After 14 years of being at the top of European car sales charts, the Volkswagen Golf was finally dethroned by the Peugeot 208 supermini in 2022. In fact, Wolfsburg's compact car didn't even make it to the podium as the affordable Dacia Sandero came in second while the T-Roc crossover was third. The tiny Fiat/Abarth 500 was fourth, slightly ahead of the Golf, with the Toyota Yaris subcompact hatchback not far behind.
In a bid to rejuvenate sales, VW is working on a mid-cycle facelift for the eighth-generation Golf slated to go on sale in 2024. In the meantime, rumor has it the Germans are thinking ahead by preparing the popular moniker for an inevitable electric future. Autocar has it on good authority the ID. Life concept unveiled at the 2021 IAA Munich is pretty much dead, with an all-new concept car to be revealed next month.
