Category: Volkswagen

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Safety Issues Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf VI crash test video

Last month we brought you the news that the new Volkswagen Golf VI has received a 5-star crash rating from Euro NCAP. Here’s the video. Clips like this make quite sobering viewing.

Take note of the lateral head movement of the infant dummy with the side impact test towards the end of 1 minute 20 clip. Despite this, the Golf VI scored highly for infant protection, with a portion of the report stating, “Based on the dummy readings from the dynamic tests, the Golf scored maximum points for its protection of both infants.”

More detail on the Golf VI crash test can be read at the Euro NCAP website. Further information about how the tests are conducted can be read HERE.

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Volkswagen

Golf GTI wins another award – but what’s the point?

Golf V GTI

Volkswagen’s Mk5 Golf GTI is a bloody good car. I know this not only because the motoring world has barely stopped praising the car since its 2004 launch, but also because I have one in my garage. However, the GTI’s latest accolade, 2008 Drive Car of the Year (Best Performance Car Under $60,000), has to be the most irrelevant the car has ever won. Why? Go down to your local Volkswagen dealer and try to order a new GTI and see how far you get.

Sure, you can get a new Pirelli model, but with an extra 22kW, factory body kit and garish seats, that’s not the same car the Drive judges awarded. You could get lucky and find a dealer with a GTI in stock, but the factory has stopped making them, so ordering one to your specification is impossible.

The good news is the outgoing GTI can still hold it’s head high. Good for the dealer stock still remaining, and during the current financial doom and gloom, demand for the GTI in the used car market may hold firm. That said, while we’re waiting for the Mk6 Golf GTI, I just wish Drive was singing the praises of a new Volkswagen model…

…the Scirocco, for example.

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf Plus gets accidental release

Volkswagen Golf Plus

The Golf Plus is a kind of cool part Tiguan-part Golf thing that isn’t available in Australia. The facelifted version, based on the revised MkVI, is due for release in a few days at the Bologna Motor Show. But, as is often the case, there has been a bit of a leak. Brochures for the new Golf Plus were put on the Volkswagen stand at the Essen Motor Show. Oops! And, with the magic of the internet now everyone has a copy. Follow the autoblog link below for more.

Along with the Scirocco, put this down as another model Volkswagen Australia should bring down under.

Source: autoblog

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen to introduce GT24 inspired Scirocco R20T

Volkswagen Scirocco

Word around the blogospehere is that Volkswagen has plans to introduce a GT24 inspired Scirocco R20T. The hot four cylinder engine would be sourced from the Audi S3, which, in Australian spec, produces 188kW. No word on 4motion, but with that power you would have to imagine all-wheel drive would be a handy feature.

The GT24 performed amazingly well on debut in this year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race, finishing their class in first and second (11th and 15th outright). The 300hp front wheel-drive racecars looked outstanding. CAR magazine from the UK claims most of the visual aggression of the racing version will translate to the road car. Oh mummy…

Now this is one car that Volkswagen Australia MUST bring down under!

Source: CAR via autoblog

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Volkswagen

Golf VI brochure and pricing (UK market)

Golf VI - UK brochure cover image

The new Golf VI has recently started Germany deliveries, with the UK expecting to get their hands on the Golf VI in January 2009. While nothing has been confirmed, Australian customers will probably need to wait until around the middle of 2009 for local release.

In the meantime, you can check the detail of the right-hand drive models by checking out the new brochure and pricing PDFs from Volkswagen UK (thanks to Craig for the tip).

Current driveaway pricing for the new UK range starts at £13,150 for the 1.4 litre 3-door Golf S, up to £20,980 for a Golf GT 2.0 TDI, with 6 speed DSG. The new 7 speed DSG transmission is available in the following models: Golf S 1.6 5-door; Golf S 1.4 TSI 5-door; Golf SE 5-door 1.4 TSI; and Golf GT 1.4 TSI 5-door.

PDF downloads
Golf VI – UK brochure (3.7mb)  |  Golf VI – UK pricing (300kb)

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Volkswagen

For sale: RHD VW Touareg W12

RHD Volkswagen Touareg W12

No AUSmotive isn’t turning into carsales, but when a one of a kind comes up for sale, well, you might want to know about it. This is the world’s only right-hand drive Touareg W12. Built by Volkswagen Individual as a test mule for a possible limited release to the Singapore market. Those plans have since been shelved and the car is up for sale to RHD markets the world over.

The Touareg W12 has been priced at €90,000 (inclusive of worldwide shipping). That’s around AU$175,000 on current exchange rates, plus the likely taxes once the car gets to Australia.

The Touareg W12 is currently available in some LHD markets and for your troubles you get a 12-cylinder ‘W’ engine that produces a tidy 331kW of power, with a none too shabby 599Nm of torque.

For more information and a full build sheet, contact OEMpl.us.

