The Volkswagen Golf Mk7 is the first truly new Golf since the Mk5 (upon which the current Mk6 is heavily based) and will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in September.

The latest news, however, is that Volkswagen will in fact begin production of the new Golf Mk7 as soon as August, at their Wolfsburg and Zwickau factories. US industry journal Automotive News reports the factories will convert to modular transverse matrix (MQB) platform production processes during a three-week summer break.

The all-new Golf Mk7 will be the second MQB-based vehicle built by the VW Group following the new Audi A3. The flexible platform will be used as the base for cars across Volkswagen Group’s many brands including Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, and even underpins the Bentley EXP 9F SUV concept.

The Golf 7′s exterior styling is expected to be an evolution of the current model’s design DNA as Volkswagen does not want to alienate buyers of its most successful model series. The new car is also expected to be lighter than the current Golf, while continuing to be offered in its familiar body styles of: three- and five-door hatchback; estate and cabriolet.

A number of new petrol and diesel engines will be available in the new Golf. The range will start with a new 55 kW, 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder and end with a 165 kW, 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder for the Golf GTI. It’s not yet known what engine will power the next Golf R, but that hot hatch is a couple of years away yet. A choice of new, eco-friendly, Golf 7 models will also be available in the form of both petrol and diesel hybrid powertrains and a fully electric alternative.

Spy shots of the next-generation Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI have surfaced, as the three-door GTI underwent hot weather testing in the extremes of California’s Death Valley.

We can clearly see the dual exhaust pipes in one of the shots and the prototype is wearing the current model’s big wheels, suggesting the 2013 Golf 7 GTI will receive a similar sized brake package as the current model. The prototype also appears to be sitting lower than the current GTI, and its roof line is much lower too. This fits in with Volkswagen’s plans to make the Golf 7 GTI, and even the regular Golf models, much sportier.

A turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is expected to feature once again, with output likely to rise slightly above the current model’s 155 kW and 280 Nm of torque. Buyers can also expect a standard six-speed manual or optional six-speed dual clutch DSG.

Combined with an expected lighter curb weight, the new Golf Mk VII GTI is set to make waves in the hot hatch segment once again when it lands late next year or in early 2013.

Adapted from MotorAuthority