All the announcements of debuts at the Geneva motor show gives the much needed breath of life to motor shows. Somehow motor shows became less eventful last year thanks to the economic crisis.

This might not be a new exotic car but small zippy cars are always welcome debuts in my book. Meet the new Volkswagen Polo GTi which will be unveiled at next month’s Geneva motor show.

The car packs a 1.4L TSI engine that’s turbo- and supercharged to get a whopping 178 bhp. (From a 1.4!) The car’s also equipped with an XDS front differential to cope with the massive torque steer expected to mess with the steering. The only transmission available for the car upon release is VW’s 7-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox.

That allows the car to hit 0-62 in just 6.9 seconds and reach all the way up to 142 mph. Now that’s a pocket rocket if you ever saw one. That’s almost enough to nip at the heels of the Golf GTi.

The car’s expected to be priced starting at £18,000.

Volkswagen’s SUV with a name most of us will mispronounce has just had a new incarnation. And this new one offers more power and more space but promises to be more efficient than the last one.

The UK-spec Touareg can avail of three different powertrains and four different trim levels. The engine lineup includes a 3.0L V6 turbodiesel engine dishing out 238 bhp and 405 lb-ft of torque which is mated to an eight-speed automatic and a 4.2L V8 TDI that dishes out 337 bhp and a 590 lb-ft of torque.

The third powertrain is a gasoline-electric hybrid that involves a 3.3L supercharged V6 dishing out 329 bhp and a 46 bhp electric motor. It’s the first time VW will be offering a hybrid-electric powertrain for the Touareg UK market. And it’s no pansy either, with its 0-62 mph in 6.5 seconds.

The new Touareg gets height-adjustable springs to take on a bit of off-roading. However, VW took out the low-ratio gearbox which is compensated for by the first ration in the eight-speed torque converter.

With GM out of the picture for now, Toyota stands as the world’s largest automaker. But Toyota won’t be able to claim that they are the undisputed automaking champs as Volkswagen is now poised to threaten Toyota’s position.

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn boldly announced his ambition to get ahead of Toyota two years ago and it seems that it can really be a reality. Back then, Volkswagen was earning quite a bad rep in their mass market vehicles and their sports and luxury brands wouldn’t really account for the big business.

Today, the Japanese giant has been having a tough time recovering from the auto sales crash due to the global crisis and Volkswagen has improved their lineup of mass market vehicles. What stood as a 3 million unit sales gap from two years ago is now halved by the German giant.

And it looks like if VW keeps it up, it can really close in. Toyota’s image as a builder of reliable cars (one of the biggest reasons why they do so well in the mass market) is currently suffering due to the massive 4 million vehicle recall last year.

Source: BusinessWeek

The Golf has always had our respect as far as the hot hatch battle is concerned. Though we really miss the feels of the classic Golf GTi. The new Golfs have that sort of tamed effect lined up against all the other hot hatch contenders in the market that it seems to have dropped to the middle of the pack.

Now Volkswagen gives the Golf line a shot of adrenaline with this new 2010 Golf R. For fans, you might want to ask whether this is an even tamer version of the R32. Don’t worry. What it lost in the badge numbers, it compensates with its total package.

The car packs a 2.0L TSI engine that dishes out a mean 265 hp making it the most powerful Golf ever. Helping plant the power to the ground is VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system. Fans might be missing the old six-cylinder engine of the R32. But that’s the way with ecomentality folks. The green revolution’s taking its toll on larger engines.

The engine is mated to a choice between a DSG dual-clutch gearbox and a proper manual. The DSG’s faster going to 62 mph (5.5 seconds) by 0.2 over the manual. Top speed’s limited to 155 mph but that’s already a handful.

Zippy.

Source: Motor Authority

The takeover of Porsche by the Volkswagen group is on.

Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking quits. Joining him is financial officer Holger Haerter. Both departures are of immediate effect. With these, the merger between Porsche and Volkswagen will be on its way.

Wiedeking had been with Porsche for 16 years and made moves to buy out Volkswagen. However, those attempts proved to be disastrous and placed Porsche down in a hole. Porsche loaned £8 billion in its drive to take over VW.

As Wiedeking goes down in the history books as the man who led Porsche to disaster, he will be living a very comfortable life if he decides to simply retire. He is said to take a £80 million severance package. Last year, reports placed his salary at £63 million.

Porsche’s supervisory board confirmed Wiedeking departure after its meeting.

Now this deal will surely make Volkswagen a force in the automotive industry and will make them a real threat to be the German automaker. Volkswagen has offered Porsche’s major stakeholders 8 billion Euros (around $11 billion) to buy Porsche’s sports car business.

