Last time we saw the next-gen Volkswagen Golf in testing, it was covered in camouflage, but otherwise looking pretty much ready for primetime. Now we have photos of two 2020 Golfs frolicking completely uncovered, offering a look at what we can expect to be nearly identical to what ends up on the showroom floor.
Overall, the car has a lower, wider look, giving it a slightly more sporty demeanor. The view from the front offers the most dramatic changes. The lighting is completely different, with the top of the lighting flush with the horizontal gap of the hood. On the green car, that line extends past the corner of the hood onto the body panel, but on the black Golf, this gap is covered by what appears to be a piece of tape. Also on the green car, there is black on the hood and body panel above the lights — which we assume are decals to try to hide the lighting's true shape.
A little lower on the fascia, we see slight tweaks to the shape of the fog lights, too. Just above each fog light appears to be a camera, or or ultrasonic sensor — and there are two more in the top of the lower grille — which could point to the next-gen Golf getting some more robust driver assistance features.
In the rear, we again see new lighting, a different general shape of the rear end. The rear window looks smaller relative to the rest of the car, and the lighting takes on a completely new look as well. Take a look at the rear hatch, tracing the lines of the opening. They zig inward as they cross the lights, then zag horizontally outward before turning back in and hugging the edges of the rear window. It's sort of an odd shape.
The 2020 Golf will be built using a version of Volkswagen's MQB architecture. We're certain VW will take the opportunity to upgrade the tech throughout the Golf in this next generation. Seeing how far along these testers look, we can expect a debut at Frankfurt this September, if not sooner.
