A VW spokesman recently revealed that the all-new Golf will debut at the “end of 2012 or early 2013.” VW CEO Martin Winterkorn previously stated the new Golf would bow in November 2012, but no month was given in the latest report.

The next Golf will be the first Volkswagen-branded product to ride on the company’s new MQB architecture. The modular transverse architecture is expected to net VW double-digit percentage savings, thanks to its ability to be used across both brands and models.

Given a European market launch of late 2012, the new Golf won’t likely surface in the United States until sometime in 2013.

The new Audi A3, due out in mid-2012, will be the first vehicle to utilize VW’s MQB architecture.

We’re fans of Volkswagen’s Golf in just about any form — especially in GTI trim — and can’t wait for the next-generation car. It turns out we’ll have to wait at least another 22 months, as new reports suggest the seventh-generation Golf will launch in 2012.

Unlike the last car, the Mk VII Golf’s biggest change won’t simply rest with sheet metal. Instead, the new compact — set to be offered in both hatchback and convertible forms — will be Volkswagen’s first model to ride on the company’s MQB modular transverse architecture, a platform slated to underpin nearly 37 models globally. It won’t, however, be the first to use MQB — Audi’s new A3, due next summer, will likely bear that honor.

We first heard about the MQB’s future use back in November of 2009, but VW has apparently spoken out on the platform’s possibilities. The automaker suggests spreading one platform across so many models can provide a double-digit cost savings. Better yet, don’t expect those models to be cookie-cutter clones of one another. Thanks to some ingenious engineering, the architecture can easily be shortened, lengthened, and widened, allowing it to underpin a number of front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models.

Apart from the new platform, expect the new Golf to push the fuel economy envelope. Automobilewoche suggests the new car will receive smaller, more efficient powertrains all around, but didn’t reveal any additional details as to their displacement, induction, or fuel type. One option already confirmed for the new car, however, won’t use any fuel. Although currently installed in a number of prototypes, Volkswagen’s Blue-E-Motion electric driveline will finally be offered to consumers in the Mk VII Golf. According to the company, the electric variant will reach production by 2014, and will be priced “affordably.”

We’re interested, however, in what Volkswagen does with Golfs headed for North America. We wouldn’t be surprised if the automaker elects to strip some premium content from entry-level models to compete on pricing — after all, a similar tactic was used for both the new 2011 Jetta and the 2011 Passat. Look for more information on the new Golf to emerge closer to the end of the year.

As part of its 2011 Geneva Motor Show festivities, Volkswagen is letting us loose behind the wheel of its range-topping Golf R, set to arrive in United States as a 2012 model. Production of the Stadeside-spec car begins at the automaker's Wolfsburg plant this November, and we've just learned how different our version of the Golf R will be from the model that's already on sale in Europe.

Don't worry – we're still getting the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to the company's fourth-generation Haldex 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. But while the European car cranks out 270 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, Volkswagen tells us that the U.S. car will produce something closer to 256 hp and 243 lb-ft (not yet confirmed). Still, that's 56 hp and 36 lb-ft more than the standard GTI, and since the Golf R is estimated to weigh around 3,300 pounds – 250 pounds lighter than the most recent R32 – the end result should be quite lively. Volkswagen is estimating that 0-62 mile-per-hour times will fall somewhere in the 5.7- to 5.9-second range.

As we reported earlier, the Golf R will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission when it hits our shores. European cars can be had with Volkswagen's slick-shifting DSG unit, and we must admit, not offering the twin-clutch setup in the States seems like a curious omission, especially when you consider that the take rate on DSG in the less powerful GTI is around 50 percent. Still, Volkswagen says that its research with different enthusiast groups and dealers suggests that the vast majority of U.S. consumers have been clamoring for a row-your-own Golf R, and since the automaker had to keep the number of build options to a minimum in order to get the vehicle approved for American consumption, manual-only was the way they decided to go.
On the subject of reducing the number of build configurations, all U.S. Golf Rs will be outfitted almost exactly the same way. The only options available will be a choice of two and four doors, as well as a package that incorporates things like a sunroof, navigation, smart key and the Dynaudio sound system. We will not be able to spec the Golf R with the super-supportive motorsport-designed seats available in Europe (a €3,800 option – over $5,200 USD, for what it's worth), and all Golf R interiors will be leather only. Sadly, the Euro-spec LED taillamps will not be carried over to the U.S. Golf R, as well.

As for pricing, Volkswagen is targeting a base MSRP of around $33,000 – right about where the 2008 R32 was priced. During the Golf R's run here in the U.S., Volkswagen hopes to move about 5,000 of the little hot hatches – in total, not annually. If demand meets or exceeds supply, Volkswagen will have a better case for bringing a next-generation Golf R to our shores, as well. We'll be driving the Golf R later this week in Europe, so stay tuned for our full repor