VW Golf 2010 - Love It and Hate It

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  • J.D. Power APEAL: Porsche tops rankings for 5th year straight

    J.D. Power APEAL: Porsche tops rankings for 5th year straight July 16th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, July 16th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    J.D. Power APEAL: Porsche tops rankings for 5th year straight Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout - APEAL - is how J.D. Power measures the 'gratification' a car owner experiences with each new model on the market. For the fifth year running Porsche took top honors, but several trends in the market show a wide range of improvements.

    First up: American carmakers have closed the gap on their import counterparts. In 2007, domestics fell 27 points short of imports, while in 2008 that shrunk to 15 points. This year there's just 5 points between domestics and imports, reflecting the huge improvement in design and build quality of American vehicles.

    “Consumers have a great array of appealing... Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout - APEAL - is how J.D. Power measures the 'gratification' a car owner experiences with each new model on the market. For the fifth year running Porsche took top honors, but several trends in the market show a wide range of improvements. First up: American carmakers have closed the gap on their import counterparts. In 2007, domestics fell 27 points short of imports, while in 2008 that shrunk to 15 points. This year there's just 5 points between domestics and imports, reflecting the huge improvement in design and build quality of American vehicles. “Consumers have a great array of appealing vehicles to choose from by both domestic and import brands,” said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. Underscoring the improvement of the American brands is the overall industry improvement. The average score across all models in 2009 is up 9 points from 2008 to 779. A large part of that increase is attributed to a boost in owner satisfaction with fuel economy, according to Sargent. “Although lower fuel prices and the switch to smaller vehicles have undoubtedly helped, there are also many individual vehicles that have made strong improvements in fuel economy ratings,” said Sargent. “For example, the Ford F-150, Cadillac Escalade, Volkswagen Jetta and redesigned Dodge Ram have all made major strides in owner satisfaction with fuel economy through the introduction of more efficient powertrains.” The Germans also did well - as usual - in the APEAL rankings for 2009. Beyond Porsche's first-place finish, Volkswagen took home four category awards for the CC, GTI, Passat and Tiguan. Mercedes-Benz nabbed two of its own for the S-Class and SLK-Class. The APEAL results are built on owner evaluations of more than 90 vehicle attributes, with responses gathered between February and May 2009 from more than 80,900 purchasers and lessees of new 2009 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership. Read More

  • Volkswagen Passat CC picks up Red Dot Design award

    Volkswagen Passat CC picks up Red Dot Design award July 1st, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, July 1st, 2009 Nelson Ireson 1 Comment

    Volkswagen Passat CC picks up Red Dot Design award The 2009 red dot design award winners were announced back in March, but last night the 'Best of the Best' award was handed out at a presentation in Essen, Germany, to Volkswagen for the Passat CC four-door coupe.

    Essen's Aalto Theater hosted the ceremony, where VW designer Martin Kropp accepted the award on behalf of Exterior Design Studio 1. The Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, one of Europe's oldest and most highly reputed design centers, has awarded its red dot 'Best of the Best' award since 2000.

    The red dot award is just the latest award the CC has collected for its exterior design. Other awards already nabbed include the IF... The 2009 red dot design award winners were announced back in March, but last night the 'Best of the Best' award was handed out at a presentation in Essen, Germany, to Volkswagen for the Passat CC four-door coupe. Essen's Aalto Theater hosted the ceremony, where VW designer Martin Kropp accepted the award on behalf of Exterior Design Studio 1. The Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, one of Europe's oldest and most highly reputed design centers, has awarded its red dot 'Best of the Best' award since 2000. The red dot award is just the latest award the CC has collected for its exterior design. Other awards already nabbed include the IF Product Design Award 2009 and the Australian International Design Award. The process behind choosing the winners for the red dot awards is exhaustive, with design experts from all over the world collaborating to evaluate each entry in the competition's numerous categories. The design experts are changed each year to keep the selection process as impartial as possible and ensure that the awards remain an effective indicator of good design.2009 Volkswagen CC Read More

  • 2009 Volkswagen CC gets IIHS Top Pick award

    2009 Volkswagen CC gets IIHS Top Pick award June 8th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, June 8th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 1 Comment

    2009 Volkswagen CC gets IIHS Top Pick award Advanced vehicle systems like stability control, ABS and traction control have become so common that we often gloss over them in a car's spec sheet, but they are important innovations for safety. Volkswagen's CC has taken that to heart, outfitting a core complement of technologies that have helped it secure the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award.

