Volkswagen has confirmed that the GTD version of its new Golf will make its debut at the Geneva motor show next month.

The new Golf GTD has been officially unveiled – see it here

The front end of the diesel-powered warm hatchback, previewed in an official rendering, looks to feature broadly similar styling to the standard Golf, but it will gain a distinctive light pattern in its lower grille, like the plug-in hybrid GTE.

Volkswagen claims the powertrain in the new GTD is "the most powerful and, thanks to twin-dosing, cleanest turbo diesel injection engine ever to be installed in a Golf".

It's set to offer enhanced performance, reduced emissions and improved efficiency over the previous GTD, which made 181bhp and 280lb ft of torque. We know it will use a variant of Volkswagen's well-established 2.0-litre diesel engine with mild hybrid technology.

The official confirmation follows the inadvertent publication of the GTD's 197bhp output and the news that three more hot Golf models are set to appear throughout 2020.

Likely appearing alongside the GTD at Geneva, the new GTI follows the plug-in hybrid GTE, revealed last year, and will be joined by a high-performance GTI TCR variant and a range-topping R.

A slideshow - which appears to have come from a brand or dealer presentation - confirms the GTI's previously reported power output of 241bhp (converted from the kW figure). That's the same output as the GTE. It also shows a TCR variant (which may be badged something else) with an output of 296bhp.

The R will head up the range with an apparent output of 329bhp - a 33bhp increase on the outgoing car.

Following the reveal of the GTI and GTD at Geneva motor show, the R version is expected to be shown in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.