SPY PICS: VW's Mk7 Golf GTI

Volkswagen is busy readying its Mk7 Golf – due to debut at September’s Paris motor show – with the GTI hotshoe also spied testing at the Nurburgring by the Carparazzi lensmen.

Leaner and meaner than the existing GTI, the newbie will be underpinned by the VW Group’s radical new MQB platform, which will form the basis for as many as 60 models ranging from Polo to Passat size.

According to insiders, the Golf 7 will be significantly lighter than its predecessor, paring back weight to Mk4 Golf levels, even though it’s said to make great advances in safety. The GTI is said to be lighter again than the mainstream models, scoring aluminium floor pressings, boot floor and windscreen base.

The MQB platform reportedly also brings economies of scale as it allows different vehicles (with differing lengths, widths and tracks) to be manufactured on the same production lines. In addition, the platform also features a common engine mounting system in which both petrol and diesel powerplants are mounted in the same fashion and at the same angle of inclination.

Getting back to the GTI, peak power reportedly rises from the current model’s 155kW to 162kW, but torque is said to swell substantially from 280Nm to 340Nm, with the whole lot on tap from just 1800rpm.

It’s claimed the new GTI will set new standards for hot-hatches, which is a big ask considering how competitive the segment has become in recent years.

Helping translate torque into forward motion is a new VAQ electronically controlled front diff that allegedly results in more accurate and tactile steering behaviour. Sources suggest a VAQ-equipped Golf has lapped the Nurburgring 8sec quicker than prototypes with a conventional differential.

The new MQB platform also supports all-wheel-drive, and it scores an improved version of VW’s Dynamic Chassis Control active dampers.

The optional mod-con list is expected to include an iPad-style dashboard touchscreen, driver fatigue detection, 360-degree parking sensors, Park Assist 2 and adaptive cruise control.

— with Carparazzi

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