Volkswagen Talk

When you look at the CLS Shooting Brake of Mercedes-Benz, you will know that there are times when looks win over functionality. The Shooting Brake version of the CLS features a a plunging roofline and four-door plus a liftgate configuration.

Now it seems Volkswagen will follow suit as reports are saying that the German car manufacturer is planning to have a shooting brake edition of its four-door coupe, the Volkswagen CC.

The details are very limited at the moment. Volkswagen is yet to confirm if the rumors are true. According to some reports circulating around the automotive world the new CC Shooting Brake will join its coupe sibling using the MQB platform. It is said to fit just between the Phaeton and the VW Passat.

The new CC offerings will come with a front-wheel drive setup but Volkswagen might have its 4Motion AWD as an option for the pricier models. Just like other shooting brakes, you can expect the CC to have a plunging roofline and to put emphasis on stylish looks over versatility.

VW sees a good opportunity for shooting brakes in its European market but this may not be the case if the US market is to be considered. Consumers in the United States do not have the CLS Shooting Brake of Mercedes-Benz nor the XF Sportbrake from Jaguar. They also do not have the station wagon version of the Passat.

It must be the trends or just the perceptions. German car manufacturers believe that Americans go for crossovers and are not fans of station wagons.

Days after revealing the production version of the Jetta Hybrid in Los Angeles, Volkswagen announced that the company is now accepting orders from its market in Germany.

The 2013 Jetta Hybrid will hit VW showrooms in Germany by mid April next year with tag prices starting at $40,600. This is definitely pricier than the same car that will be marketed in the United States for $25,790. The sticker price includes destination charges but not tariffs.

The compact sedan from the Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer will be powered by a 147-horsepower gasoline engine with turbocharger. The traditional powerplant will work in tandem with a 20kW electric motor to complete the setup. The total output of the hybrid system will be a decent 168HP. The power of the engine will be sent to the front wheels by a dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox.

According to the carmaker, the combined fuel mileage is equivalent to 4.1L for every 100 kilometers. This is equal to 68.9 mpg in the United Kingdom or 54.7 mpg in the United States. Carbon dioxide emission is pegged at 95 grams per kilometer.

The Jetta Hybrid will be offered in two trims in its home market: The Highline and the Comfortine.

The standard features of the vehicle include 15-inch alloy rims, radio with digital radio and CD, leather-trimmed steering wheel, parking assistant, and automatic climate system.

The team at Volkswagen sees the Renault Clio RS and Peugeot’s 208 GTi as the best bets of these brands in the near future. Both vehicles run using a 1.6L four cylinder with an output of 197 horses. So they decided to give their upcoming bet, the VW Polo R, some 20 horsepower more at 217 horsepower.

The Polo R was previewed earlier by Volkswagen as a concept vehicle called the Polo R WRC Street in Austria during the Worthersee Tour last May. The car manufacturer also confirmed that time that the Polo R will be rolling out in 2013.

A more recent report says that Ulrich Hackenberg, chief of Research and Development of VW, that the Polo R will be officially unwrapped during the upcoming motor show in Geneva by March 2013. He added that VW really did not plan to build the Polo R but decided to push through with the production in order to promote the entry of the Polo to the World Rally Championship next year.

The Polo R will sport a turbocharged 2.0L petrol engine that is the duplicate of what is under the hood of the Golf GTI Mk6 and other cars of the VW lineup. The Polo R will be able to produce 217 horses or 10 hp better than its compact hatch cousin.

The package will be completed by the usual styling components, aerodynamic elements, and an improved chassis that has a mechanical limited-slip differential.

The T5 by Volkswagen is among the favorite vehicles o German tuning firms. A good number of tuners have released their cosmetic and engine tweaks for the Transporter series.

VW T5 owners will be pleased with how Hartmann enhanced the performance and the looks of the mid-size van. The team appropriate calls it as the “Prime”.

Under the hood, engineers at Hartmann enhanced the ECU with a kit to push the output of the engine. The More potent 2.0L BiTDi that originally gives out 177 horses and a torque of 295 lb-ft has become more aggressive at 209 hp and a torque of 339 lb-ft. The tamer 2.0L TDI that outputs 138 hp and a torque of 251 lb-ft improved 164 hp and a torque of 291 lb-ft.

