Say it ain’t so. The base Volkswagen Golf is reportedly exiting the U.S. market after the current generation calls it quits next year. According to a report by Motor 1, the standard version of the upcoming eighth-generation Golf—as well as the SportWagen variant—will not be available here. However, there is some good news, as the GTI and the Golf R will still need their passports when the new models finally roll out. Speaking to Motor Authority, VW spokesman Mark Gillies added, “The Golf R and GTI are confirmed, but other Golf models are under consideration for the North American region.”
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The Mk 8 Golf was originally scheduled to make its debut in September at the Frankfurt motor show, but VW confirmed to us in March that it will be revealed later at the end of the year. The all-new Golf is expected to ride on a lighter version of the MQB platform. There’s no word on whether the Alltrack—a lifted, plastic-cladded version of the SportWagen—will get the axe, too. The E-Golf also isn’t likely to return in any market, as VW’s ID models will pick up where that electric hatch left off. The first U.S.-market EV from VW will arrive in the U.S. in 2020.