Volkswagen News
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Previous generations of the Volkswagen Golf Cabrio have always been built by Karmann at the independent vehicle manufacturer’s Osnabruck facility in Germany, however for the next-generation, previewed in these renderings, VW is expected to build the car completely in-house at its plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. To keep costs low VW will use a conventional folding soft-top but noise and weather insulation should be comparable with the standard hatch. Handling and dynamics, however, will likely be worse because of the extra weight required to keep the chassis rigid. The engine lineup should...
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Update: Volkswagen Golf Mark VI official detailsVolkswagen’s sixth-generation Golf, the latest iteration of the carmaker’s most successful model to date (with more than 26 million sold), has been revealed ahead of its world debut planned for October’s Paris Motor Show. The European market launch will begin that same month, and...
Ralph Hanson -
VW Jetta TDI eligible for $1,300 tax credit in U.S.
Volkswagen has announced that buyers of the Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen in the U.S. are eligible for a $1,300 tax credit that’s normally reserved for hybrid vehicles. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a certification letter affirming that the Jetta TDI qualifies for...
Siddarth Raja -
Abt Tweaks The Volkswagen CC
One of the first remixes of Volkswagen's sporty-looking four-door coupe, the Passat CC, Abt's tuning job adds power and appearance modifications to push the car to the next level. Whether you choose the diesel or petrol versions, Abt has it covered. Noting that the Passat CC's two-letter...
Nelson Ireson -
Updated: EU approves Porsche takeover of Volkswagen
Updated: The European Commission has finally given permission for Porsche to acquire control of the Volkswagen Group, something the German sports carmaker previously confirmed it would do before the end of the year. Porsche’s supervisory body authorized the purchase of a majority stake in...
Alex Kaufmann -
Update: VW up! delayed due to switch to FWD layout
Update: Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has confirmed that the production version of the up! concept car will be offered with a front engine FWD configuration only. The original concept car featured a rear-mounted engine spinning the rear axle but this option was ruled out due to cost. Placing the...
Nelson Ireson -
Volkswagen has released its own maritime-inspired vehicle based on its Touareg SUV and called the North Sails Concept. The new design study comes only months after Audi launched the similarly-themed Q7 Coastline Concept, but unlike the Audi, the new Touareg North Sails was built in partnership with leading sail manufacturer North Sails. The concept vehicle will be on show at this week’s Travemünder Woche sailing event held in Germany and will be hard to miss with its unique pearl white finish. Other exterior elements include 19in alloy wheels, a custom bumper with integrated fog...
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Volkswagen picks Tennessee for new U.S. plant
Volkswagen confirmed today that its new U.S. plant will be constructed in the southern state of Tennessee. The new Chattanooga site in Tennessee beat out rival bids from Alabama and Michigan because of its cost and logistical advantages, and production is scheduled to begin in early 2011. The...
Nelson Ireson -
VW planning more models for U.S. production
Volkswagen is just days away from naming the location for its new U.S. plant, most likely to be in Huntsville, Alabama, which is expected to open in late 2010 with a capacity of 200,000 to 250,000 vehicles. While there have been reports that VW is planning to build two new sedan models at the site...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
No plans for Volkswagen F1 bid
Formula one is not in Volkswagen's sights within the next three years, the German carmaker's motor racing representative Hans-Joachim Stuck insists. BMW-Sauber team boss Mario Theissen suggested last weekend that other European manufacturers, including VW, Audi and Porsche, are interested in the...
Nelson Ireson -
VW up! could spawn second Beetle model for U.S.
Volkswagen may end up converting the New Beetle into a family of cars with a new report claiming a second, smaller Beetle based on last year’s up! concept car could be developed for the U.S. market. The second-generation New Beetle is expected to arrive in 2011 and will take over from the...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen previews future vehicle design with 2028 concepts
Volkswagen has launched a new microsite (www.Volkswagen2028.com) designed to preview the carmaker’s future vehicle design through the display of a trio of new concept cars. A video presentation showcases a possible future, describing the different vehicle concepts that VW imagines could one...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
In its quest to overtake Toyota in the sales race, especially in the lucrative U.S. market, Volkswagen is developing a new pickup truck to expand its line-up. These latest spy shots, depicting the new pickup, shows that VW will be targeting the midsize truck market. This particular variant features a short tray and quad-cab chassis. VW is keen to strengthen its image in the U.S., where sales of pickups are still high compared to the rest of the world. However, VW’s plan may be a little late as rising fuel prices and a slowing economy has seen the pickup truck market fall dramatically...