    The basics - ESP, ABS, brake assist and traction control - are all accounted for on all 2009 Volkswagen CCs. The entire VW lineup for 2009 features ESP as standard, but bringing all of these systems together gives the CC the edge. Standard side airbags in 2009 models... Advanced vehicle systems like stability control, ABS and traction control have become so common that we often gloss over them in a car's spec sheet, but they are important innovations for safety. Volkswagen's CC has taken that to heart, outfitting a core complement of technologies that have helped it secure the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. The basics - ESP, ABS, brake assist and traction control - are all accounted for on all 2009 Volkswagen CCs. The entire VW lineup for 2009 features ESP as standard, but bringing all of these systems together gives the CC the edge. Standard side airbags in 2009 models also helped to push the car over the top. "The TOP SAFETY PICK award from the IIHS is a tremendous honor for our CC," said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We are thrilled when organizations like the IIHS recognize the hard work of our engineers who are dedicated to the safety of our customers. This award further validates Volkswagen's Prevent and Preserve Safety System approach to vehicle safety." To get the Top Safety Pick rating, a vehicle has to score tops in front, side and rear impact results. The CC fits into the IIHS's 'midsize, moderately priced cars' category for measurement purposes. No roof crush tests were performed on the car.2009 Volkswagen CC Read More

  • Spy shots: Renault confirms Twingo CC for 2010

    Spy shots: Renault confirms Twingo CC for 2010 April 28th, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, April 28th, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 4 Comments

    Spy shots: Renault confirms Twingo CC for 2010 First shown off as a concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault's Twingo CC (coupe-cabrio) was expected to make it to production in 2008. Delays have hit the little car's development, but Renault is adamant it will be launched by the end of next year.

    "We are working on a small convertible for 2010," Renault's deputy vice president of the small-car segment Yves-Eric Morel revealed to Automotive News. "It's going to be a niche vehicle, and like any niche vehicle, the objective will be to do something different, that gives a boost to the brand's image." This means that the car will have its own unique styling and won’t simply be... First shown off as a concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault's Twingo CC (coupe-cabrio) was expected to make it to production in 2008. Delays have hit the little car's development, but Renault is adamant it will be launched by the end of next year. "We are working on a small convertible for 2010," Renault's deputy vice president of the small-car segment Yves-Eric Morel revealed to Automotive News. "It's going to be a niche vehicle, and like any niche vehicle, the objective will be to do something different, that gives a boost to the brand's image." This means that the car will have its own unique styling and won’t simply be a standard convertible version of the Twingo minicar. Recent spy shots reveal a car that very closely resembles the original 2007 concept in both proportion and in the few details that are visible underneath the camouflage. That's not hard to imagine, considering the concept itself looked almost production-ready. Based around the Twingo hatchback, the new convertible will likely get a retractable hard top roof (a cheaper manual roof is still possible), a two-seat layout and power from a 1.2L engine expected to develop 120hp (89kW). Down the road, an RS variant with a slightly tuned-up version of the same engine could also be in the plans. Prime competitors will be the Peugeot 207 CC, Opel/Vauxhall Tigra TwinTop and upcoming Fiat 500C. Expect more of the car over the coming months, with a possible unveiling at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show.New Renault Twingo unveiledRenault Twingo CC spy shots Read More

  • VW to price upcoming U.S.-market mid-size sedan "around $20,000"

    VW to price upcoming U.S.-market mid-size sedan "around $20,000" April 27th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, April 27th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 17 Comments

    VW to price upcoming U.S.-market mid-size sedan The Passat has been a relative success for Volkswagen in the U.S., but the company is already hard at work on a New Midsize (or mid-market) Sedan, not-so-cleverly codenamed NMS, to replace it. The final design has already been approved - prototypes were shown to dealers in Wolfsburg this week - and the new U.S.-targeted midize sedan will be bigger than the Passat but priced to start "around $20,000."

