Digital cockpit has loopholes, German Volkswagen suspends delivery of the eighth-generation Golf due to software problems

Volkswagen will decide in the coming days what to do with the affected vehicles, either through a recall or a software update.

Germany's Volkswagen will halt deliveries of its latest eighth-generation Golf compact hatchback due to software problems in some vehicles.

The software in question is related to the e-call emergency call system, which EU regulations require cars to be equipped with from March 31, 2018. Volkswagen said that an internal investigation found that data from the control unit could not be transmitted reliably, so emergency calls could not be fully guaranteed.

Volkswagen said on May 15 that it would decide in the coming days what to do with the affected vehicles, either through a recall or a software upgrade.

Volkswagen began selling the new Golf in Europe this year after delays due to the car's advanced digital features, including over-the-air (OTA) software upgrades, which let automakers send patches and updates directly to the vehicle rather than requiring owners to return it to a dealer for a "physical update."

To make the Golf more appealing as more consumers turn to crossovers or high-end hatchbacks, Volkswagen gave the eighth-generation model a fully digital cockpit with features such as permanent connectivity. But advanced technology brings technical bugs, leading to delays in the launch of the new car.

Volkswagen encountered a series of software development problems during the development of the eighth-generation Golf. In 2019, Volkswagen planned to launch the eighth-generation Golf at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but software problems caused the company to postpone the launch of the car until the end of the year or later. The eighth-generation Golf is built on the upgraded latest platform MQB Evo.

Volkswagen said it discovered the problem during a routine quality assurance check and could not say how many vehicles had the issue, but it expects the software to be available between June 15 and 21.

Volkswagen is now continuing to build the Golf at its Wolfsburg plant, with the cars already built being stored until the software is upgraded before delivery.

Volkswagen executives said in an interview with the media last year that the company never thought of concealing software problems, especially since this is an extremely important area for the company's future development. The number of lines of software code in the Golf model is ten times that of a smartphone, so software development is a severe challenge for the company.

In addition to writing the software itself, ensuring that it is secure and bug-free is a major challenge.

The Golf is still considered the most important product for Germany's largest automaker and is Europe's best-selling car model with sales of 410,779 units last year, according to data from market researchers ATO Dynamics.

Volkswagen is gradually reopening many of its European plants after they were shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. Due to a sharp drop in demand caused by the outbreak, Volkswagen said on May 12 that it would cancel one shift on the Golf production line and stop production on two lines that make the Volkswagen Tiguan, Touran and Seat Tarraco.