2020 Volkswagen Golf Goes on Sale, Priced from EUR27,510

Over the next period, the Golf VIII will be made available with four engine choices and a wide range of customization options. The entry-level hatchback is the Golf Life 1.5 TSI, which will sell in its home country starting from €27,510.

When it was first shown at the beginning of November, the new Golf stirred mixed feelings. First, it disappointed because of the very limited design changes it comes with. Going down this road is understandable though, as the car has one of the most recognizable looks in the industry, pretty much unchanged for generations, and this appears to have been one of the reasons behind its success.

It did cause some excitement too, as it is by far the most technologically evolved Golf ever. The cockpit reeks digital, the car is always online thanks to an integrated eSIM, and it also comes with Car-2-X features that allow it – for now - to talk to traffic lights.

The limited engine options offered for now will grow exponentially over the car's lifecycle. Aside for the usual gasoline and diesel engines, the car will also be fitted with natural gas drive, and of course electrified models.

In all, Volkswagen plans to sell no less than five hybrid variants, called eTSI, which combine a regular internal combustion engine with a belt starter generator and a 48V lithium-ion battery. Two plug-in hybrids, with the entry-level rated at 204 ps and the GTE variant at 254 ps, are also on the table.

The first-ever Golf came to be in 1974, and quickly became a people's car, perhaps even more so that the original wearer of the moniker. Throughout its seven generations life, 35 million Golfs were sold.