Reports have it that Porsche’s controlling families (Porsche and Piech) will agree on the deal later this week on the 23rd. With the deal, Volkswagen will own a 49.9 percent of Posche AG. This serves as a prelude to Volkswagen’s buyout of the sports car business. The merger will create consolidate 10 brands.

As for Porsche, the sale will help the company deal with its 10 billion euro debt that it had incurred.

Not all people are happy with the move. Current Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking, who is against the sale, plans on taking a 100 million euro severance package.

JE Design will be giving diesels a bigger boost, especially at a time that diesel vehicle sales seem to be spiking in the United States, with their new high-performance tweaks for the Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI. This new range tops out at a 205 bhp model and adds to JE Design’s portfolio which includes a take on the Scirocco coupe.

The JE Design Scirocco 2.0 TDI starts out by tuning the 2.0-liter TDI power plant, boosting power from 140 horsepower to an improved 180 horsepower. Top speed is improved a bit, from 128 mph to 132 mph, but it’s in torque and power where the improvements become significant.

Meanwhile, JE Design also tweaked the 2.0 TDI GT, boosting it to 205 horsepower and 302 lb.-ft. Of torque. The JE Design 2.0 TDI GT has a 0-62mph time of 7.1 seconds, which is in the territory of the petrol Audi A3 2.0T S-line.

On top of the performance boosts, JE Design also supplies a new ABS plastic and CNC-machined body kit, with optional gullwing doors. Other options include larger wheels and premium 19-inch tires.

Volkswagen has confirmed plans of launching a mini-MPV variant of the new Polo, along with a new Beetle that the company claims should be “more macho” than the previous one.

“A mini-MPV is in an area we have under active consideration,” said VW board member for finance Hans Dieter Potsch. “In terms of downsizing, people will not stick to one type of small car or another…We have a full product agenda. Markets change more rapidly than we appreciated before. Cutting back on R&D can place you in a troublesome position just when a recovery happens.”

Sources say that VW is working on the next Beetle, which should be manlier than the current version. “The new car will be less effeminate, more assertive and masculine so guys are not deterred from buying it. Women buy cars liked by men but it is less the case the other way round.”

The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo 5-door hatchback was revealed last March at the Geneva Motor Show, and is set to start sales this October in the UK. The mini-MPV variant is touted to start sales within two years.

Volkswagen unveiled the VW Bluesport roadster concept at the Detroit Motor Show earlier in 2009, stirring the interest of fans and enthusiasts and hinting at the revival of the brand’s roadster segment. However, VW is having difficulties getting the Bluesport roadster into production, citing that building the car won’t make much financial sense due to the weak market.

“The state we are at right now regarding Concept Bluesport is we are carefully calculating how to earn money with a niche car,” said Christian Haacke, communications manager for Volkswagen. “It is a niche product and especially in crisis times like this it will be a challenge to come up with a volume we could require to earn money with it.”

The Bluesport roadster offered a healthy mix of sportiness and eco-friendliness. Its 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine goes for 180 horsepower and a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds, while still managing a respectable 35 mpg mixed efficiency.

All this doesn’t mean Volkswagen won’t continue to pursue building the car. Haacke said, “The idea of a small two-seater sport car has been around for a really long time and I hope that the concept Bluesport will finally make it through the calculators.”

Volkswagen has revealed a new sporty trim for the Passat family car trims, as the company expands its R Line range that should provide more premium equipment while improving value for money. Buyers will have the option of getting saloon and estate variants for the Passat R Line.

The Passat R Line is based off the car’s entry-level S trim. It’s going to fetch for an additional £600 ($920), but I guess everyone will agree that that’s nothing short of amazing considering that buyers will be getting additional equipment worth £2,470 ($3,790).

Among the added equipment in the Passat R Line are bespoke alloy 17-inch wheels and a new Individual-designed body kit. Cruise control and electronic tire pressure monitoring are also some of the included features. Additonally, buyers have the following engine options: the 1.4-liter and 1.8-liter TSI engines and two 2.0-liter turbodiesel engines.

The Passat R Line makes the Passat’s Sport and SEL trims expendable. This trim is by far the most cost-effective in the range, even with the range-topping Highline and R36 trims.

Volkswagen’s electric Up! minicar is slated for a 2013 release, which would put its market sale considerably later than its rivals such as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which is expected to go on sale sometime in 2011.

However, Volkswagen has a lot of plans for the Up! minicar even before its electric version launches. The company currently has several versions in development which should help make the car reach VW’s goal of 500,000 units sold yearly. These versions are the petrol-electric hybrid, MPV variant, and a reported sporty cabrio version.

