Volkswagen will axe another Golf variant for 2024, with the base hatch – simply called Golf – being killed.
The range will instead open with the Life, though the company has yet to reveal pricing for 2024.
The Life hatch currently starts at $38,590 before on-road costs, $2300 more than the base hatch.
“The overwhelming majority of Golf customers select the Life, R-Line, GTI or – when available – R model grades,” said a spokesperson for Volkswagen Australia.
“Reflecting these customer preferences, this now means each model line in the Volkswagen passenger vehicle range will commence with the well-equipped Life model grade or higher.
“There remains strong MY23 stock in Volkswagen dealerships, and this will continue through 2023. The Polo GTI, Golf Life, Golf R-Line and Golf GTI remain with special drive-away pricing.”
Volkswagen recently axed the Golf wagon, which was available in base, Life and R guises.
“It’s a very deliberate decision to leave space within our dealerships, within our narrative to customers,” said Volkswagen Australia managing director Michael Szaniecki on the axing of the Golf wagon.
“It makes no sense to have Arteon, Passat, [and Golf Wagon] with ID.4, ID.3, ID.5.”
Lower-volume Volkswagens like the Passat are being discontinued as the brand readies an onslaught of electric vehicles (EVs): the ID.4 and ID.5 due in July 2024, and the ID. Buzz and Golf-sized ID.3 hatchback later in 2024.
Spared: Golf Life hatch 
Axed: Golf Life wagon
The base Golf had already taken a brief leave of absence, and though it eventually returned it did so only with an automatic transmission, with the manual option being axed.
Upon the Mk8 Golf’s local launch in 2021, this base manual was the only Golf to slide in under $30,000 before on-road costs, if only by a few hundred dollars.
In contrast, the old Mk7.5 Golf was available from just $25,790 before on-road costs back in 2020.
MORE: All the new Volkswagen cars, SUVs and vans coming to Australia
MORE: 2023 Volkswagen Golf Life Wagon review
MORE: Everything Volkswagen Golf
