Tag: VW

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Jetta four-door sedan rendering

Volkswagen Jetta VI sedan rendering

US based site VWvortex brings us some great coverage of the New Compact Coupe, including this rendering of how they expect the next Jetta sedan will look. In fact, the report says the profile of the show car is pretty much exactly the same as the final shape for the production version of the four-door Jetta sedan, which is expected to go on sale in the US before October.

This is clearly Volkswagen’s best effort in recent years at making the Jetta a proper stand alone model, rather than simply “a Golf with a boot”. Moving away from platform sharing, to a degree, VW will rather employ component sharing across its model range. This Jetta, for example, has a wheelbase around 75mm longer than the Golf VI, but it will share components from the Polo, Passat and everything in between.

As you can see from the images of the New Compact Coupe, interior styling has also been given a hand to establish an identity of its own. Sure, it’s all Volkswagen design language, as you would expect. Now, though, the Golf and Jetta will appear as siblings, rather than identical twins in different outfits.

More on the New Compact Coupe from the Detroit show can be seen at the VWvortex gallery.

UPDATE 13 January: For more Jetta speculation head on over to The Motor Report.

[Source: VWvortex]

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Volkswagen

Night whiter

Volkswagen Eos Night White

Given yesterday’s news of the New Compact Coupe this special edition Eos model announced by Volkswagen Australia, called the White Night, looks like a bit of an afterthought.

Featuring a Candy White body with a Deep Black roof the convertible can be optioned with a 147kW TSI petrol engine ($55,990) or 103kW TDI diesel ($53,990).  Pricing for the White Night special edition is $3,500 more than the corresponding series model.

The White Night is only available with a 6-speed DSG transmission. There’s black leather with light contrast stitching, specially painted 18″ “Budapest” alloys, lowered sports suspension and an extra splash of black paint on the grille and wing mirrors.

Volkswagen call this a limited edition model, but at this stage are unable to put a number to the expected sales run. I dare say, if you want one, you’ll get one. So, you know the drill, head on down to your local dealer and ask a few questions.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Detroit: Volkswagen New Compact Coupe

Volkswagen New Compact Coupe

Today Volkswagen presents its stunning New Compact Coupe at the NAIAS in Detroit. There’s a nice and cuddly green side to this car, but for now, let’s just focus on the looks.

Said to offer a hint of what to expect from Volkswagen’s new four-door Jetta, which is due for release later this year, the New Compact Coupe takes some definite styling cues from the VAG stable. The high crease shoulder line and C-pillar is akin to the Audi A5, albeit somewhat straightened out. The rear tail lights, too, take inspiration from the current A4 sedan. There’s even a bit of 3 Series coupe Hofmeister kink in the rear fixed pane window.

Overall, though, well, what a beautiful design. Every detail is bang on, from the squared off headlights, to sharply styled wing mirrors. In silver, under controlled lighting the New Compact Coupe looks just about perfect.

Just don’t look too closely at the light gray interior! Aside from the colouring, the rest of the interior is smartly laid out with nice details throughout. Ford could definitely learn a thing or two from the Germans here.

Now, to the car’s green credentials. Volkswagen has made sure the NCC will attract attention with its looks, so this will only help the company push their Hybrid technology under the car’s skin. The headline figures are fuel consumption of 4.2l/100km with CO2 emissions of just 98g/km. That CO2 figure is quite good, but the fuel consumption isn’t setting any records, with a handful of production cars already bettering those numbers.

Forget that, as the New Compact Coupe can use its 110kW 1.4 litre TSI petrol and 20kW electric engines to propel itself to 100km/h in 8.6 seconds with a top speed of 227km/h. Kind of pointless when you’re promoting a Hybrid car, but it’s good to know anyway. And, in Volkswagen’s words they want this car to be “sporty and fun to drive”.

More detail on the NCC’s clever gadgets and engine spec is given in the second press release below. Fourteen more images are also available after the jump. As always, simply click on the pic you like to access it in a wallpaper-friendly 2000px super image.