VW already previewed some of the tech which could be used for the all-electric variant in the Up! blue plug-in hybrid concept back in 2007. The concept sported a hydrogen fuel cell with a lithium-ion battery that powers a 60-horsepower electric motor.

It would seem that Volkswagen is in no rush to get the production version done. The company still hasn’t decided whether the electric Up! will be put on sale in the US market. Well, by the time they do finish the electric Up!, chances are EVs will be more convenient to use.

Volkswagen enthusiasts in the UK is surely to get excited by this – a more powerful Scirocco GT TDI is going to be part of the lineup. Volkswagen probably sees that the current 140-hp 2.0L TDI already in the market won’t cut it for power-hungry petrolheads.

The new TDI will produce 170 horses and the powerhouse will be mated to a choice between a 6-speed manual or Volkswagen’s DSG gearbox. The power gives the car ability to get from 0 to 100 kph in just 8.1 seconds and can reach a top of 138 mph.

VW’s TDI engines have quite the good rep for fuel efficiency. The company pegs the car to get 44 miles to the gallon on a combined cycle. Not too shabby at all with a car that’s arguably zippier than most hybrids.

Other stuff that buyers get from this GT trim level offers six-CD autochangers, rain and dusk sensors, 2Zone air conditioning as standard luxuries. Safety features include ABS, ESP, and six airbags. Nothing really special but Scirocco.

While the official first quarter reports aren’t in yet, Volkswagen is poised to overtake Toyota in the race for the world’s biggest car manufacturer for the quarter. Volkswagen’s released Q1 sales figures are currently higher than Toyota’s current estimates, though the Japanese automaker hasn’t released official numbers yet.

The first three months of 2009 saw 1.4 million vehicles sold by VW, a figure which eclipses Toyota’s estimates of 1.2 million sold cars. Should that figure be accurate enough, it would represent almost a 50% drop from Toyota’s figures in the first quarter of 2008.

The real key for Volkswagen is that it has managed to be strong in growing new-car markets such as Brazil, China, and Germany, of course. Such countries are also incidentally the ones whose respective governments have put good incentive plans in place for new-car purchases.

Conversely, the Toyota figures are affected in much the same way as the GM numbers have been—a tremendous drop in demand for new cars in the top markets that the Japanese car manufacturer is firmly entrenched in.

Source: Motor Authority

Sales of the new Volkswagen Golf Plus MPV has started in Europe, as dealers have begun taking orders for the Mk6 Golf-based MPV. Volkswagen has equipped all Golf Plus vehicles with Park Assist technology and is available in two trim levels.

The new Golf Plus MPV has Park Assist as a standard feature. The system gives its own steering input to facilitate easier parking. The driver still has a good measure of control, having power over the throttle and the brake. The system on the Golf Plus is also a good improvement over the previous system—it can fit the vehicle into spaces up to 20 percent smaller than what the previous one can manage.

The Golf Plus is available in either S or SE trim levels, along with options for four different engine configurations. Volkswagen’s newest seven-speed DSG transmission will be available as well, except for the diesel variant, which will be mated to an older six-speed gearbox. Buyers can also choose either a six-speed or a five-speed manual transmission.

Delivery of the ordered Volkswagen Golf Plus vehicles is slated for the end of April.

Source: Autocar

Volkswagen has released details on the 2010 Golf GTD, the German automaker’s upcoming diesel-powered version of the GTI hot hatch, ahead of the vehicle’s debut at the Leipzig Motor Show this weekend.

Performance is a bit on the down side compared to the GTI. The GTD’s 0-62 time is 8.1 seconds, with a top speed of 136 mph. The car makes up for the reduced output with excellent mileage, going for a good 53.3 miles per gallon on combined highway and city traffic. The 2.0L engine produces 258 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,750 rpm.

CO2 emissions on the GTD are also a good 139g/Km, considerably lower than the petrol-powered GTI. Buyers can get the GTD in either a six-speed manual transmission or a DSG-equipped automatic. There’s also an optional Adaptive Chassis Control feature, which makes the car’s settings variable between normal, comfort, and sport configurations.

With its offer of decent performance with great fuel economy and improved CO2 emission levels, this “GTI among diesels” should be able to generate a lot of interest especially in Europe.

Source: Motor Torque

According to reports, Porsche has managed to secure $13.6 billion in loans, which will be used to support the automaker’s bid to acquire an even bigger share in Volkswagen.