Hartmann also has an upgrade for the exhaust system and an accelerator kit to enhance throttle response. They also offer a sports suspension that lowers the height of the ride by 30mm.

In terms of aerodynamics, the tuning company customized a rear apron, side skirts, and front spoiler for the Volkswagen T5. They also have several options for the wheels of the vehicle.

For the interior, they offer some extras like carbon fiber bits for décor and velour carpeting.

Volkswagen brings the concept of global platform to another level as it brings this summer a modular platform which will be used for sedans, SUVs, microcars, and crossovers for its biggest brands. The move of Volkswagen is the most ambitious so far among automakers who already shae platforms between brands and segments.

Experts foresee that by 2017, the MQB which is used for the Audi A3 will be seen in about four million units annually or about half of the production of Volkswagen. The move will cut the costs, production time and make the firm more adaptable to the trends in the market.

The platform will standardize the positioning of the engine and the distance between the pedal box and the front axle. Depending on the model, the wheelbase, length, and width can adjust with no problem.

The use of the global platform brings a ton of advantage but also brings a ton of risks. The concept is basically untested and might be a big liability in case there will be a need for a massive recall. Come 2017, the MQB will be used in 40 models under the brands Audi, Seat, Skoda, and Volkswagen. The VW Golf and the Audi A3 are the first units to use the platform and will go in sale this year in Europe and in the U.S. by next year.

Car manufacturers are looking for ways to decrease their cost of production and also boost the profits as they widen their market globally and Volkswagen had to come up with a bold move looking at the scale of its line up of 200 models.

The MQB platform started taking shape in 2007 as Ulrich Hackenberg became a board member of the R&D of VW after having developed a modular base for Audi.

There are two more global platforms in place, the MSB which is used for sports cars with rear engines and the MLB which is utilized for bigger units that have longitudinally mounted powerplants.

VW is the second highest ranking carmaker in terms of sales following GM. Experts forecast that VW will be selling around 4 million vehicles using the MQB platform by 2017.

During the auto show in Detroit back in 2009, Volkswagen unwrapped their BlueSport Concept. The representatives of the company then said that the midengine VW roadster was heading to the production line and might also be used as a platform for a baby Boxter of Porsche and a version for Audi.

The VW BlueSport actually just needed some minor tweaks from its form as a concept vehicle before it hit the production line and it is perfectly an excellent base for a rear wheel drive, open top version for potential buyers. This was the story coming from the top engineer of Volkswagen during an interview.

Audi has declared that a smaller two-seater should be added to its range as the R4 while Porsche is still figuring out if making a baby version of their Boxster will hurt their sales.

For Volkswagen fans though comes a bad news as the company decided to put on hold the production of the BlueSport Roadster because of the forecast that it might not sell enough to make the vehicle viable. The issue here is not with the design nor the technology but the volume of sales that is needed to be met so production makes sense.

In order to green light from the headquarters of the big bosses of VW, the BlueSport Roadster must at least be delivered to 50,000 garages every year. The sales team of VW does not see the car to be a big hit in the US which is the biggest roadster market in the world, so the project is on hold.

Even though the car manufacturer wants to increase its sales by as much as 300%, the company realizes though that releasing a niche product is not among their top priority at the moment. The focus will be on the core models of the VW lineup and not the portfolio models like the VW BlueSport Roadster.

Volkswagen offers you with solid European cars, at Asian prices - and thanks to their excellent quality and intelligent engines, auto insurance quotes for Volkswagen cars are cheaper than any other European car maker of their standing!

German carmaker Volkswagen just announced its official tag price for the 2012 Beetle in the UK. The new VW Beetle can be yours starting at £16,490 OTR. The Beetle will be arriving in showrooms in the UK by next spring but the company is accepting orders now.

For their British market, Volkswagen will provide two petrol engine options including a 1.2L TSI which gives out 105 horsepower and the 1.4L TSI that is capable of giving out 160 HP. The former is coupled with a DSG transmission with seven speeds while the latter is linked with a 6-speed manual transmission.

There will be 3 trim levels to choose from: Design, Beetle, and Sport. The Beetle and the Design trim that uses the 1.2L engine will have a tag price of £16,490 while the Sport or Design trim using the 1.4L powerplant will be priced at £19,470.

