The Mk8.5 Golf: A Mid-Life Facelift with Heavily Overhauled Infotainment

The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf is set to receive an important mid-life facelift that will bring refreshed styling and heavily overhauled infotainment. The ‘Mk8.5’ Golf was recently spotted testing on public roads around Germany almost completely without camouflage in the final stages of its development. The current Mk8 Golf is only available to order from stock.

Restyled Exterior

Spotted in what looks to be mid-rung Style trim, the prototype has a restyled, deeper front bumper, new headlights, and a slightly reshaped rear end with wider exhaust graphics and restyled brake lights. These changes are expected to give the Golf a more modern and sophisticated look.

Enhanced Infotainment

More significantly, photos of the cabin reveal that the Golf will follow its newer, electric siblings in gaining a larger, 15.0in touchscreen, which will host an evolved version of Volkswagen’s MIB3 infotainment system that has been re-engineered with a focus on improved utility and functionality. This new system is expected to address issues surrounding quality and user-friendliness, bringing a new direct-access bar for core functions such as home screen configurations, and relocating the main climate controls to a touch panel permanently positioned at the bottom of the screen.

Improved Interior

The Mk8.5 Golf will otherwise largely follow the current car inside, with soft-touch materials featuring on the dashboard and top of the front door sills, but new trim pieces on the steering wheel are among the tweaks. The refreshed Golf is expected to add a premium to the current price of £26,565 in basic Life trim.

Release Date

The refreshed Golf will go on sale at around the same time as the similarly upgraded Touareg, as well as the new-generation Passat and Tiguan, as Volkswagen seeks to sustain the appeal of its ICE car line-up in the run-up to going all-electrified by 2030.

Conclusion

The Mk8.5 Golf is set to receive a mid-life facelift with heavily overhauled infotainment. With restyled exterior features and an enhanced infotainment system, this popular hatchback is expected to maintain its appeal to car buyers. The refreshed Golf is set to go on sale at around the same time as other upgraded Volkswagen models, as the company seeks to sustain the appeal of its ICE car line-up in the run-up to going all-electrified by 2030. Stay tuned for further details on what to expect from the new Golf.