But perhaps the most obvious and useful of all the changes to the new Golf’s cabin is that the touch-sensitive slider bars for the climate control now light up, meaning they can be operated much more easily and safely when driving at night.
Revisions to the hatchback’s exterior are less obvious, with the camouflage still in place, but Volkswagen promises the Golf will be “visually refined” for 2024, no doubt by virtue of reshaped bumpers, tweaked air intakes and new-look lights at each end, which will use VW’s latest IQ matrix LED technology.
New wheel options and paint schemes are expected to be added to the options list for 2024, too, and it seems all but certain that Volkswagen will mark the 50th anniversary of the Golf with a highly bespoke commemorative edition of the GTI hot hatch.
As for powertrains, the new Golf is expected to broadly match the current car in offering a range of pure-combustion, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, but with revisions made across the line-up in pursuit of improved efficiency and performance.
The eHybrid and GTE PHEVs, for example, are set to swap their 1.4-litre petrol engines for a newer, cleaner 1.5-litre unit, while their new electric motors will bring a power boost and a larger battery could increase their EV range to as much as 62 miles. The mild-hybrid petrol cars will become more efficient, too, and a new mild-hybrid diesel, badged eTDI, will be added to the roster.