Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept
November 30, 2011
Let’s get one thing straight: This is not a coupe. Not even close. But ever since BMW kicked off the bastardization of the word ‘coupe’ with its X6 crossover, automakers seem to think that any vehicle with a sloped roofline can be classified by this word that has always been – and should always be – reserved exclusively for two-door cars. That’s a whole different rant, though. In the meantime, we’d like to introduce you to the Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept.
Debuting at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Cross Coupe is the first vehicle to ride on Volkswagen’s new modular transverse matrix architecture, and it previews the future of the automaker’s crossover range. It may look large, but the Cross Coupe is actually smaller than the current Tiguan, closer in size to that of a Nissan Juke. It certainly isn’t bad to look at, even with that big, grinning face. The compact shape is well-proportioned, though it appears that the chrome wheels were ripped right off a loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The Cross Coupe is powered by a unique all-wheel-drive hybrid drivetrain, with two electric motors (one for each axle) paired with a turbocharged gasoline engine. Volkswagen estimates that this powerplant will produce around 262 horsepower, but will be able to drive on pure electricity for about 25 miles. Running to 60 miles per hour will take around seven seconds.
Volkswagen pokes fun at motorcyclists in new spot for South Africa
November 29, 2011
Riding a motorcycle isn’t for everyone. Aside from the requisite blatant disregard for personal safety, there are a host of inconveniences to deal with. Bugs, heat, dirt, dust, grime and the stench of road kill can all put a kink in an otherwise enjoyable afternoon of riding. We understand that, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to be trading the bike for what could very well be the most bland compact available on the market right now. Volkswagen South Africa has released a new ad for the company’s Jetta featuring a duo of would-be motorcycle heroes as they endure the slings of motorcycling on a pair of beautiful Kawasaki steeds.
After a variety of calamities ensue, the two decide to swap their bikes for the ultimate symbol of domestication: the Jetta. Approving nods from seasoned bikers ensue and the screen rolls to black. As you can likely tell, we have a bit of an issue with the ad, entertaining as it may be. Perhaps the spot would have gone down a little easier if our two failed bikers had swapped their machines for a GTI.
Germany in court again over “VW law”
November 28, 2011
We haven’t heard about the Volkswagen Law in a while, but that doesn’t mean the EU Commission has forgotten about it. The law gives the state of Lower Saxony, with a 20.1-percent stake in VW, veto rights on a takeover deal, which means no one’s ever going to take over VW because its home state won’t allow it. The law came in handy when Porsche was working to gobble up Volkswagen. The law was struck down by the EU Court of Justice in 2007. Germany then scrapped the old VW Law but rewrote another one that gave Lower Saxony the same rights with different legalese circumventing the spirit of the court’s decision.
The EU competition oversight body is taking Germany back to court over the law, but wants to put some pain into the judgment: it wants Germany fined €31,000 ($41,000 USD) per day for every day since the original 2007 judgment. It also wants the court to issue a second ruling, and if Germany doesn’t bring the law into line with the ruling, the EU Commission wants Germany fined €282,725 per day (nearly $375,000) until the Germans comply.
No federal German authorities have responded to the latest EU thrust, but the premier of Lower Saxony offered this: “Doesn’t Europe have better things to do?”
Volkswagen Buggy Up concept
November 25, 2011
Typically an automaker releases information on its latest concept cars in the days and weeks running up to the auto show where it’s set to be unveiled. But when we got to Frankfurt this year, Volkswagen had a few surprises up its sleeve that were neither previewed beforehand nor unveiled at the VW Group event the night before the Messe opened its doors to the gathered press.
Not only did Volkswagen unveil the new production Up! city car, it also showcased a whole mess of Up-based concept cars as well. Included on the company’s sprawling show stand were the Up! Azzurra, the Cross Up!, GT Up!, Eco Up!, e-Up! and this, the Buggy Up!, which the German automaker has just now detailed to satisfy your curiosity.
Drawing its inspiration from the iconic Meyers Manx and other such Beetle-based beach buggies, the Buggy Up! concept takes the new urban hatchback’s mechanical bits and covers them in a new shape that has no doors. Instead, there’s a waterproof cockpit with two neoprene bucket seats, drain holes, a grab-handle for the passenger, a removable infotainment module and a fabric roof. The hatchback, meanwhile, has been replaced with a trunklid that splits to fold up and down for easy access.
