VW considering adding all-wheel drive to Audi A1, Polo?
October 14, 2010
Filed under: Hatchback, Audi, Volkswagen, Rumormill
Audi surprised us all when it took the wraps off its top-of-the-line A1 TFSI hatchback packing everything but the kitchen sink…and the S1 nameplate. The reason, according to reports, was that every S model in the company’s history has featured Quattro all-wheel drive, but the PQ25 platform on which the A1 is based can’t accommodate it. At least, not yet.
The UK’s Autocar now suggests, however, that a business case is being made inside the Volkswagen Group to engineer the platform to accept the extra driveshaft. Doing so would allow for proper Quattro-driven S1, but that’s not all. In order to justify the cost, the Volkswagen Polo could get a couple of models driven on all fours, including a Polo R hot hatch to slot in above the Polo GTI and a CrossPolo soft-roader with actual traction to back up its butch styling.
Gallery: Paris 2010: 2011 Audi A1 TFSI
Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo
Live photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL
Source: Autocar
VW considering adding all-wheel drive to Audi A1, Polo? originally appeared on VW Top News on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Great Long-Term Vehicle Swap of 2010
October 14, 2010
Filed under: Sedan, Subaru, Volkswagen, Long-Term Garage
Above are VW Top News’s two current long-term test vehicles, the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT and the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sport Cup Edition. At the moment, they are separated by some 2,460 miles of road with the Legacy at my house in the Greater Cleveland area and the diesel Jetta with Senior Editor Damon Lavrinc in San Francisco. Come next Monday, they will have swapped places.
We could have called a carrier service to deliver the cars across the country. In fact, we looked into it, but who wants to pay over two grand to have a company do what we’ll gladly do for free? So myself and Lavrinc are embarking on a cross-country road trip from nearly opposite ends of the great 48 to swap these cars somewhere in the middle. We’ll both be leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning and plan to return home late Monday night with different vehicles than the ones we left in.
This being my last night with the Legacy 2.5GT, I’ll sum up my feelings towards it by saying that it’s not the sporty sedan I expected. It’s not a true sports sedan at all, in fact, but more like a mid-sizer with a very comfortable ride that injects an extra element of driver involvement with its six-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately, it’s not the most precise six-speed I’ve ever rowed, but the 265-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder is a willing dance partner, even if the transmission occasionally has two left feet. And where else can you get a manual transmission paired with a powerful engine that starts under $30,000 in this segment? Not many places, that’s for sure.
So while Damon and I hunker down for the long haul, ask us any questions in Comments that we haven’t answered already in our updates. We’ll try to tweet answers from the road on VW Top News’s official Twitter account (@therealVW Top News) or we’ll save the answers for future updates on the site.
Gallery: Long Term: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT
The Great Long-Term Vehicle Swap of 2010 originally appeared on VW Top News on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
VW Jetta SportWagen TDI: Newest cop car on the block?
October 13, 2010
Filed under: Wagon, Plants/Manufacturing, Volkswagen, Police/Emergency, Diesel
Volkswagen is building the plant for its coming New Midsize Sedan (NMS) in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. And what better way to make friends with soon-to-be neighbors than to give them new cars? That’s what the German company did in handing over two Jetta SportWagen TDIs each to the Chattanooga police and the Hamilton County police.
To make sure the wagons are as stylish as they are secure, they get body kits and chrome exhaust tips for an “imposing presence” to go along with the custom interior to hold the authorities’ communications and lighting gear. All this really means to you is another set of headlights to learn. You can start practicing with the gallery of high-res photos below, and learn more about the plant and the gesture in the press releases after the jump.
Source: Volkswagen
Continue reading VW Jetta SportWagen TDI: Newest cop car on the block?
VW Jetta SportWagen TDI: Newest cop car on the block? originally appeared on VW Top News on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Volkswagen releases luxurious new Touareg Exclusive for German market
October 13, 2010
Filed under: SUV, Europe, Volkswagen, Luxury
If you’re in the market for a luxury sport-ute, the Volkswagen Group has got you well covered between the Audi Q5 and Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. But the VW division is kicking its own offering up a luxurious notch with the Exclusive package for the Touareg.
Initially available exclusively in its domestic German market, the Touareg Exclusive benefits from a number of special touches, many of which are available on the standard model but come here bundled into one package. These include a choice of three wheel options (one set of 19s as standard, a different set as a no-cost option and extra-cost 20-inchers) along with added chrome and silver roof rails.
The interior is fitted with two-tone Nappa leather (in either beige and black or burgundy and black). Called “cool leather”, the seats are specially trimmed to – you guessed it – stay cool, and also heated and adjustable in 12 ways. Olive wood trim, a black headliner and stainless steel sill plates round out the package.
The Touareg Exclusive can be ordered in Germany with any of the engines available on the standard model (including diesel and gasoline BlueMotion V6s, the V8 TDI and the V6 hybrid), but there’s no word yet on whether the North American market will receive a similarly Exclusive package. Full press release after the jump.
Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Exclusive
Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg
Live photos by Jonathon Ramsey / Copyright (C)2010 AOL
Source: Volkswagen
Continue reading Volkswagen releases luxurious new Touareg Exclusive for German market
Volkswagen releases luxurious new Touareg Exclusive for German market originally appeared on VW Top News on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mercedes-Benz announces in-car iPad integration
October 9, 2010
Filed under: Etc., Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen
Apple continues its march towards world domination. Since its introduction, automakers have paid a lot of attention to the iPad; Hyundai plans to use the device as an Equus owner’s manual, while Chevrolet, Ford and Volkswagen have developed apps for it, and BMW has introduced an in-car docking system for the super tablet.
Not one to be left off the technology train, Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to create its own headrest-mounted iPad docks. The units will allow rear passengers to use and charge iPads, which could usher in a whole new era of back-seat driving as the iPad navigation app battles it out with the factory unit up front.
Source: Engadget
Mercedes-Benz announces in-car iPad integration originally appeared on VW Top News on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Volkswagen Eos updated with GTI engine, crisper looks
October 7, 2010
Filed under: Convertible, Volkswagen
The trouble with hard-top convertibles – four-seat cabrios especially – is the added weight penalty. German automakers in particular have proven adept at counteracting the dynamic drawbacks that open-air flexibility brings, but sooner or later you’re just going to need more power. And that’s exactly what Volkswagen is doing with the Eos.
Often derided as a “hairdresser’s car”, the 2012 Eos has been treated to one of our favorite engines: the 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the Golf GTI. This 208-horspower engine – available with either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch transmission – can now take the Eos from a full stop to highway pace in 7.8 seconds. Overseas buyers can also specify the 138-hp 2.0-liter diesel (with the same transmission choices). Volkswagen has also included Hill Start Assist standard on the 2012 Eos, along with Vienna leather upholstery, heated seats, 17-inch wheels and some sheetmetal enhancements that brings its look in line with the rest of the brand’s small car lineup.
Details have only been announced for foreign markets, and we’ve included the Australian press release after the jump while we wait for confirmation from Volkswagen of America. In the meantime you can check out the high-res images in the gallery below.
Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Eos
Source: Volkswagen
Continue reading Volkswagen Eos updated with GTI engine, crisper looks
Volkswagen Eos updated with GTI engine, crisper looks originally appeared on VW Top News on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
VW Group design chief Walter de’Silva reskins the Leica M9
October 7, 2010
Filed under: Etc., Technology, Volkswagen, Design/Style
Walter de’Silva has worked his magic on countless Alfa Romeos, Seats, Audis and now, as head of design for the entire Volkswagen Group, is responsible for styling even more brands and their products than just about anyone in the industry. But he can now add one more to his resume: a Leica camera.
The iconic German optics company brought de’Silva in to give its compact M9 camera a bit of a make-over. Rising to the task, de’Silva refitted the camera in titanium, gave its screen a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, trimmed it in Nappa leather, a diamond-texture surface and even reworked Leica’s famous logo, centering it above the lens like a hood ornament. A gun-holster-like shoulder harness completes the package as de’Silva follows in the footsteps of fellow car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed for Canon and whose ItalDesign studio de’Silva’s employers recently acquired.
Only 500 examples of the limited-edition, de’Silva-designed Leica M9 Titanium will be produced, fetching a suitably car-like $31,300 apiece. Zoom in on the images in the gallery below for a closer look.
Gallery: Leica M9 Titanium by Walter de’Silva
Source: Leica via The New York Times
VW Group design chief Walter de’Silva reskins the Leica M9 originally appeared on VW Top News on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
VW sets single-tank distance record with 1,527-mile Passat BlueMotion
October 5, 2010
Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, UK, Diesel
What’s the most you’ve ever gotten out of a single tank of gas? 400 miles? Maybe 600 miles if you’re under diesel power? Volkswagen wanted to put its Passat BlueMotion to the test and see just how many miles it can cover on one tank. A team from the UK’s Sunday Times set off from Kent, England with a full tank of diesel – then drove to the south of France and back.
Averaging just over 45 miles per hour, the team watched as 1,527 miles came and went. The 1.6-liter TDI-equipped VW Passat BlueMotion used was a standard production model which features a lower standard ride height, Stop/Start tech, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tires. As two witnesses drove behind them to verify the attempt for the Guinness Book of World Records, the Passat rolled along to the tune of nearly 90 miles per gallon – much higher than the 64.2 mpg rating the vehicle carries.
Gallery: Paris 2010: 2011 Volkswagen Passat
Source: Volkswagen
Continue reading VW sets single-tank distance record with 1,527-mile Passat BlueMotion
VW sets single-tank distance record with 1,527-mile Passat BlueMotion originally appeared on VW Top News on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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