2020 Volkswagen Golf production to start this year – report
Things just got a bit cloudier when it comes to the launch of Volkswagen's critical next-generation hatchback. Will it launch in February? Will it launch in October? The company seems uncertain...
When will the hotly-anticipated Mk8 Volkswagen Golf launch? Jurgen Stackmann, head of the brand, last week said it would be in February 2020, but a new report quoting "multiple company sources" has suggested the new hatch could surface this October. Hmm.
The latest report comes from Automotive News Europe, the same outlet responsible for the original Stackmann interview.
According to "multiple company sources" the new Golf will debut in October, with production to begin "by the end of the third quarter" in Wolfsburg.
Originally, the company planned to launch the car at the Frankfurt motor show. A combination of factors – not wanting to step on the first production ID electric vehicle's launch, and bugs with the car's new software system – forced it to delay.
"Due to their online connectivity there is a lot more software especially in the area of security, which is a real challenge since the car is no longer a closed ecosystem," Stackmann told Automotive News Europe.
Over-the-air updates open the door for infotainment to improve during a car's life, but it also creates a new world of threats for carmakers to consider. Where previously the only way into a car's software system was by accessing its CAN bus, allowing external wireless connections opens the door for all manner of new threats.
In its push to make the Golf more sophisticated, Volkswagen is pushing to have technology like phone-based unlocking in its Mk8 Golf. According to the ANE report, that involves making 10 different vehicle subsystems play nice.
It's worth mentioning, BMW and Tesla both offer smartphone-based unlocking, while Lynk & Co's car-sharing relies on something similar.
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