Volkswagen Golf Black Edition Debuts As A Darkside Hatchback For UK Buyers

The Volkswagen Golf Black Edition debuted in the United Kingdom to darken the popular hatchback. It's on sale now, and prices start at the equivalent of $39,895 (31,985 pounds).

The Volkswagen Black Edition sits between the R-Line and GTE models in the UK's Golf lineup. It comes with 18-inch black wheels in a style VW calls Bergamo with five curved spokes that split off into a Y shape at the rim.

The Black Edition also comes with the usually optional Winter Pack that includes heated front seats and a heated leather steering wheel. It also has a rear-view camera and LED Plus headlights. The rear glass is tinted.

Volkswagen says the equipment on the Black Edition would usually cost $3,616 (2,900 pounds) on the R-Line model in the UK. However, this model costs $1,871 (1,500 pounds) more.

Buyers can select three powertrains. There's a turbocharged 1.5-liter making 148 horsepower and a six-speed manual. A mild-hybrid version of this setup comes with a seven-speed automatic. Finally, there's a turbocharged 2.0-liter mill making 187 hp with the automatic gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel drive.

A rumor indicates that the Golf's future is in doubt. Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schäfer told Germany's Welt newspaper in 2022 that a decision hadn't yet been made about building a ninth generation of the model. Stricter emissions regulations in Europe have started making the automaker re-think developing combustion-powered vehicles.

At this year's Munich Motor Show, Volkswagen is showing the ID. GTI Concept as a vision for how its hot hatch could evolve in the future. No technical specs are available, but the instrument panel has a display with retro-themed gauges.

A production version of the concept debuts in 2026 and goes on sale in early 2027. Traditionally, the "i" in the GTI name stands for injection, but it represents "intelligence" in the EV. The model might wear a new logo with a lightning bolt on the end.