The Golf is offered with upgraded front assist, a system that can automatically brake for oncoming vehicles. There is also LED lighting as standard, with the option of VW’s top-spec IQ Light system. Sections of the matrix LED headlights can be dipped for oncoming traffic or to reduce glare from traffic signs, and adjust for corners and poor weather. Dynamic turn indicators feature too.

The new Golf’s eSIM also allows for over-the-air software updates to both the car and the infotainment system. UK buyers will receive a three-year subscription to VW’s We Connect Plus, which offers a range of services including media streaming, online route calculations, vehicle status, driving data, online map updates and, for the GTE, charging information. It will also allow owners to download add-ons from an ‘in-car shop’.

The firm has developed a mobile key system that will allow the Golf to be operated via smartphone. This won’t initially be offered in the UK but could be introduced at a later date.

Exact technical details and specs have yet to be confirmed, but the UK will retain S, SE, SEL and R-Line trim levels.

While entry-level cars are expected to run on 16in wheels, higher levels will gain 17in rims, more ambient lighting options, chrome exhausts and leather trim options. R-Line models will get bespoke bumpers, trim elements and sport seats, with similar tweaks expected for the GTE version.

VW also claims the new Golf will be upgradeable, so features such as adaptive cruise control, light assist and the wi-fi hotspot can be enabled after purchase.

The Golf is due on sale in the UK early next year. Pricing has yet to be finalised, although a slight increase on the equivalent versions of the outgoing car is likely.

The GTI and GTD models are scheduled to follow later in the year, with the GTI using an upgraded version of the 241bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine from the previous model. The hot R version is likely to arrive in 2021, along with a range-topping 400bhp R Plus.

What is Car2X?

Car2X, which is fitted to the Volkswagen Golf for the first time, stands for car-to-everything. It’s a harmonised standard – in the European Union using wi-fi and 4G or 5G mobile data – to enable connected cars and infrastructure (such as traffic lights) to communicate with each other.

Doing so enables such devices to pool information that can be combined to create real-time live data showing traffic, traffic lights, breakdowns, weather or approaching emergency vehicles. For example, data showing multiple cars braking can be used to warn approaching drivers of slowing traffic ahead.