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Volkswagen

Amarok gets dirty at Dakar

Volkswagen Amarok

Volkswagen are happy on two counts as far as the 2010 Dakar Rally goes. Firstly, approaching half race distance Carlos Sainz currently leads the rally in his Race Touareg. However, of more importance to Volkswagen’s production vehicles is the debut of the new Amarok which is being used as a support vehicle during the event.

There are 35 Amaroks on duty during Dakar, with 20 for the Volkswagen race team, and a further 15 used by race officials. The Amarok is being built in Argentina, and the SUV has just gone on sale in South America. Australian deliveries are due towards the end of this year.

As you would expect, VW’s top brass are not missing the promotional opportunities presented by the Amarok’s Dakar role, “We are thrilled to put the new Amarok through its paces as part of this long distance challenge, the world’s toughest, before its official launch,” said Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

If you want to find out more on the Amarok, including updates from Dakar, then check out Volkswagen’s special microsite. For more on the progress of the Race Touaregs at the rally take a peek at Volkswagen’s Dakar iPhone app.

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Amarok – first official photos

Volkswagen Amarok

Volkswagen have already announced that the Amarok will take on support duties at next year’s Dakar Rally. Good idea, then, to release some official pics of the production ready model in advance, and here they are.

The Amarok will be built in Buenos Aires, Argentina and will go on sale in South America from January next year. European buyers can expect deliveries in mid-2010, while Australian customers will have to wait until the end of next year to get their hands on Volkswagen’s first serious foray into the pick-up segment.

Initially, the Amarok will be available only as a dual cab, but a single cab model is due for release in 2011. The SUV will be available in 2WD, switchable 4WD and permanent 4WD. The switchable system can be activated from inside the cabin with the touch of a button. The permanent 4motion system for the Amarok will utilise a Torsen diff set up and will distribute power to the wheels with a 40:60 rear bias.

Low gearing will be available for more heavy-duty off road duties, at which point electronic aids, such as Hill Descent Assist and an ABS system tuned for off road use, will start to do their thing.

From launch two engine options will be on offer, both 2 litre turbo diesels. The base spec 2.0 TDI will offer 90kW/340Nm, while a more powerful 120kW/400Nm will also be available. A bit under powered perhaps?

With a payload capacity of over 1 tonne and a towing capacity of 2.8 tonnes the Amarok should prove suitable for most needs in its target audience. Volkswagen boast the dimensions of the Amarok’s rear tray are the largest in its class and say a Euro sized pallet can fit in between the rear wheel arches.

Volkswagen Australia have been closely monitoring sales of Toyota’s Hi-Lux, which are very impressive, it must be said. For Volkswagen to cut deeply into the Hi-Lux’s customer base the Amarok will need to be priced competitively and pack a lot more punch under the bonnet. I just can’t see Volkswagen Australia entering the local market with a 120kW turbo diesel option, much less a 90kW version.

UPDATE 19 June 2010: Over 20 new photos added below.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Frankfurt: Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen Golf R

Finally, the über Golf has been confirmed by Volkswagen! The Golf R, complete with a fully revised 4motion all-wheel drive system, 199kW and 350Nm of torque, can accelerate from rest to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds when fitted with a DSG box, or 5.7 seconds for the manual version.

Over the model it replaces, the V6 powered R32, the new Golf R increases peak power by 15kW and maximum torque by 20Nm. With fuel consumption rated at 8.5l/100km the 2-litre four cylinder TSI reduces fuel use by a very respectable 21 per cent. CO2 emissions drop from 255g/km to 199g/km, or a reduction of 28 per cent.

Stopping power is provided by 345mm sized front discs, with barely smaller 310mm rotors at the rear. The R comes standard with 18″ Talladega alloys, fitted with 225/40/18 rubber. Larger 19″ wheels in the same style can also be optioned with 235/35/19 tyres. The ESP system has been tweaked and given a Sport setting that allows for greater slip in aggressive track-like driving situations.

Apart from the more obvious body styling, the Golf R sets itself apart from the rest of the Golf range by the latest bling lighting fad, with LED daytime running lights at the front and, for the first time on a Golf, LED rear tail lights.

