In 2009, Volkswagen, in its ever growing quest to become the largest automaker in the world, bought 20% of Suzuki for $2.5-billion. The partnership would have given VW insight into Suzuki’s small-car technology, a segment the Japanese auto-maker is very successful at in Japan. Suzuki on the other hand would have gained valuable knowledge on...
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Volkswagen of America does not have plans to offer the Passat Wagon in North America. Despite reports of the Passat wagon undergoing testing in the U.S, the vehicle was never intended to be sold here. Part of the problem is that wagons have lost substantial market share with the advent of crossovers. Volvo, which has...
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Volkswagen‘s update to the Beetle has been well received, and now there are some pricing figures to go along with it. For its initial launch, the 2012 Beetle will come with two powertrain choices, a 2.5L five-cylinder with a six-speed automatic, or a 2.0L TSI turbocharged four-cylinder with a DSG six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Manual transmissions...
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A possible accurate rendering has been drafted of what the Volkswagen CrossPassat may look like. The wagon is expected to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, accented by plastic body cladding, an increased ride height and standard all wheel drive. The engine will likely be carried over from the standard Passat so expect to...
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You couldn’t ask for a better time to sell Kate Middleton’s car than right now, just after her royal wedding. The current owner of the indigo blue, three-door 2001 Volkswagen Golf, Sonny Brazil, who lives close to the Middleton’s home in Berkshire, England is auctioning off the car via Ebay. Brazil, 21, bought the car...
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VW’s position was lead by the results from Golf, Jetta and Tiguan owners and although Jetta drivers reported a higher number of industry problems than average (30 percent versus 22), very few were labeled as serious issues. Furthermore, VW owners attracted the highest level of ‘love’ for their vehicles.
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Well, this is awkward. Volkswagen said some while back that GM might be selling Opel, possibly to them. It was a statement made by a chief executive, then repeated by German media, then finally catching the attention of GM itself. And now GM is distancing itself from such rumors, calling the statement “regrettable.” “In Wednesday’s...
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In the case of Volkswagen, a grant of some EUR 83.7 million aimed at that company’s manufacturing facility in Zwickau, is under scrutiny.
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You may not be able to get your hands on the Volkswagen GTI Edition 35 (built to celebrate the GTI’s European anniversary), but you can still own a little piece of the excitement. The GTI35.com Chronograph lets you wear your appreciation for the brand on your wrist. The GTI35.com site isn’t affiliated with VW, but...
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Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand had the biggest penetration among Gen Y car buyers, some 21.2 percent, followed by Mitsubishi, Mazda, Nissan, Volkswagen and Kia.
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The eagerly anticipated high performance Volkswagen Golf R has been confirmed for sale in the U.S in early 2012. With the cancellation of the GTI Edition 35, and the outgoing R32 beast, VDub enthusiasts will be extremely pleased to know that a hot-hatch version of the Golf is coming. Volkswagen’s product and technology communications manager Mark Gillies...
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Turbocharged direct injection, or TDI for short, has become synonymous with Volkswagen and Audi models over the recent decade. So much so that in many countries, TDI is a registered trademark of Volkswagen AG. Unfortunately that won’t be the case in their own home territory, as the European Union courts has denied Audi (and subsequently...
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There are approximately 500 million people of Facebook and BMW has used this to their advantage. Just over 6 million people ‘Like’ the BMW brand, holding first place of the Top 10 most liked automotive companies. This means that over 1 percent of Facebook users enjoy the BMW brand. The next closest rival was Audi...
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Volkswagen has unveiled its latest Golf Twin Drive plug-in hybrid prototype. This vehicle is a more refined and updated version of the Golf Twin Drive hatchback released in 2008. It has an electric-range of 35 miles and will use a direct-injected 1.4-liter gasoline engine that can achieve 559 miles. The electric traction motor cranks out...
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Famed tuner ABT Sportsline has now taken their turn with the new Volkswagen Beetle, putting plenty of blood, sweat and tears into refining the fun automobile. As the world’s largest tuner of Volkswagens, it’s natural to see ABT Sportsline adding some spice to the agile and fun Beetle, which ABT has nicknamed Speedle. Unfortunately exact...
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Volkswagen shifted their sales strategy last fall when they lowered the price of their 2011 Jetta by $1,600. New buyers became more attracted to the vehicle and sales vastly improved. June’s combined U.S sales jumped 88 percent for the wagon and the sedan even with a price hike of $500 set last April. June was...
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The largest Volkswagen and Audi tuner in Europe has intelligently set their eyes on the young and rapidly growing automotive market in China. With China’s exponential growth in the auto industry for the past couple of years, the aftermarket is growing too, despite China trying very hard to restrict vehicle modification. As Audi and Volkswagen...
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The Barrett-Jackson auctions are famous for selling rare exotic cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Usually the cars that command the highest prices are limited production Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and Aston Martin’s. At the Orange County auction, a 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger sold for $215,600, and a 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III James Young sedan...
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Stop/Start technology will more than triple in five years as automakers worldwide seek better fuel efficiency. This function allows a car’s engine to shut off when the vehicle is at rest, for example, at a stop light, and the engine restarts when the gas pedal is pressed. With the engine turned off for short amounts...
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There’s little doubt you’ve seen Volkswagen‘s cute Darth Vader commercial from this past year’s Super Bowl. It was a huge success for the German automaker and became a viral hit, totaling over 40 million views on the brand’s YouTube channel. More recently it took home a Golden Lion advertising award at Cannes. But the spotlight...
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With the rise of turbochargers as a “green” technology, the lifespan of superchargers looked numbers as their popularity decreased, with the belt driven forced induction systems appearing only on high-end V6 and V8 powered sports cars. While superchargers delivery power in a smooth, linear manner, their cost, complexity and noise has relegated them to near...
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Years from now you’ll remember reading this article. It will be the first time you ever heard about Volkswagen‘s new Temporary Auto Pilot, a technology that lets a car essentially drive by itself. Science fiction? Hardly, VW claims its far closer to rolling this auto pilot option in production models that you’d expect. Anyone who’s...
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Volkswagen has said that it wants the new Beetle to appeal to a more masculine demographic. So what do they do to achieve that? Show it off in a Britney Spears video. The latest video, “I Wanna Go,” shows a bright red Volkswagen Beetle being assaulted by Spears’ bodacious hips—in some elaborate, Terminator-inspired setpiece with...
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The British and the Germans swept the 2011 Concept Car of the Year awards in Dearborn, with top marks going towards Lotus, Jaguar, and Volkswagen. The insane, beautiful Jaguar C-X75 took not only the Best Concept award but also the Most Significant—no doubt for its turbine engine, which sadly won’t make it to Jaguar’s production version...
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