processor, intuitive operation, intelligent IDA voice assistant and ChatGPT integration.
It also boasts a a sharper front end, 3D light graphics on the tail light clusters and, for the first time, an illuminated Volkswagen badge on the front.
The first Golf rolled off the production line 50 years ago in Wolfsburg, Germany, and more than 37 million units have been sold worldwide since.
Alan Bateson, director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Ireland, said: “When the Golf first arrived here in 1974, few would have guessed it would go on to revolutionise the motor industry.
“Five decades later and it is still the first name that comes to people’s minds when you ask them to think of a Volkswagen.
“We are fortunate to have had a few iconic Volkswagens over the years, but the Golf is the car that everyone has either driven or been driven in.
“A vehicle for the people, it is also a car for the ages. This latest iteration is a perfect example of how the Golf has evolved over the years to cater for the latest motoring trends, tech requirements and customer demands,” Mr Bateson said.