The Golf R really is an Audi S3-lite. Brilliant! Just how “lite” will the pricing be, and when will we see the Golf R on Australia soil? You can ponder these questions while checking out the pics and reading Volkswagen’s press release after the jump. A reminder, too, that all pics can be viewed as wallpaper friendly 2000px super images by clicking on each image.

UPDATE 6 April 2010: 20 new images added at end of article.

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Volkswagen

The new Volkswagen Polo

The new Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen have released images of its new fifth generation Polo ahead of its reveal at the Geneva Auto Salon. Visually, at least, this is a big step forward for what is fast becoming a baby Golf. The exterior looks better than the outgoing model, although, perhaps the rear tail light treatment lets the new car down a bit.

However, it is inside where the biggest advances have been made. The new Polo interior is Golf-like in its level of appointment and detail, and you can see this car attracting a number of new buyers to the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen has pushed the safety aspect of the new Polo with ESP standard across the range. The car has been designed, from the ground up, with the 5-star NCAP criteria in mind, which has recently been made more difficult to achieve.

Usual TSI and TDI four cylinder engine offerings will be available in the new Polo, including a 77kW 1.2 TSI turbo powered petrol engine that uses just 5.5 litres of fuel per 100km, and emits a low 129g of CO2 per kilometre. Bettering those figures, and by some margin, is the BlueMotion Polo, equipped with a 66kW 1.6l TDI, which uses a meagre 3.8 litres of diesel per 100km with a CO2 figure of 96g/km. Volkswagen claim this is the most efficient five-seat diesel powered car in the world.

Continuing Volkswagen’s faith in dual clutch transmission technology the new Polo will a offer 7-speed DSG option.

Production of the new Polo starts this month with a European market release scheduled for June. And, judging by these new pics, the Polo GTI guess looks pretty close to the mark, as well.

UPDATE: Volkswagen Australia is saying the new Polo should be on our shores in early 2010.

UPDATE 6 April 2010: Over 25 new images added at end of article.

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Volkswagen

2009 Volkswagen Golf – Australian specifications

Volkswagen Golf VI 103TDI

Volkswagen Australia has released pricing and specification details for its new Golf range. Most dealers across the country currently have stock either on their showroom floor or in storage ready for display this weekend. The media launch took place in Byron Bay earlier today and you can expect to see initial reviews around the interweb before next week (in the meantime check out our reader review from earlier this month).

So, what is available in the Australian Golf VI range? There are three models on offer, each with a unique engine. The entry level model is the Golf 90TSI which is priced from $25,990. It is powered by a 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine, producing 90kW. Next is the Golf 118TSI, starting at $30,490, powered by a 118kW twincharged 1.4 litre. At the top of the current range is the Golf 103TDI, powered by Volkswagen’s familiar 103kW 2.0 litre diesel. Pricing for the TDI begins at $33,190. (A matrix of the engine line up, with fuel consumption figures can be seen after the jump.)

The prices mentioned are all for 6 speed manual. There is a DSG option available across the range for an extra $2500. For the 1.4 litre engines the DSG is a new 7 speed option, while the 2.0 diesel has the more familiar 6 speed dual clutch box.

You can expect to see new models added to the Australian lineup before the year is out, including, with any luck, the new GTI.

While the outside may not differ radically from the outgoing Mk5 model, the Mk6 introduces some new technology to the local market for its segment. Items such as Adaptive Chassis Control and Rear View Camera, to aid reversing, are generally found on more expensive cars.

Safety is one aspect Volkswagen prides itself on, and the new Golf is no different. The Mk6 has already been awarded a 5 star rating from Euro NCAP.

One would expect the sales charts won’t differ greatly from the Mk5, either. The previous model Golf has proven to be a sales success for Volkswagen Australia, and I think it is safe to assume the Mk6 Golf will follow suit.

Volkswagen Australia’s press release follows, along with full pricing (including options) and more pics from the Australian model range.

