Facelifted Volkswagen Golf 8 spied nearly undisguised

A facelifted version of the Volkswagen Golf 8 has been spied undergoing final testing before its debut later this year. The current Golf kicked off a new era of VW’s styling and technology when it was introduced in 2019, but has seen mixed success with buyers, mainly due to its interior tech and interfaces – an element we suspect VW will be paying particular attention to on the updated Golf.

Before we get to see what’s changed inside, however, this barely disguised prototype reveals some of the new Golf’s exterior design changes, shown here on a plug-in hybrid model, obvious from its front wing-mounted charge flap.

The front end has received a subtle, but quite substantial update with new headlights and a new lower grille design. The wide-set mouth of the current Golf looks to be narrowed, tapering at its ends, mimicking the look of VW’s updated ID.3. The LED headlights are now even thinner, debuting a more geometric shape with sharper edges and complex inner lenses.

There are fewer changes visible at the rear, but this specific model has a slightly redesigned lower bumper insert, and we expect the rear lights to feature new lighting graphics underneath this prototype’s clever transparent masks. 

However, Volkswagen’s hoping the changes that customers will appreciate most will reside inside the cabin. The Golf 8 introduced a streamlined new interior design philosophy for Volkswagen, removing nearly all the physical controls and placing them into one of two digital interfaces sat atop the dashboard. Unfortunately, glitchy software, slow response times and complicated menu structures made the Golf 8’s functions significantly more difficult to navigate whilst driving. 

Volkswagen is expected to amend at least some of the issues, promising more intuitive and faster-responding touchscreens, as well as fixes to some of the hardware issues such as the unlit sliding controls for volume and cabin temperature.

Beyond this, VW is also expected to offer the usual colour and trim updates to keep the Mk8 Golf fresh, while maintaining a similar structure of powertrain options from basic petrol and mild-hybrid models, through to plug-in hybrids and high-performance GTI and R models. Volkswagen will almost certainly offer the updated Golf with diesel engines in overseas markets, but we’ll have to wait and see whether Volkswagen follows many of its contemporaries in ditching diesel power altogether in the UK. 

The next Golf 8 is expected to debut sometime this year, where it will join a revitalised range of petrol-powered models including an all-new Tiguan and Passat, and heavily updated Touareg, giving VW’s non-EV range a much needed boost.

Click here for our list of the best family hatchbacks on sale...