2012 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack
November 23, 2011
We’re pretty fond of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, and we aren’t alone. But for all of the vehicle’s merits, there are a few of our favorite options missing from the American order sheet. For starters, buyers in the land of the free can’t bring home a long-roof version of the mid-sizer, and all-wheel drive is nowhere to found either. These absences are made all the more painful by the fact that European buyers can snag this, the new 2012 Passat Alltrack. The vehicle is set to debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show and boasts the Volkswagen 4Motion all-wheel drive system as well as a taller ride height for overcoming rough terrain and deep snow.
That smell? It’s just the noxious fumes of envy wafting through the internet.
Volkswagen has thrown in a set of flared fender arches as well as revised front and rear bumpers. Under normal operation, the Passat Alltrack kicks 90 percent of the engine’s power to the front axles, though 100 percent of the grunt can be shifted to the rear tires if need be. In the UK, buyers may chose between two variants of the German automaker’s 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder engine.
Volkswagen Golf R
November 22, 2011
The Volkswagen R performance sub-brand isn’t just a niche cog in the massive machine known as the Volkswagen Auto Group. If R GmbH’s heads are to be believed, it’s an instrumental component of the German automaker’s push to offer something for everyone. And after speaking with the two men shepherding R into the future, it appears that good things are on the way.
With the Golf R set to go on sale in the U.S. early next year and R-branded performance parts already proliferating throughout VW’s core products, Ulrich Riestenpatt gt. Richter, R’s Executive Director, and Dr. Hendrik Muth, R’s marketing head, are looking to the future. Fortunately, they were thoughtful enough to provide Autoblog with a small glimpse into what’s on the way.
“The future is diesel and all-wheel-drive,” Richter told us on the floor of last week’s LA Auto Show. That could mean that the next great performance offering from VW R could come in the form of an AWD diesel hatch – essentially an oil-burning Golf R. Further, Richter contends that he can make an R version of any vehicle in the VW stable, so don’t be surprised to see a Passat R in the coming years and the Beetle R getting the green light.
Just as telling, Richter says that while hybrids have their place (VW will be introducing a Jetta hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show), the fuel savings of hybrid-electric systems pale in comparison to weight reduction. “You can get the same efficiency [as a hybrid] by dropping 100 kilos,” Richter admits, but the high cost of advanced composites – namely carbon fiber – is still too high. So that means more aluminum is on the way, and partnered with a high-performance diesel powerplant, enthusiasts should be able to have their tire-shredding cake and eat less at the pump in the process.
Volkswagen fighting new CAFE rules
November 21, 2011
Which automaker still doesn’t like the new CAFE rules? Volkswagen, that’s who. After claiming the proposed 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards were biased back in August, VW is again saying, hey, wait a minute, let’s not be so dismissive of diesel engines.
When the original 54.5 mpg CAFE proposal was announced (which will actually be around 40 mpg in the real world), Volkswagen did not sign on to the agreement. The reason is that VW says the current plan helps U.S. automakers by being lenient on big pickups but doesn’t have much love for modern diesel vehicles.
Make that “enough love,” since the EPA says the rule does give “credits for technologies with potential to achieve real-world CO2 reductions and fuel economy improvements that are not captured by the standards test procedures.” According to Reuters, since August, Volkswagen America’s general counsel and VW representatives have met with the White House and “transportation and environmental regulators” to express the company’s concerns. We haven’t heard that VW’s efforts are bearing any fruit, but that doesn’t mean we won’t hear more about them in the future.
Official: Volkswagen eT Van
November 19, 2011
The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald once opined that using an exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the latest work van concept from Volkswagen. The German Automaker has partnered with the German Post Office and the University of Art at Braunschweig to create the eT! electric delivery van. The company says that vehicle offers zero-emissions driving and can be operated by a joystick-type device on the passenger side if necessary. We aren’t entirely sure how that second feature lends itself to making deliveries any easier, but we applaud the automaker’s efforts toward facilitating practical jokers everywhere.
Perhaps more impressive is the fact that VW says that the eT! can be operated semi-autonomously. The vehicle can follow a delivery person from house to house or return to the driver after being parked. While there are no details currently available on the vehicle’s drivetrain, Volkswagen does say that the eT! is equipped with electronically opening doors
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