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Volkswagen to launch ‘Twin Drive’ Hybrid by 2010

Volkswagen Twin Drive electric-diesel hybrid

Volkswagen is set to launch a ‘Twin Drive’ electric-diesel hybrid Golf by 2010. Hinting at the future of the automotive industry Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn stated, “the future belongs to all-electric cars.” In a switch to existing hybrid technology, the Volkswagen Twin Drive will source its primary power from an 82bhp electric engine, with supplementary power from a 122bhp diesel. Volkswagen has signed a deal with Sanyo to develop develop li-ion batteries, with current estimates for the Twin Drive suggesting a 50 kilomtere range to all-electric power.

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Volkswagen Australia confirms MkVI Golf plans

Volkswagen logoNewly appointed General Manager of Press and PR for Volkswagen Group Australia, Karl Gehling, has denied claims that the MkVI Golf will not be coming to Australia. A recent report suggested that the MkVI Golf would not be sold in Australia due to currency and return on investment concerns. In 2007, the MkV Golf was Australia’s best selling European car. That trend continues, with sales to the end of May 2008 up 25% from the same point last year.

Golfs delivered to Australia are built at Volkswagen’s Uitenhage plant in South Africa, with the exception of all R32 models and three door GTIs, which are built at Wolfsburg in Germany. Volkswagen plans to shift all MkVI Golf production to the company’s headquarters in Wolfsburg. The MkVI will debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show in October and should be at your local Volkswagen dealer in the second half of 2009. Keep reading AUSmotive.com for more.

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Have Australia’s Golf prospects been sunk?

Will the MkVI Golf make it to Australia?Reports have emerged suggesting that the upcoming Volkswagen Golf MkVI will NOT be sold in Australia. You can read the original report, in German, HERE, or alternatively see autoblog and germancarblog for reports in English. To highlight the gravity of these suggestions, it has been said that the United States and Brazil will also miss out on the MkVI Golf.

AUSmotive.com contacted Volkswagen Australia earlier today, but at this stage no comment has been made to confirm or deny the Australian future of the MkVI. However, the suggestion of the next generation Golf not being sold in Australia is one that warrants close attention. The reports suggest it is the profitability of the MkVI that concerns Volkswagen chief Martin Winterkorn. On a global scale it would be hard to argue that Australia is a vital market for Volkswagen. But in a local context the current MkV Golf is sinking plenty of long range putts for Volkswagen Australia.

In 2007 the Golf was the highest selling car in Australia for a German manufacturer. VFACTS figures show 10,982 Golfs were sold in 2007. Well above the next best—the BMW 3 Series with 8716. In fact, even if you add 1 Series sales to the 3, the combined sales tally for the two BMW models—10,497—they still fail to overtake the Golf.

Peugeot’s entire model range couldn’t match Golf sales either, with a total of 8807 sales last year. A similar tale is told for stablemate Audi, with 7225 sales across the range in 2007. Subaru’s Impreza was another unable to match it with the Golf last year, although they were about par, with 10,853 Impreza sales.

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