Eighth-generation VW Golf tries on a zebra suit before its debut

Volkswagen is nearly ready to introduce the eighth-generation Golf. The company previewed the hatchback by releasing a teaser image showing it wearing zebra-inspired camouflage.

The wrap might help Volkswagen's bread-and-butter models hide from lions and hyenas in the African savanna, but it can't easily conceal the fact that the eighth-generation model still looks a lot like a Golf. While its proportions haven't drastically changed, finer details take the overall design in a sharper direction. The grille sits much lower on the front fascia, for example, while the headlights look markedly more angular than before. We expect stylists gave the rear end a similar treatment.

Earlier spy shots confirm the Golf is going digital. It will have a nearly button-less cabin thanks to a wide touchscreen programmed to run the next generation of Volkswagen's infotainment system. The software will be internet-connected, and capable of receiving over-the-air updates. The second screen in the cabin will be an updated version of the sleek-looking Digital Cockpit instrument cluster.

What remains to be seen is whether the Golf will return to the United States. Rumors claiming the standard model will disappear from the American market emerged earlier in 2019, and Volkswagen told Autoblog it hasn't made up its mind yet. "The next-generation Golf R and GTI are confirmed for the North American region. Other Golf family models are still under consideration," a spokesperson said. The Sportwagen, the Alltrack, the two-door hatchback, and the Cabriolet are already retired.

Either way, Volkswagen confirmed plans to introduce the 2020 Golf before the end of 2019. The hatchback won't make its debut in September at the Frankfurt auto show, the electric ID.3 will bask under the bright lights on its own, and an introduction in Los Angeles sounds unlikely considering the car's American career is in limbo. We wouldn't be surprised to see the next-generation Golf in the metal for the first time during a standalone event organized specifically for it.