‘Major’ revisions for VW Golf 7’s mid-life facelift

Seven generations of Golf parked side by side. The upcoming facelift should come with some high-tech upgrades. VOLKSWAGEN is preparing a midlife upgrade for the seventh-generation Golf next month. The German manufacturer has revealed no details except to say that it will be a ‘major update’.

Spy pics of disguised cars suggest that external tweaks will include new bumpers and headlights, with new alloy wheels.

The more prominent changes are set to be inside, including the possibility of gesture control technology as displayed in the VW Golf R Touch concept car revealed at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Already debuted in the new BMW 7 series, gesture control allows the driver to control certain infotainment functions by swiping their hands in the air, without having to touch any buttons.

The facelifted Golf 7’s interior will also likely include a fully digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen display for the info- tainment system, a head-up display, and new options on upholstery and trimming.

First launched in 1974 (the year that ABBA won the European Song Contest with “Waterloo” and Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle”), the Golf has become one of the world’s most successful cars with over 32 million units sold.

The updated Golf range will reach South Africa in the second quarter of 2017.