Source: VWvortex

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen ‘singing dog’ commercial wins online poll

Volkswagen UK’s ‘Polo confidence’ television commercial has been named ‘Car Ad of the Year’ by Autocar magazine. Also known as the ‘singing dog’ ad, the 30 second piece won a public vote conducted by Autocar online. The ad was created by DDB London and features a Jack Russell miming along to the Spencer Davis Group hit I’m a man. It’s pretty cool.

Source: Volkswagen via Automoto Portal

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BMW News Volkswagen

Golden Steering Wheel Awards for BMW and Volkswagen

Golf VI wins Golden Steering Wheel Award

The BMW 1 Series Coupé and the Volkswagen Golf VI have both joined Audi’s Q5 in the Golden Steering Wheel winners circle. The Golden Steering Wheel Awards, run by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, were founded by Axel Springer 33 years ago and have been awarded every year since.

An expert jury from Bild am Sonntag honoured the best new releases of the year, among them the 6th generation Golf, for a “superior win in the compact class”.

“The win of four categories confirms that the whole Group took the right course. We offer an incomparable spectrum of models and an enormous variation of design and technology. We make the perfect cars for everyone”, says Prof. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Board of management at Volkswagen AG.

BMW’s result was based on a readers’ poll in which the 1 Series Coupé two-door received 26.4 per cent of a total of the 220,000 plus votes cast. Australian buyers have also been enamoured with the two-door BMW coupé since it went on sale in May, with over 500 customer deliveries.

A BMW TV commercial likewise won first prize in the 2008 Golden Steering Wheel. The ad, for the Night Vision system on the 5 Series, can be seen below in a clip from BMW-web.tv, which also includes a brief interview with Ian Robertson, Board Member for Sales and Marketing.

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Safety Issues Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf VI earns five-star crash rating

Volkswagen Golf VI

The new Volkswagen Golf VI recently achieved 36 from a possible 37 points in Euro NCAP occupant protection crash testing. This result earned the upcoming model a five-star safety rating. Pedestrian testing, however, was not quite as outstanding, with a more moderate three-star rating awarded to the Golf VI.

Featuring seven airbags, including knee protection, the new Golf range will also include an Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) as standard equipment across the model range.

Full press statement form Volkswagen Australia shown below.

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Volkswagen

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI at the Paris Motor Show

The Paris Motor Show was the official reveal for the MkVI Golf GTI Concept. Here’s a couple of short YouTube clips from CARandDRIVER.com (above) and Edmunds InsideLine (after the jump) filmed in Paris. There’s nothing really new in these clips, but it’s still good to get a closer look at what is shaping to be another great GTI from Volkswagen.

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Volkswagen

Exclusive: Volkswagen Passat CC – Australian pricing

Volkswagen Passat CC

The stunning Volkswagen Passat was revealed to Australian audiences today at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The Passat CC (Comfort Coupé) will be launched in Australia early next year. It will be initially available with a 125kW 2.0 TDI and a 220kW V6 petrol engine (as seen in the Passat R36). Volkswagen’s media release from today is shown below, along with more images, but something AUSmotive can reveal, which is not shown in the media statement, is the list pricing for the two models. The front-wheel drive 2.0 TDI will start at $54,990 and the V6 4MOTION will be priced from $64,990. (Note: The V6 pricing may be affected now that the Luxury Car Tax has been passed.) Both models will come equipped with 6 speed DSG transmissions. There will be no manual option available.

The 4.8m long Passat CC will hit the market with an impressive list of standard features, such as heated leather seats (front and back), ESP, eight airbags, front and rear parking distance sensors and Adaptive Chassis Control.

With those looks, that pricing and a well appointed standard specification, expect the Passat CC to establish a niche for itself very quickly.

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Porsche Volkswagen

Porsche wants full control of Volkswagen before Christmas

Porsche & Volkswagen logosWell, before December actually. Porsche will hold present their annual results to the media on 26 November, and if they have their way between now and then they will have increased their stake in Volkswagen to an “absolute majority”.

This Sydney Morning Herald article explains a few of the hurdles Porsche still has to resolve before being able to fulfill their lofty ambitions. The major stumbling block is the Lower Saxony government’s blocking vote—despite only controlling 20.1 per cent of the stock. The European Commission is involved and back in July, when assessing any likely competition issues, they declared “Porsche will continue to face several strong, effective competitors”.

With just over 35 per cent of Volkswagen shares, Porsche already has effective control of the company, however formalising the majority shareholding is becoming more acrimonious by the day. Volkswagen objects to Porsche’s wish to gain access to Audi technology and is doing all it can to stand in the way of what is most probably an inevitable takeover.

Whatever happens, it is fascinating viewing and considering the possible permutations of technology and platform sharing certainly whets the appetite.

Source: Reuters, autoblog & SMH