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Volkswagen

2009 Volkswagen Golf image gallery

2009 Volkswagen Mk6 Golf

With just a few days until the official Australian launch of the Mk6 Golf here is AUSmotive’s biggest image gallery yet.

The gallery features 50 images and showcases 5 door and 3 door models, interior details and cutaway graphics, with a few other tidbits thrown in as well. You can click on all images to load a 2000px super image, perfect for wallpapers and desktop backgrounds.

For more information on the new Golf read these earlier AUSmotive entries:

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Top Gear Volkswagen

Top Gear tea break – Lightning Golf

A few years ago Top Gear (Series 4, Episode 5) gave Richard Hammond a nasty shock. Let’s see what happens when they put 800,000 volts through a Volkswagen Golf, while Richard sits inside!

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Audi Volkswagen

A closer look at Audi’s new 7 speed S-tronic transmission

Audi's 7 speed S-tronic transmission

Audi’s new Q5 and the new Volkswagen Mk6 Golf will be the latest in the Volkswagen Audi Group to provide the option of an all new 7 speed S-tronic transmission. The Q5 is due for release in March, while the new Golf will be in Australian showrooms later this month. The only difference being, the transmission is called DSG on the Volkswagen options list.

Audi’s dual clutch transmission technology can trace its roots back to 1985 when Walter Röhrl was at the top of the world rally charts. Current S-tronic technology offers super smooth gear changes, as well as better acceleration and improved fuel economy over traditional manual transmissions. Its lightning quick gear changes have all but made a mockery of some the more fancied names offering “F1-style” flappy paddle gearboxes.

Australian motorists first got a taste of the previous 6 speed dual clutch transmission through the Volkswagen Mk5 Golf, most notably on the GTI. No matter what car the gearbox is fitted to in the Volkswagen Audi Group model range it nearly always brings wide acclaim. The new 7-speed version is likely to attract similar levels of praise. Although, as noted in our interview with a current Mk6 Golf owner in Germany, the 7-speed does tend to race through the gears quite quickly when left in “automatic” D mode.

Aftermarket tuners will be most pleased to learn that the new 7 speed S-tronic is designed to cope with maximum revs of 9000rpm and is said to be capable of handling up to 550Nm of torque.

Included below is a detailed press statement that touches on the inner workings of the latest S-tronic transmission. Hopefully it will satisfy the inner car geek within. You can also click on the image above to load a 2000px version, just in case you need to get even closer to all those cogs.

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Volkswagen

Golf R20 rumours gather pace

UPDATE 15 September: Details have now been confirmed on the Golf R—CLICK HERE!

UPDATE 16 July 2010: To read our Drive Thru review of the Golf R—CLICK HERE!

Is this the new Golf R20?
Is this the new Golf R20?

UPDATE 15 September: Details have now been confirmed on the Golf R—CLICK HERE!

Speculation about a 200kW top of the range Golf GTI model has been rampant since it was revealed there would be no plans for a Mk6 R32. At first, GTI-R was the label most favoured, but in recent times the rumour mill has become more enamoured with the R20 moniker (or possibly R20T).

Never one to be shy to have a play in Photoshop, AutoExpress have published images of what they say the Golf R20 will look like. The AutoExpress images certainly look the part even if they’ve knocked off the wheels from an Audi R8 V10 and looked at one too many Porsche 911s when mocking up those LEDs in the lower grille.

Believed to be powered by what would essentially be the Audi TTS engine, the R20 was given something of a preview with the Scirocco Studie R at the 2008 Bologna Motor Show. It makes sense that the Studie R and the Golf R20 wold use the same running gear. With any luck the stunning seats from the hot Scirocco will also make it to the hot Golf.

The only major guess left is which wheels will be doing the driving. You’d like to think that 200kW would be given access to all four wheels, but the Studie R made no mention of 4MOTION. However, with all wheel drive being available in the Golf IV and Golf V ranges, there is still hope for the hottest Golf yet to be granted access to Haldex hardware.

With any luck all will be revealed for certain if the rumoured official announcement takes place at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

(Thanks to Rich for the tip.)