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When I saw the picture above, I thought I was looking at the Mk6 Golf GTI. It is even wearing the same "Detroit" rims borrowed from the Mk6 GTI. But on further reading, I realized that I was actually looking at the design study of the 2013 MK7 Golf GTI. Although this is a concept car, it looked very production ready with all the GTI themes such as the tartan cloth upholstery and flat-bottomed steering wheel. Like all Mk7 Golfs, the GTI rides on VW's all-new MQB platform. The most important detail is what lies under the hood of the latest VW hot hatch. It will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged, direct-injected unit that pumps out 217bhp and 350Nm of torque, which is the same as the MK6 Golf R. With such tremendous twisting force, the latest iteration of the GTI sprints from 0 to 100km/h is 6.6 sec before reaching a top speed of 246 km/h. Buyers will be able to choose between a standard manual gearbox and the famed DSG dual-clutch transmission. For the first time ever, VW will offer a performance pack for the Golf GTI. However, power is only increased by a mere 10bhp with century sprint reduced by a negligible 0.1 second. The performance pack also comes with a differential lock that reduces understeer as well as bigger front brake discs. The 2013 Golf GTI is differentiated from the standard version by the twin red stripe at the front grille, red brake calipers, smoked LED tail lights and 80 mm chromed tailpipes. If I am an existing Mk6 Golf GTI owner, I will be quite happy that my ride will not look outdated as compared to its successor.

With the recent release of their MQB platform, it is expected that Volkswagen will release the next generation Golf some time in the fourth quarter of this year and Volkswagen will introduce changes to the model that is normally found in higher end models. It is rumoured that Volkswagen will debut the Mk 7 Golf at the 2012 Paris Motor Show this year (29 September to 14 October) and the car will be packed with technology that is usually associated with luxury models. The car will come in several engine variants, from the ordinary petrol engine up to a plug-in hybrid that generates around 243bhp. The normal models are powered by a new series of downsized petrol engines (code EA211) and diesel engines (code EA288). The top of the range diesel model (non GTD) will generate around 181bhp and 380Nm of torque. There is also a 220bhp twin turbocharged diesel engine that the company is still putting under some tests and this one will likely end up in the GTD sub-model. As for the petrol engines, the smallest displacement engine is a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that generates around 138bhp and it features cylinder deactivation for increased economy. The larger engine (code EA888) sizes are at 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre. The Mk 7 Volkswagen Golf GTI gets the most radical change of all. The 2.0-litre engine will deliver around 260bhp, a 50bhp increase from the current generation. The next Golf GTI will feature the new VAQ electronically controlled front differential and Volkswagen mentioned that it will offer a more agile steering behaviour and a much greater sense of steering precision. All wheel drive and the company