2025 Volkswagen Golf Mark 8.5 facelift revealed, Australian timing confirmed

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf has debuted in Europe ahead of its Australian launch around 12 months from now.

A mid-life facelift to the current Mk8 Golf launched in 2019, the latest ‘8.5’ model becomes the last combustion-engined Golf, with the Mk9 model due around 2028 to be all-electric, based on the Volkswagen Group’s new unified Scalable Systems Platform (SSP).

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed the updated Golf hatch will enter production for our market in the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), with first arrivals likely at the start of 2025.

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Exterior design changes include a revised front end with sharper LED headlights, a new “high-performance” main beam for flagship versions fitted with matrix technology, new bumpers, a full-width light bar, and an illuminated Volkswagen badge.

There are also new alloy wheel designs and an updated internal signature for the 3D-effect LED tail-lights.

Inside, the Golf 8.5 receives an available 12.9-inch floating-look touchscreen – up from 10.0-inch in current models – running the brand’s latest infotainment system, which adds ChatGPT artificial intelligence within its built-in ‘IDA’ voice assistant.

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As with the latest Tiguan midsize SUV and ID.4 electric car, the larger screen has a revised menu structure and a permanent shortcut bar to access the climate controls.

The capacitive steering wheel found on Golf GTI and Golf R models has been replaced with the same version fitted to standard Golf variants, which sees a return to physical controls – in line with a shift away from touch-sensitive buttons across the Volkswagen line-up to address customer 'frustration'.

While the touch-sensitive slider controls for volume and temperature adjustment remain below the infotainment system, it is now illuminated for easier use in dark environments.

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The Golf’s automatic parking system has been updated to also control acceleration and braking, while owners can “guide the vehicle in and out of parking spaces with their smartphone” in some markets. A 360-degree camera view is also now available.

Under the bonnet, the Golf GTI hot hatch receives a power boost with European outputs for the 2.0-litre ‘EA888’ turbo-petrol bumped from 180kW to 195kW. While the Golf GTI has been automatic-only in Australia since 2018, it now loses the availability of a manual transmission globally.

Like the 2023 ID.2all GTI electric concept car, the Mk8.5 Golf GTI swaps its red stripe on the front guard for more prominent ‘GTI’ badging fixed to the front doors.

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Volkswagen has confirmed the facelifted Golf R will debut in the second half of 2024, along with the not-for-Australia GTI Clubsport, which packs more power than the GTI but retains front-wheel drive – similar to the related Cupra Leon VZx.

In Australia, Volkswagen previously announced it hoped to introduce the GTE plug-in hybrid model with the facelift – however it has now backtracked on these plans, confirming electrified versions of the Golf and Tiguan won’t come here to instead focus on its ID-branded electric vehicle line-up.

The facelifted 2025 Volkswagen Golf will launch in Australia as a hatch only after Volkswagen’s local arm confirmed it’ll be axing the wagon body style – including the Golf R wagon.