Currently, Porsche holds a 50.76 percent stake in Volkswagen, but the goal is to increase that number even more. However, earlier this year, Porsche stated that it would ensure enough Volkswagen shares remained in the open market for investor trading.

Porsche had initially applied for $17 billion in loans, but this was denied by the banking consortium that handled the existing loan that Porsche refinanced. However, the bankers still approved the somewhat-reduced $13.6 billion in loans despite being scared off by sales that continue to drop and the bleak outlook confronting the automotive industry.

It remains unclear what Porsche hopes to gain aside from added equity. There’s the Volkswagen workers council and an existing law in Volkswagen that limits decision-making powers, as well as a 20.2-percent blocking minority in the hands of the state of Lower Saxony.

Source: Motor Authority

Just a few months after unveiling the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf, the German automaker has now released details on the new Golf GTI Mk6. With an all-new engine, added features, and improved overall performance, the GTI should be a big hit just like the standard model of this iconic vehicle.

The Golf GTI Mk6 comes with a new 2.0-liter TSI engine. Power output is pegged at 208 brake horsepower at 5,300-6,200 lb. ft. of torque. The engine will be mated to either a DSG double-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual. Emission levels are down to 170g/km (173g/km for the DSG variant), and fuel economy is at 38.7 mpg, improved from the mk5’s 35.3 mpg.

A set of 19-inch allow wheels, adaptive chassis control, and adaptive cruise control will be standard fare on the GTI mk6. The second feature allows easy shifting from different modes: normal, comfort, and sport. The car also has an Electronic Stabilization Programme (ESP) with the XDS electronically-controlled differential.

The GTI Mk6 also has an aggressive front bumper, a rear wing and diffuser, a new exhaust system, race seats, and GTI badges. The car can already be ordered from Volkswagen dealers, with a May release.

Source: Motor Torque

With the recent well-documented struggles of the two biggest car manufacturers in the world, Toyota and General Motors, third-place Volkswagen is setting its sights on the top.

As Toyota expects to post some $4.95 billion in losses for 2008 and GM’s sales figures continue their downward spiral with no end in sight, VW is looking to take advantage of the situation. The company posted a record net profit of $6 billion for 2008, and sees continued profitability in 2009. Still, VW lags behind total car sales figures after selling 6.3 million units last year. Toyota and GM both broke the 8-million barrier.

“We are staying in the fast lane and the fuel tank is well topped up,” according to VW CEO Martin Winterkorn in a statement at a recent press conference.

The key for Volkswagen is the United States market. If the company manages to increase its North American market share, then eventually VW might take the lead. There are already a lot of plans designed to do just that, such as a plant in Tennessee and US-exclusive models.

Source: Motor Authority

Ahead of its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen has released details of its new Polo supermini. The highly-anticipated fifth-generation vehicle is expected to generate a lot of interest in the European market, much like it has in the past generations of the vehicle.

The design team had more room for creativity with the design, especially since they didn’t have to carry over a previous platform for the process. This is why the new Polo sports a classier look which is quite unique compared to most designs of other superminis.

There’s a variety of engine choices. Gasoline options include a pair of 1.2-liter engines (at 59 and 69 horsepower respectively), a 1.4-liter one (84 hp), and a 1.2-liter with TSI (104 hp). TDI-equipped diesel power plants come in three 1.6-liter configurations: 74 hp, 89 hp, and 104 hp.

The new Polo platform is designed to be versatile, for use in future VW releases. Bad news, though: While the Polo has already been committed to major European markets, there are no indications of a North American release as of yet.

Source: Car and Driver

The economic crisis rears its ugly head in the automotive industry yet again, with the postponement of Seat’s plans to release the company’s variant of the Volkswagen Bluesport roadster.

While the VW-affiliated Spanish car manufacturer is pushing back the timetable for the car, executives are still determined to release the vehicle eventually, somewhere around “five to 10 years from now,” citing the need for a flagship sports car. Seat’s sales and marketing director, Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, sales and marketing director of Seat, said that “as we don’t sell in the US and there isn’t a big market domestically, it’s hard to justify.”

Seat is looking to extend its reach to Brazil and South America as well as grab a bigger European foothold. It also wants to expand its product range, drawing from the reception of the Seat Leon and the Ibiza, as well as the company’s Econetic line of green vehicles.

Perhaps when the economy starts going smoother, Seat can release their version of the Bluesport. For now, however, the company has to take its lumps and wait—just like most other automakers worldwide.

Source: Autocar

Volkswagen will be releasing its first production hybrid vehicle in the form of the Volkswagen Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid, a midsize SUV that the company claims will provide “maximum power with minimal consumption.”

