Facelifted 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI previewed

VW has used this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to give us our first glimpse of the refreshed 2024 Volkswagen Golf ahead of the hatchback’s official unveiling at the end of January.

Set to be unwrapped as part of the Golf’s 50th birthday celebrations this year, the latest Volkswagen Golf is thought to be referred to internally as the Mk8.5 as the ninth-generation hatch will switch platforms and only be available with all-electric powertrains.

Pictures of the facelifted VW Golf in light camouflage released overnight indicate that there won’t be any radical changes to the exterior, although the hot GTI version looks like it will bag a revised front bumper, new wheels and some minor tweaks to the rear bumper.

Other alterations are expected to include redesigned headlights, a narrower grille and a set of new graphics for the tail-lights.

The big changes will be reserved for the interior that addresses some of the useability complaints of the current car.

New for the cabin include some proper physical steering wheel controls that replace the fiddly touch-sensitive controls of the Mk8 Golf.

The large central 12.9-inch infotainment screen, meanwhile, finally gets backlit slider controls that will also be rolled out in the all-electric Volkswagen ID.3 hatch.

It’s been tipped the Golf will also be available with more ambient lighting to help users navigate the minor controls at night, although Volkswagen has stopped short of reintroducing buttons and physical dials or shortcuts for the climate control.

No further information has been released for the updated Golf, so there’s no word on what’s happened under the bonnet.

But it’s been tipped both the Golf GTI and Golf R get a small power-up and extra torque to raise performance marginally over the current models.

Other benefits from the mid-life refresh will be efficiency gains across the range and the introduction of more sophisticated driver assist aids.

While the facelifted Golf is expected to arrive in European dealers in the third quarter of 2024, Australian buyers might have to until the end of this year – or early next year – before our cars arrive.

Volkswagen is also using this year’s CES to demonstrate how it’s integrating ChatGPT artificial intelligence into its vehicles, starting from the second quarter of this year.