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Report: Volkswagen has killed its European and U.S. pickup program
The long-awaited and much anticipated Volkswagen Robust pickup truck has been canceled for European sale, according to the latest reports. The truck will still be sold in South America, but the U.S. is also off the table. New analysis of fuel prices and market demand show there is no logical place...
Nelson Ireson -
VW 1-Liter Tandem City Car Tipped For 2010 Production
As outrageous as the idea of a production 1L/100km (235mpg) car sounds, more reports have emerged confirming the ultra-frugal car is in fact in development and that it could be on the market by as early as 2010. At last year's Frankfurt Motor Show senior VW exec Ferdinand Piëch claimed the car...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New teaser for VW Scirocco 'R' model
Update: VW has confirmed this teaser is not an official release. More speculation that a performance ‘R’ variant of the new Volkswagen Scirocco coupe is in the works has arrived in the form a new teaser that’s purportedly the real deal. Like the current Golf-based R32 and...
Kenneth Hall -
Volkswagen Golf 'Twin Drive' plug-in hybrid
Click here for all the official information and pictures for the 2009 Volkswagen Golf Mark VI Volkswagen has revealed its intentions to enter the race to build and market ultra-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicles with the unveiling today of the new Golf Twin Drive. The new concept car receives its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
First picture of third-gen VW Gol emerges
As proof that secret pictures of new cars get leaked and press embargoes get broken in every corner of the world, we have the first official photos of the all-new Volkswagen Gol. For those unfamiliar with the South American car market, the Gol is a low-cost subcompact car developed in Brazil and...
Nelson Ireson -
Volkswagen’s new Beetle has been on the market now for just on ten years and has enjoyed relatively strong sales despite the lack of significant changes during its life. More than one million new Beetles have been built at VW’s Puebla plant in Mexico and it looks like developers have even more ambitious plans for the next-gen model, which is expected to arrive sometime in 2011 for the 2012 model year. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn has confirmed that a successor is being developed and would likely be manufactured once again in Mexico, although he hasn’t ruled out the possibility...
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Update: Volkswagen reveals pricing for 2009 Jetta TDI
Update: Filling in the final piece of the 2009 Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen puzzle, Volkswagen today announced the pricing for the car's return to the U.S. At base prices of $21,990 for the sedan and $23,590 for the SportWagen, VW is likely to get a good response from U.S. buyers ready to make a...
Nelson Ireson -
VW announces new hybrid and electric models
Plug-in hybrids and electric cars are just around the corner, with 2010 set to be a banner year for the industry. Volkswagen's latest news adds to the anticipation with the announcement of hybrid drive to be extended to three models and a new electric car. The three hybrids will be the Golf (Rabbit...
Nelson Ireson -
More powerful Scirocco and efficient BlueMotion version in the works
Volkswagen’s new Scirocco coupe was recently launched in Lisbon with a range of powertrain options but the company is already looking to expand the number of variants available to those that want to either save on fuel bills or get more power under the hood. Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn...
James Martinez -
Update: Weak dollar may not delay U.S. launch of next-gen VW Golf (Rabbit)
Click here for all the official information and pictures for the 2009 Volkswagen Golf Mark VI Update: A statement by VW's U.S. spokesman, Steve Keyes, indicates the Golf Mark VI, or Rabbit as it's known in the U.S., will be arriving for sale as scheduled. The previous report of the Mark VI's delay...
Nelson Ireson -
Skoda Yeti SUV coming in 2009
Volkswagen's Skoda brand doesn't get much press in the West, but it's a very popular brand in central and eastern Europe. The Yeti, a mid-size SUV concept approved for production in April 2007, will finally be making it to market sometime in 2009, though the spokesperson wouldn't guarantee a date...
Nelson Ireson
