Hybrid versions and high-tech features: Peek inside the new Volkswagen Golf

Fresh versions of one of the brand's most iconic vehicles have just been made public, and the manufacturer says they're greener and more high tech than ever before

The new Golf is here. All photos courtesy Volkswagen AG

Resting in the early evening sun.

The new version still has a classic Golf shape.

The new layout inside.

The rear light.

On the move in an urban environment.

City-bound.

A look at the upgraded dashboard.

Up in the hills.

The digital tech inside the cabin.

Always nice to have a day out with your mates.

Just in case it's not obvious.

This will be the new Golf, then.

Volkswagen has just released images of the latest incarnation of the 35-million-sold vehicle, the eighth in its history, and, at first glance, you won't be mistaking it for anything other than the zippy little hatchback it always has been.

Despite the similarity to previous versions, though, don't go thinking nothing has changed – as well as the range of upgrades buyers have come to expect with new launches, five hybrid versions of the Golf will now be available.

The marketing people say this will be the most easy-to-drive model so far, with its fully digitalised features making life as simple as possible for whoever slips in behind the wheel.

It will also be the first Volkswagen to utilise what's known as anticipatory technology.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the just-released images of the new Golf.

In short, this is more stuff that stops you from crashing. On the new Golf, the system is called Car2X. It's a bit of kit that beams signals to and from similarly connected traffic infrastructure and vehicles in order to issue warnings about hazards. It remains to be seen how that will work, but it all sounds like something anyone hacking through the UAE's hairier motoring hotspots might find very useful indeed.

No word on formal release dates in the Middle East for the new Golf yet, but the smart money suggests a 2020 launch.