Cylinder shut off technology has been a staple in fuel-saving technology for many years now but it has yet to make its way into a four cylinder engine. At least not until now. Volkswagen‘s 1.4 liter TSI engine will be the very first four cylinder to feature cylinder deactivation as two of its cylinders will...
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Volkswagen‘s NILS Concept won’t ever qualify for the HOV lane, since the single seat concept was designed as VW’s vision of a future commuter that’s a bit like the proverbial “table for one”. Sporting a single seat – and a curb weight of just under 1000 lbs – the NILS has a 40 mile range...
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The Mazda CX-5 will enter the highly competitive compact crossover segment in the U.S when it debuts in early 2012. The CX-5 prototype was equipped with 165-hp 2.0-liter engine producing 150 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and the American version will likely use the same setup. A diesel variant available...
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Volkswagen‘s next big move in the U.S. marketplace will come with an equally big vehicle; a new crossover SUV targeted squarely at the likes of the Toyota Highlander. The new 3-row, 7-seater crossover will be designed for American consumers, and priced for them too. Volkswagen of America Chief Executive Jonathan Browning has confirmed the new...
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Set to launch in December in the European market, Volkswagen‘s up! looks to be the next great small car in the segment, especially since it’s the first with City Emergency Braking. The up! features a 1.0L three-cylinder gasoline engine with BlueMotion Technology and a Stop/Start system, allowing the powerplants to get 56-mpg from its 59-hp...
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Fiat’s luxurious Maserati brand has plans to build its first Jeep Grand Cherokee based SUV at Chrysler’s Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit. The eagerly anticipated concept version of the model will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month. CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, aims to expand Maserati and Alfa Romeo by...
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With the passing of the Volvo V70 and VW Passat in North America, European wagons are becoming harder to come by. But BMW is considering bringing the 5-Series Touring back to our shores to make up for disappointing 5-Series Gran Turismo sales figures. Nothing has been confirmed, however some sources have learned that the comeback may...
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In 2010, Volkswagen took a twenty-percent stake in Suzuki, and virtually no progress has been made from the alliance since then. Neither side has been thrilled with the coalition and the two automakers have even stated cultural differences as being a factor in the failed relationship. Both automakers had different goals: VW wanted to expand...
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You’re never too old to play with Lego. And that’s a good thing, because we can’t wait to get our hands on Lego’s new VW Camper Van. Styled after the 1962 T1 Camper, this red Lego VW camper van set is super trippy and looks just like the real thing (only in block form). It...
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Volkswagen executives are reportedly “very serious” to add the Bulli to their production lineup, as part of a “Heritage Range.” So far, this range consists of the Beetle, and…well, nothing else. But given the cult status of the old Microbus, and the overwhelmingly positive response of the Bulli at various auto shows, and VW is...
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This is it for SUV lovers, the piece de resistance. Bentley is working on a design and engineering project to launch a very high-end £150,000 SUV by 2014, according to CEO Wolfgang Durheimer. Design chief Dirk van Braeckel and engineering boss Uli Eichhorn are spearheading the project with Durheimer to get the SUV ready. “I...
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Diesel sales have vastly improved through the end of July, up 38.5 percent, compared to the same seven- month cycle in 2010. Volkswagen has been leading the sales with the Jetta TDI and Golf TDI. Volkswagen sold 5,206 Jetta TDI models in July, bringing the diesel powered sedan’s year-to-date total to 56,717. On the other...
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Suzuki’s rocky relationship with Volkswagen has not ended, the Japanese automaker stated today. Even though Suzuki has made public remarks against VW’s role in the two automakers’ joint-venture, there are no plans for the Japanese automaker to pull out. Recently, a newspaper in Germany reported that the tenuous relationship was set to end, but a...
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Volkswagen was one of several large automakers that did not sign off on the Obama Administration’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for 2025. “We still have a dialogue going on with the administration in terms of how we think the policy needs to be adjusted,” said Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America....
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Most automakers have gotten in line with the White House and accepted (even welcomed) the new CAFE regulations. Not Volkswagen. In fact, they criticize the new CAFE standards as being biased towards trucks—which of course, they don’t build. The proposal “places an unfairly high burden on passenger cars, while allowing special compliance flexibility for heavier...
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Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has ambitious plans for the Maserati, specifically to drastically improve sales almost tenfold from last years 5,675 units sold to 50,000. Marchionne believes this is attainable through three new Maserati models, all based on systems and components from Chrysler Group. Maserati will introduce two sedans and an SUV with technology from...
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Kate Middleton’s 2001 Volkswagen Golf with 62,000 miles on it, sold for a whopping $74,500 as the Sunday bidding closed on the eBay auction site. Five bidders fought over the Golf for the last 10 days, and ten minutes before the end of the auction, one person shelled out 48,100 pounds ( $78,383 USD) for...
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General Motors has officially confirmed that there will be a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car in the U.S, planned for introduction in 2013. The current Chevrolet Cruze Eco is rated at around 40 mpg on the highway, so the diesel would have to deliver significantly better fuel efficiency than that to justify...
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On July 13, Rainer Zietlow and his team set a new world record for driving the length of the Pan-American Highway covering nearly 16,000 miles through 14 countries in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel SUV. The team set off on this journey to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the legendary Pan-American Highway. The team began...
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Important dates for the release of the Volkswagen Up! models have been leaked. The highly anticipated city vehicle will have its world premiere on August 22 in Paris. Following the premiere, the Up! vehicle will be present at the Frankfurt auto show in September 2011, and the official release for the 3-door hatchback is scheduled...
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The Volkswagen Golf GTI is the original hot-hatchback. While many have followed this recipe of putting a tuned engine in a practical hatchback, thanks to its ever evolving state, the GTI is still on the scene and getting faster and faster. Now news from Europe suggests that the next generation GTI will just get a...
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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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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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