2013 Volkswagen Golf to Shed Weight, Gain Technology

Later this year, Volkswagen will reveal its all-new Mk7 Golf (Spy photo shown above). A pivotal new car for Volkswagen, the Golf will be improved in almost all aspects, including a swath of more luxurious features.

The staple hatchback will receive a wider range of powertrains including a natural gas variant, an electric variant, and a plug-in hybrid variant that would not only produce 243-hp, but achieve more than 50 mpg.

Mainstream engines for the Golf will include the 1.4 liter turbo engine expected to be good for 138-hp. Larger petrol engines will be available in 1.8-liter or 2.0-liter. Diesel options include a 2.0L diesel producing 181-hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque as well as a twin-turbo diesel with an output of 220-hp. Finally, the new Golf GTI hot hatch gets hotter. The new GTI is expected to receive a 260-hp 2.0 liter turbo. To handle the newfound power, the GTI also features the new VAQ electrically controlled front differential. VW claims that the “agile steering behavior” offers fantastic feedback and cuts the lap time of a conventional diff Golf around the Nürburgring by 8.0 seconds.

Aiming to set a new benchmark, the new Golf will be the first model in the Volkswagen line-up to receive the new MQB platform, a radical chassis that will eventually serve as the underpinning for everything from the VW Polo supermini to the larger Passat sedan. Volkswagen also developed a tweaked Dynamic Chassis Control active damping system to complement the new architecture.

Promising a lighter weight version of the Mk7 Golf, Volkswagen will also create a platform with aluminum floor pressings, boot floor and windscreen base. The German automaker has yet to announce which models would receive this unique alloy-steel hybrid structure, but analysts suggest the Golf EV and GTI are best positioned to receive it. This structure is designed to be as light as the Mk4 Golf of the late 1990’s while providing much higher standards in safety.

Finally, technology found in the Golf include an 8 inch iPad style infotainment screen that includes adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, 360 parking sensors with semi-autonomous capability, all features previously reserved for more luxury-oriented cars.

Expect to see the new Golf at the September Paris Auto Show.

GALLERY: 2013 VW Golf MK7 Spy Photos

[Source: Autocar]