The Beetle based model will have an air conditioning, central locking with remote, DAB radio and CD system, plus the Isofix seats as standard.

The Design variant will have 17 inch rims, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, alarm system, fog lights in front, RCD 510 sound setup, multifunction steering wheel with leather treatment, and dashboard and door panels following the color of the car’s body.

The top of the line Sport trim will have 18 inch rims, tint, sports seats, cruise control, parking sensors, climate control, and gloss black treatment for the door panel, dashboard, and door mirrors.

VW promises to enhance the range of the Beetle in the UK market with the introduction of more powerplants which will include the 105 HP diesel 1.6L TDI BlueMotion; 140 HP 2.0L petrol TSI engine; and the 1.2L TSI engine that is linked with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Sometime in June 2011, the German brand Volkswagen revealed for the first time its brand new technology, the TAP system or Temporary Automated Pilot system at the HAVEit event or Highly Automated Vehicle for Intelligent Transport that was held in Boras City, Sweden.

With the VW’s Temporary Automated Pilot (TAP) system, a car model is able to run smoothly using all of its safety systems that have been activated. The TAP system can run the car without any involvement of the person driving. Press releases say that this VW technology can accelerate the car for up to 80 mph or 130 km/h. The TAP system steers, brakes, and accelerates automatically while still complying with speed limitations. Moreover, it won’t let you overtake if you will are coming thru the right side but in several cases, the driver can still overtake on the right side if the situation calls for it.

The German carmaker along with HAVEit (Highly Automated Vehicle for Intelligent Transport), have recently shown a short video about the new TAP system equipped in a Volkswagen Passat model. The video has gone viral and has made a good effort in demonstrating the new VW feature to its patrons. But of course, it’s still a matter of personal choice if you want to hand over the car controls to an automated system, which is probably a good idea for those who do their makeup on the road. Anyway, regardless of personal preferences, the new VW TAP system is another pat on the back for the car industry’s technology.

Watch the VW TAP video below:

German carmaker Volkswagen will be rolling out the Golf VI Cabriolet in the United Kingdom. The new Volkswagen vehicle will have a tag price of £20,720 for the entry level Golf VI Cabriolet while the high end variant that makes use of a 1.4 TSI that can output 160 PS.

The VW Golf VI Cabriolet will be marketed in three trims: GT, SE, and S. The standard Golf VI Cabriolet will have a Bluetooth feature and other goodies to spice up the ride and will be rolling on 16” alloy wheels. The SE variant will have the features of the S trim but will have additional features like cruise control, two-zone climate control, automatic lights, and parking sensors. The high end GT version will feature sports suspension, 18 inch alloy rims, and Alcantara upholstery.

Buyers will have three options for the engine of the Volkswagen Golf VI Cabriolet. There will be a 12 liter TSI that gives out 105 PS, 1.4 liter TSI that produces 160 PS, and the 1.6L TDI outputting 105 PS. Later this year, Volkswagen will introduce other petrol engine variants and two diesel powerplants for the Golf VI Cabriolet. Automatic DSG transmission and BlueMotion technology will also be implemented.

The Golf VI Cabriolet comes with the usual VW safety features like the ABS, standard airbags for the front and side, ESP, and and an active system for rollover protection. The softop of the car can be closed or opened while cruising at around 19 mph or 30 kph.

The 2012 Eos updated by Volkswagen will be under the spotlight during the upcoming auto show in Los Angeles this November. The reworked convertible will hit the European market by mid January and the United States by spring.

Volkswagen gives us some appetizer through early images of the car which features a redesigned front end and tail. They also have a teaser of the car’s interior.

The new Eos will get a new set of LED headlights, new grilled, and a new bumper with diffuser for the rear.

The panel features multifunction instruments with color display, keyless ignition system, automatic headlamps, and 2^nd generation parking assist.  The keyless system gives consumers a remote control to open and close the roof of the Eos. The new headlamps also come with an assist technology that adjusts the light from dipped to the main beam or back depending on the traffic conditions.

At present, the Eos uses a 200 horsepower, 4 cylinder, direct injected 2.0L  powerplant for its release in the U.S. The 2011 Eos has a sticker price of $33,710 that includes shipping. We don’t expect a lot of changes with the figures for this updated VW convertible.

Early info has the 2012 Eos for the European market at $39,929 with different engine options for both diesel and gasoline.