A Volkswagen production executive says the upcoming Golf 8 is “much more complex than its predecessor”.

Andreas Tostmann, Volkswagen brand board member responsible for production, said despite this the firm had managed to reduce the average build time of the eighth-generation of the automaker’s popular hatchback.

“The Golf 8 is much more complex than its predecessor. Nevertheless, we have cut average manufacturing time by about one hour,” Tostmann said.

“Because the Golf 8 belongs to the second-generation of MQB products, we achieved a significant reduction in production investments. Our platform strategy is delivering. The team in Wolfsburg have given their all for the Golf 8. Production processes have become more efficient overall. That is a great achievement and I would like to say a big thank you to all employees,” he added.

VW furthermore confirmed production of the new Golf at the main plant in Wolfsburg (where 8 400 employees will work exclusively on the model) was “in the run-up phase”, with the first vehicles set to hit showroom floors in Germany and Austria in early December 2019.

To prepare for production, the firm said approximately 700 work steps were analysed at over 400 workshops to leverage existing efficiency reserves, adding that “numerous process improvements have been implemented to make sure the eighth generation of the bestseller can be built more efficiently than its predecessor”.

VW says the Golf 8 has over 2 700 individual parts and components, including 962 wiring systems with 1 340 metres of cable (some 31 wiring systems and just under 100 metre of cable more than in the Golf 7). Starting with delivery of the steel sheet, each new Golf effectively travels 69 km on production lines until the finished vehicle leaves the factory.

Interestingly, some 80 percent of the factory’s existing body shop plant and equipment has been retained, while new equipment has been installed specifically to cater for the fresh side panels of the Golf 8 (which bears what VW calls a “striking tornado line”).

The Golf 8 will be fully revealed on 24 October 2019. In South Africa, the range will comprise a 1,4 TSI variant (rather than the 1,5 TSI expected to be offered in some other markets), the popular Golf GTI derivative and the range-topping Golf R model, with the GTI set to be the first to arrive at some point in 2020.

Original article from Car