    The news comes from Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America in an interview with Automotive News. The car is designed with the American audience specifically in mind. "It will be bigger and sleeker, and it has items necessary for... The Passat has been a relative success for Volkswagen in the U.S., but the company is already hard at work on a New Midsize (or mid-market) Sedan, not-so-cleverly codenamed NMS, to replace it. The final design has already been approved - prototypes were shown to dealers in Wolfsburg this week - and the new U.S.-targeted midize sedan will be bigger than the Passat but priced to start "around $20,000." The news comes from Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America in an interview with Automotive News. The car is designed with the American audience specifically in mind. "It will be bigger and sleeker, and it has items necessary for Americans - space, seat comfort, cupholders, Bluetooth and other electronics. Very importantly, it remains a VW. It has been totally designed and engineered for the needs of American consumers," said Jacoby. Expected for a 2010 arrival, the car was previewed in February with an official sketch of the car's basic lines. With a front end that's decided Scirocco-esque and a more angular and squared-off rear notch and shoulder line than found in the company's current vehicles, the NMS will certainly stand apart as something different. It may even preview the design direction of VW's future vehicles in America. The car will be built at the company's plant in Chattanooga, TN. According to a VW presentation in Berlin late last year, VW's NMS has high design goals, including a wide range of standard safety and multimedia equipment, sporty performance, and fundamentally useful equipment like ample cupholders and roomy seating. In short, the car will be designed specifically for the tastes of North Americans. Powertrains will include FSI gasoline units and later possibly TDI diesel engines, mated to a dual-clutch gearbox in at least some trim levels. VW expects about 30% of the cars sold to be diesel-powered, a ratio very similar to the Jetta TDI launched earlier this year and for the upcoming re-badged U.S.-market Golf. Efficiency will also be part of the focus for the NMS, as it would be reckless to disregard such an important market factor, but it is not the headline of the NMS thus far. "It's not our philosophy to design a car for a market. This is wrong. A good tailor is a good tailor all over the world, so a good car is a good car," said VW Group head of design Walter de' Silva, reports Automotive News. "But the customization, the color, the tuning, the specialties, the accessories, the wheels — it's very, very important." In 2008, during discussions about VW's new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, some general details about the upcoming Passat replacement were disclosed, indicating that the NMS would be both larger and less expensive than the current car, the better to compete with its primary rivals, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, though the NMS will be built on an existing platform - possibly that of the new CC. Last January the Passat CC, which later came to market as simply the CC, was revealed to the world, and has since been targeted as a particularly North American take on the midsize sedan, with VW expecting 60% of global CC sales to occur in the U.S. alone.Volkswagen Passat CC Read More

  • Ward’s Auto announces 2009 Interior of the Year winners

    Ward’s Auto announces 2009 Interior of the Year winners April 8th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, April 8th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 2 Comments

    Ward’s Auto announces 2009 Interior of the Year winners While we all like to go on about horsepower or differentials or suspension arms when discussing new cars, we often overlook the place where you and your car will spend the most time together - inside the cabin. In order to recognize this aspect of vehicle development, Ward’s Auto releases a list every year for the best car interiors in a number of different vehicle segments.

    After driving the vehicles over a two month period, judges evaluated the them during their daily driving cycles and awarded points for design, material selection, fit-and-finish, ergonomics, driver information, safety, value and comfort.

    For 2009, the awards were... While we all like to go on about horsepower or differentials or suspension arms when discussing new cars, we often overlook the place where you and your car will spend the most time together - inside the cabin. In order to recognize this aspect of vehicle development, Ward’s Auto releases a list every year for the best car interiors in a number of different vehicle segments. After driving the vehicles over a two month period, judges evaluated the them during their daily driving cycles and awarded points for design, material selection, fit-and-finish, ergonomics, driver information, safety, value and comfort. For 2009, the awards were not dominated by luxury car brands that like to swathe their interiors in leather and wood as you might think - rather than that it was the cheaper end of the spectrum that impressed the judges most. For example, taking out the top prize for an economy-priced car was the Honda Fit Sport, which managed to capture the judges' attention thanks to its high-quality feel and clever design. Kia's new Soul was given the award for the “grooviest interior”, and with its red dashboard and lights that flash to the beat of music we would probably have to agree with that one. Interestingly, the award for the best interior in a premium priced car was given to the Acura TL, while the award for the best interior in a popularly-priced car went to the Volkswagen CC. For sports cars, the new Nissan 370Z in Touring trim managed to claim the best interior award, while the Dodge Ram won in the popularly-priced truck category. The Ford Flex took out the award for premium-priced trucks, while the Ford Fusion hybrid won for best graphic display - giving Ford two winners in the competition, more than any other manufacturer. Meanwhile, the new Audi A4 won the award for the best interior redesign, and the premium Lexus RX 450h won an award for having “design harmony”. Finally, the award for best brand expression went to the Cadillac CTS-V, with the judges noting the car's handsome instrument stack and long list of electronic gadgets as some of the highlights. This year’s winners are as follows: - Honda Fit Sport (Economy-priced car) - Volkswagen CC (Popular-priced car) - Kia Soul (Grooviest Interior) - Acura TL (Premium-priced car) - Nissan 370Z Touring (Sports car) - Dodge Ram (Popular-priced truck) - Ford Flex (Premium-priced truck) - Audi A4 (Best Redesign) - Ford Fusion Hybrid (Best Graphic Display) - Lexus RX 450h (Design Harmony) - Cadillac CTS-V (Best Brand Expression) Read More

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