Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn is pushing hard to reach his target of surpassing Toyota and making VW the world’s No. 1 car brand by 2018. To accomplish that goal, Winterkorn is bringing the next-generation Golf to market in 2013, a year or two earlier than planned. But that’s not the only reason the new Golf couldn’t wait. The latest VW Polo has grown in size and refinement, effectively closing the gap between it and the current, sixth-gen Golf.

The next Golf will have styling to differentiate it from the rest of the hatchbacks in VW’s lineup. Expect edgier bodywork and lower and wider dimensions. Wheelbase and overall length will grow slightly to increase interior volume. There will be no experiments regarding packaging, as a VW ­engineer says: “[Expect] higher-quality materials and some innovative features. That’s it!” What will be new is an eight-inch touch screen on top of the center console that will work like an Apple iPad or iPhone and provide radio controls and navigation, as well as in-car Internet access.

Another reason for the Golf VII’s earlier arrival involves cost cutting. Underpinning the body will be the new Modulare Querbaukasten (MBQ) architecture that also does duty in the next Audi A3, likewise due in 2013. MBQ is the Volkswagen Group’s revised front-drive, transverse-engine platform: All cars on it will have the same distance between the front-axle line and the foot pedals, a move that greatly reduces the number of front-end structures used by VW and its subsidiaries. Today, the conglomerate claims to use 18 different front-end modules, a number that will be reduced to two. In all, more than 60 models of the Volkswagen Group (Škoda, SEAT, VW, and lesser Audis) will be built on the MQB, enabling a tremendous cost savings. VW’s luxury brands will continue to use their own dedicated platforms.

Click the title for the source