The Touareg V6 is capable of 328 brake horsepower, thanks to the 3.0-liter Turbocharged Stratified Injection (TSI) engine underneath its hood. This petrol engine can alternate with an electric motor that can go 51 brake horsepower with a top speed of 30mph on electric power. The SUV also has a Sport function that allows it to reach 368 bhp at 385 lb.-0ft. of torque with a 0-62 time of 6.8 seconds.

The transmission for the Touareg is a standard eight-speed automatic. The electric motor doubles as the petrol engine’s starter motor. The vehicle also features a light Torsen differential (with the 4-wheel drive) meant to compensate for the added battery and electric motor weight. For added fuel efficiency, there is also a start-stop system included in the vehicle.

The Touareg is already Volkswagen’s more successful models, and the addition of a consumption-mindful hybrid variant should help the company get back on track in 2009.

Source: Autocar

Volkswagen unveiled its Studie R Concept at the Bologna Motor Show, basing the model on the Scirocco GT24, showing what could very well be the future of the Scirocco endurance-racing line.

The Studie R Concept’s front features include an all-new splitter and larger air intakes for better cooling of the 266 brake horsepower 2.0-liter engine under the hood, while the rear features a wing, a diffuser, and two oval exhausts. The suspension of the Studie R Concept has been upgraded for better racing performance. It also has 19” alloys for the wheel.

For optimized weight reduction, the interior of the Studie R Concept makes extensive use of carbon fiber components. The particular model shown at the Bologna show features red and white color decals running up to the side mirrors and the car has “Bologna ‘08” beside the stripes.

The consensus about the car was generally positive, with attendees citing the hot design and race-style additions as plus points for the Studie R Concept. Volkswagen’s redesigns seem to be headed in the right direction based on this one.

Source: Autocar

With gas prices up and the continued global economic crunch, the focus for automakers in the near future is clear: Efficient, environment-friendly minicars. Volkswagen hopes to snare its own piece of this in-demand segment as it speeds up the development on its up! minicar concept.

The Up! Concept draws power from a new 1.2-liter, three-cylinder petrol engine that makes use of direct injection and cylinder deactivation. Mileage is expected to be around 117 mpg. There are also plans to produce an electric car based on this concept, one that will feature zero emissions.
The minicar will reportedly sport a front-wheel drive chassis in order to cut expenses and maximize space for the interior. This setup also allows the accommodation of a lower body profile in order to improve aerodynamics and lessen drag on the previously tall design.

VW is already launching the next Polo for its compact car segment, and the company is hoping that the up! will be able to compete with such established company as the Toyota iQ and the Smart ForTwo.

Source: Motor Authority

In an automotive landscape hobbled by an economic crunch and pressed to be more environment-friendly, going ‘green’ is the way to go—and the best green car of 2008 has just been named. The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI received the Green Car of the Year award from the Green Car Journal, becoming the first ever ‘clean diesel’ car to win the award.

Ron Cogan, Green Car Journal editor, said that the 2009 Jetta TDI “epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year honor is all about.” The journal cited the Jetta’s fuel efficiency (41 mpg on highway traffic), safe greenhouse gas emission levels, and comparative affordability (a $21,990 price tag) as the keys to the car’s victory in edging out other hybrid-electric and green vehicles.

The Jetta TDI faced stiff competition for the award. Rounding out the five finalists for the Green Car of the Year award is the Smart ForTwo, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue 2-mode Hybrid, and the BMW 335d.

The Green Car Journal, launched in 1992, is a quarterly publication that showcases environment-friendly car technology. The Green Car of the Year award has been given out by the Journal annually since 2005.

Source: Greencar.com

In the current fiscal year, Volkswagen has proven strong in the face of the financial crisis—posting a 15-percent increase in operating profits over the first nine months. Volkswagen management also expressed that they expect this to continue for the rest of the year.

Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen AG Board of Management Chairman, said that the company has “performed well so far in a difficult environment,” citing the strength of their environment-friendly lineup and flexible production as among the main factors that have contributed to this success. From January to September 2008, Volkswagen AG had already surpassed its after-tax profit from last year. With €3.7 billion net earnings, this is a 28.5-percent increase from the previous year’s figures.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, and Lamborghini are the brands that contribute largely to this profitability, while the Financial Services Division of Volkswagen also continues to provide solid numbers. Volkswagen officials expect the trend to continue through 2008, with spikes in total deliveries, sales revenues, and overall profitability in the next three months—despite the automotive industry’s decline in the midst of the financial crisis.

Source: Fortitude