Despite the Mk7 Golf just recently receiving its mid-cycle refresh, one German auto publication is already looking forward to the next-generation of the venerable Volkswagen hatchback.

German car magazine Autobild has come out with a report on the upcoming range of Mk8 Golfs, and it turns out, "lighter, better, faster, stronger" is predictably the name of the game. Improved, but not radically different, as the next Golf will still sit on a version of Volkswagen's MQB platform. Thus, various hard points such as the A- and B-pillars will go unchanged.

As for things that will change, Autobild said that the new car will be 35 to 70 kg lighter and feature a new design with a lower nose (and thus, better aerodynamics) and sharper cut taillights. Rear badging will be moved to the center of the trunk, for a more upscale look also seen in the firm's Arteon pseudo-luxury sedan. Not exactly ground-breaking stuff, but again: evolution, not revolution.

On the inside, however, is a bit of a different story. The Mk8 Golf's interiors will be completely overhauled and eschew the classic cockpit for a vast, two-screen setup reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz's sedans of late. It will reportedly be able to be controlled via touch or gestures. Most interestingly, perhaps, is the introduction of an augmented reality heads-up display that has the ability to project navigation arrows and information directly onto the street in front of you in three dimensions.

The report also said that the new Golf will achieve Level 3 autonomy at speeds up to 37 miles per hour—a feat only accomplished for the first time on a production vehicle in the Audi A8 revealed earlier this week.

For reasons that don't really need to be mentioned again, don't expect a big focus on diesel power. Instead, Volkswagen is placing its eggs in electrification, allegedly implementing the 48-volt mild hybrid system already seen on the Audi RS5 and aforementioned A8 (as corroborated by previous reports).

Now for the fun stuff. Autobild is reporting that the Mk8 GTI will boast 250-horsepower (up from 220-HP) while the next Golf R will produce 350-hp (a marked increase over the current 292-hp), matching the outputs of their respective Ford Focus-based rivals.

Despite all of the improvements and tech, the Golf range's pricing structure is not expected to move, thankfully. To be released as a 2020 model year car, the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf (and perhaps its derivatives) will reportedly be revealed at Frankfurt in September 2019.