Extensive details on the all-new 2013 Volkswagen Golf have been revealed online, as the hatchback nears its debut appearance at next month's Paris Motor Show.
The popular hatchback, a more expensive but more premium rival to the best-selling Ford Focus, is set to be replaced next year and the first details have now appeared.
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The car is the first Volkswagen to use the same platform as the latest Audi A3 hatchback launched earlier this year.
The new Volkswagen Golf will be longer and larger than the current version on sale. It will also weigh 100kg lighter, a change that should benefit the car's handling and fuel economy.
This weight shed can be credited to the use of lighter equipment components plus the use of thinner and stronger steel for the bodywork.
The boot space has also increased by 30 litres, meaning the new Golf now offers 380 litres in total. This total comfortably eclipses some of the Golf's key hatchback rivals, including the Vauxhall Astra which offers 351 litres and the Ford Focus with 316 litres at the back.
Engine options for the Volkswagen Golf will include a 1.2-litre petrol engine with 84bhp or 104bhp and a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 120bhp or 138bhp.
The most economical option will be an 89bhp 1.6-litre TDI diesel found on the BlueMotion specification. With this the Golf officially returns 88.3mpg and emits just 85g/km in CO2.
Another diesel engine will be available with the Golf, an 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI unit.
The updated equipment list for the 2013 Volkswagen Golf now features an infotainment system with a 5" display screen on standard models. This is swapped for a 5.8" colour screen on mid-range models or an 8" screen on the range-topping Golf.
Other optional equipment for the new Golf includes Bluetooth, adaptive radar cruise control and a traffic sign recognition system.
The 2013 Volkswagen Golf will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show on 4 September 2012.
Production of the five-door hatchback has begun and orders are set to begin from December 2012, with the first deliveries following in January 2013. Reports suggest pricing for the new Volkswagen Golf will begin from around £16,425.
While the new Golf will initially only be sold as a five-door hatchback, a three-door version could follow during 2013 along with a hot hatch GTI specification.