VW Golf VII will change game in 2013

The Golf VII is expected to boost Australian sales as Volkswagen debuts its low-cost MQB platform that will translate to reduced car prices. MQB is basically one vehicle platform and a set series of components that can serve numerous car models.

Volkswagen claims MQB - first seen on the Audi A3 - can cut up to 8 per cent off the build cost which will contribute to lower prices for the cars. It expects MQB to be used on up to 60 models from Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda. Volkswagen's Golf VII will be first displayed at the Paris motor show in September, will start production in October and be in Australia by March 2013. But don't expect a massive visual change.

The Golf VII will be slightly longer but noticeably lower and wider than the current model. Though styling details are scant, Volkswagen has been more generous in talking about future drivetrain configurations. The MQB platform allows for front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, hybrid and electric drivetrains.

Golf will get the new EA211 turbo-petrol engine family that includes the Up's 1-litre three-cylinder, and 11kW/175Nm 1.2-litre, 90kW/200Nm 1.4-litre and 2-litre displacements. There will also be a 103kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with cylinder deactivation - it disconnects two cylinders - which is claimed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent.

This engine is designed to run on two cylinders and engage the other cylinders on demand sensed by the accelerator pedal. Expect all-new diesel engines for the Golf VII as Volkswagen brings them up to Euro-6 emission specification. The EA288 diesel engine will go into the Golf VII in 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre capacities with outputs from 66kW/250Nm to 140kW/380Nm.

Volkswagen claims CO2 emissions are down by 45 per cent in the Euro-6 versions while performance is up by an average of 20 per cent. There will also be an all-new four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, coded E888, for the GTI and R models that has up to about 220kW and in maximum tune will power an all-wheel drive car. It is possible that Volkswagen will stretch out its hot hatch line-up, starting with a front-drive GT, an AWD GTI and a more potent AWD R.

A new limited-slip differential system that combines the best features of mechanical and electronic systems will be fitted to high-output Golf VII models. The Golf  VII will also be adaptable to alternative powertrains. A plug-in hybrid Golf, dubbed "Twin-Drive'', is one model on the list. It has a 40km range on the electric motor alone, and uses a petrol engine to boost range to about 500km. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn says his company can sell 300,000 electric vehicles a year by 2018.