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Next-generation Volkswagen Golf, Tiguan, Passat and T-Roc confirmed with hybrid power

Volkswagen's popular small and mid-size cars will all live on into the next decade with plug-in hybrid power, their maker has confirmed.


The Volkswagen Golf, Tiguan, Passat and T-Roc's futures have been secured into the electric age, with the German brand confirming its popular models will all receive another generation.

As part of Volkswagen's 'Accelerate' product strategy announcement late last week, CEO Ralf Brandstätter confirmed next-generation versions of the Golf, Passat, Tiguan, T-Roc and Chinese-market Tayron are in the brand's plans, all of which will benefit from plug-in hybrid drivetrains offering up to 100km of electric-only range.

"We will still need combustion engines for a while, but they should be as efficient as possible, which is why the next generation of our core products – all of which are world models – will also be fitted with the latest generation of plug-in hybrid technology, with an electric range of up to 100 kilometers", said Brandstätter.

Don't expect all-electric versions of the aforementioned models, however, as Volkswagen's electric vehicle (EV) offensive will be covered by its expanding ID range, which is planned to account for 70 per cent of the brand's European sales by 2030, and 50 per cent of Chinese and US sales.

This month's confirmation reaffirms words from Volkswagen board member Jurgen Stackmann in May 2020, suggesting a ninth-generation Golf would likely be developed to sit alongside the brand's ID EV range.

It's unclear whether the next-generation Passat will continue to be offered in both sedan and wagon body styles, given a report from industry publication Automotive News Europe in November 2020 indicated only the latter long-roof would live on, with a new model due in late 2023 for select, wagon-loving European markets.

It's worth noting no specific reference has been made to the city-sized Polo hatch, indicating development of a combustion-powered successor – likely due around 2025, based on an eight-year model cycle – could have been called off in favour of Volkswagen's promised sub-€20,000 (AU$31,000) electric car, confirmed for a 2025 launch.

However, the media release's wording suggests a next-generation city car could still be on the cards, despite slowing sales globally.

If the seven-year lifecycle of the outgoing Golf 7 is any guide, expect to see the current Golf 8 replaced by the Golf 9 in 2026, with the ninth-generation model to carry the German brand's popular small car into 2033 (or beyond).

Similarly, going by the lifespans of their predecessors and other VW models, the next-generation Tiguan should arrive between 2023 (according to some sources) and 2025, the Passat in 2023, and the T-Roc in 2025 or 2026.

An additional generation of each model hasn't been ruled out, suggesting models like the T-Roc – an electric counterpart to which isn't in Volkswagen's publicly-confirmed plans, as of publishing – and Tiguan could live on well into the 2030s with combustion power.


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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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