In the press conference following the launch of the Arteon R-Line here in Malaysia, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia Managing Director, Erik Winter confirmed that the Golf Mk.8 will be making its introduction here in Malaysia soon.
Responding to media queries on the brand’s signature hatchback, Winter said: “The golf is an icon. We have had the Golf for many years in Malaysia with very big successes. Let me put it this way – we are working very hard to get the car into the market soon.”
Winter added that the car faced delays in its rollout schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting movement control orders (MCO), compounded by the global chip shortage issue faced by carmakers worldwide.
Check out this drift battle between a Volkswagen Golf R and a Mercedes-AMG A 45 S!
“But, we are progressing right now, and I’m sure that we will meet up soon again to discuss more in detail about this car – hopefully not virtual”, a remark on the virtual car launches and press conferences that have now become the norm within the industry in an effort to reduce social contact due ot the pandemic.
The latest country to receive the all-new Volkswagen Golf in our region is Singapore. The iconic hatchback is offered in two variants in the island nation – a 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid (with three equipment packages – Life, Life Plus, and R-Line), as well as the Golf GTI.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Volkswagen Golf in Singapore.
For the former, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine is paired to an integrated 48V starter-generator, making 150 hp and 250 Nm in total. Power is sent through a dual-clutch DSG gearbox to the front wheels for a 0-100 km/h time of 8.5 seconds, onward to a top speed of 224 km/h.
Meanwhile, the GTI gets an EA888 evo4 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mill, boasting 245 hp and 370 Nm of torque on tap. It’s also paired to a seven-speed DSG transmission (unfortunately no manual, and we expect the same for Malaysia too) for a century sprint time of 6.3 seconds.
Will we see the same offerings for the Volkswagen Golf here in Malaysia? Only time will tell – but as it stands, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be waiting too much longer.
