FAMILY portraits are naff. You sit there looking awkward with a side-parting you didn’t want and wearing matching clothes you don’t like. You do it for your mum. But here’s a family photo you’d be proud to hang on your wall. All three Volkswagen GTIs – that’s Golf, Polo and now Up! – in the first triple track test. The baby Up! (115hp) has more beans than the original Mk1 Golf GTI (110hp) – and all from a tiny 1-litre three-cylinder engine. I liked it a lot.Golf GTI THE icon. The halo. Rock solid, classy, stunning engine, Jeremy Clarkson owns one – so it’s got to be pretty decent, right? Almost a third of all Golf sales in the UK are “Performance” cars – that’s GTI, GTE (plug-in hybrid), GTD (diesel) and R (310hp, all-wheel drive and sublime). The car you see here is the Golf GTI Performance version. Essentially, it’s a GTI tricked up with a mechanical front diff, bigger brakes and another 15 … [Read more...] about VW Up! joins the GTI family so we took all three out for a track test
Volkswagen
China removes limit on foreign automakers; Tesla is poised to benefit quickly
Shares of German carmakers all rose on the news, reversing earlier losses. China accounts for about half of Volkswagen's namesake brand sales, and the world's biggest car market is also the most significant buyer of luxury Mercedes, VW's Audi unit and BMW vehicles. Volkswagen rose as much as 1.2%, and BMW and Mercedes-maker Daimler rose about 0.5%. … [Read more...] about China removes limit on foreign automakers; Tesla is poised to benefit quickly
VW plans to update its logo into something ‘more colorful’
The round Volkswagen logo is one of the most easily recognizable carmaker emblems, together with the Mercedes-Benz star and the Chevrolet bowtie. Messing with it would be akin to Coca-Cola introducing the ill-fated New Coke, but VW still wants to hone the logo to be ready for the electrified future. As Bloomberg reports, Volkswagen's chief marketing officer Jochen Sengpiehl said the new logo will debut next year. The idea behind the refresh is to make Volkswagen's image "more colorful," for it to gain back the "emotional appeal" the marque has lost by trying to be "too German," according to Sengpiehl. Partially, the image has also been affected by the diesel scandal, but Sengpiehl says that's not the sole reasoning behind the logo update. In the coming months, VW will select the creative agency that will be tasked with the work. Still, we believe the classic logo is too important for VW to completely rework, so expect a light, slightly more futuristic design with a different font on … [Read more...] about VW plans to update its logo into something ‘more colorful’
Iconic Volkswagen ‘Love Wagon’ campervan from That 70s Show set to break the world record for most expensive VW ever
THE iconic Volkswagen campervan from That 70s Show is set to break the world record for priciest VW ever. The rare 'Love Wagon' that appeared in the hit TV series is tipped to beat the current £214,000 record set last year. The 1967 Samba bus was driven by Ashton Kutcher on the sitcom between 2001 and 2004. The green and white van features three rows of brown leather seats, old-fashioned curtains and fuzzy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror. Volkswagen produced just over 100,000 Sambas in the 50s and 60s of the popular model that’s a must-have for car collectors. Last year, a 1965 Deluxe Bus became the world’s most expensive Volkswagen at the auction house when it was sold for a whopping $302,500 (£214,000). Another more expensive model, the ’67 Samba, was also won for $143,000 (£101,000). This 21-window TV classic is now going under the hammer with Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction in Florida, USA, on April 14. And the auction house is confident … [Read more...] about Iconic Volkswagen ‘Love Wagon’ campervan from That 70s Show set to break the world record for most expensive VW ever
Volkswagen restructures management and company structure
The group wants to drive change to make it more efficient and is now being organised into six divisions and a portfolio for China. It also wants to create three new vehicle groups for value, premium and super-premium brands.Müller took the top job at beleaguered Volkswagen in 2015 at the height of the emissions crisis. Following the restructuring Herbert Diess will be responsible for development and research, Rupert Stadler for sales, and Oliver Blume for production. Vehicle IT will be led by Herbert Diess and company IT will be headed by Frank Witter “In a phase of profound upheaval in the automotive industry, it is vital for Volkswagen to pick up speed and make an unmistakable mark in e-mobility, the digitalisation of the automobile and transportation as well as new mobility services,” said Diess. The group also appointed Dr Oliver Blume, chairman of the Board of Management at Porsche, to its governing body. And Gunnar Kilian, who until now has served as … [Read more...] about Volkswagen restructures management and company structure
Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller saved the company. Now he’s headed for the exit
The 64-year-old Mueller, always a reluctant CEO who had grown weary of the regular grillings by board members, responded during the talks by signaling he was prepared to step aside, they said. With Mueller agreeing to go, the controlling Porsche-Piech clan, the state of Lower Saxony and powerful labor leaders settled on Herbert Diess — the chief of Volkswagen's namesake brand — as the successor, the people said. … [Read more...] about Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller saved the company. Now he’s headed for the exit
Volkswagen’s Dieselgate ‘cheap’ fix in Europe ‘is up to THREE times less effective than in US’
THE Dieselgate fix being fitted to Volkswagen's European cars is three times less effective than the US repair, according to experts. And the EU fixes cost VW a fraction of the estimated $1,000 (£710) expense for some US cars, according to latest research. Independent tests claim nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are between 19 and 37 per cent less in the real world after the European fix. But in America, it's likely to slash toxic emissions by 80 to 95 per cent, according to researchers. John German of the International Council on Clean Transportation, an engineer who helped to first expose the dieselgate scandal in September 2015, told Greenpeace's Unearthed team: “The fixes in the US will make a huge difference to NOx emissions [nitrogen oxides]. By contrast the EU fixes are minimal and not much of a fix.” Volkswagen was forced to issue a hardware fix to meet tough US laws after it was uncovered to have fitted "defeat devices" to pass lab pollution tests. What … [Read more...] about Volkswagen’s Dieselgate ‘cheap’ fix in Europe ‘is up to THREE times less effective than in US’
Volkswagen promises to BUY BACK banned diesel motors – and it could happen in the UK
VOLKSWAGEN has offered to buy back their new diesel cars from customers if the cities the owners live in ban the fuel type. The deal will initially only be offered to German customers, but it may spread to other nations if they also begin to ban diesel entirely - and could even come to the UK. The move follows the announcement that cities in Germany will be allowed to ban older diesel cars entirely. But the buy-back offer does not come without restrictions. Customers will only be eligible if they purchased their car new between April 1 and December 31 this year. Owners must also be living or working in cities that introduced a ban within three years of the purchase date, and they must buy a new replacement vehicle from the same dealership in order to get their money back. Everything you need to know about dieseltax dodge Diesel tax hikes new car prices by £300 - but there's a way to avoid paying it dumped Incredible VW 'graveyard' images show dirty Dieselgate cars bought … [Read more...] about Volkswagen promises to BUY BACK banned diesel motors – and it could happen in the UK
Incredible images of Volkswagen’s Dieselgate ‘graveyards’ show thousands of dirty diesels bought back from drivers
THESE amazing overhead photographs show the vast Volkswagen "graveyards" in America. Spread across 37 compounds around 300,000 diesels lie disused after VW bought the cheating models back from US owners. The German firm has paid out more than $7billion (£5billion) this year following the 2015 Dieselgate scandal, according to court reports. And the latest images show how Volkswagen is storing the models. The close-ups show luxury Audi saloons are also included alongside VW Beetles and Golfs. The lots, spread across the US, include a Detroit football stadium, a former Minnesota paper mill and a desert plot in California. Jeannine Ginivan, VW spokeswoman, said: ""These vehicles are being stored on an interim basis and routinely maintained in a manner to ensure their long-term operability and quality, so that they may be returned to commerce or exported once U.S. regulators approve appropriate emissions modifications." Court records seen by Reuters show Volkswagen has bought back … [Read more...] about Incredible images of Volkswagen’s Dieselgate ‘graveyards’ show thousands of dirty diesels bought back from drivers
Volkswagen working on Hyundai Creta rival, to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform
German car manufacturer Volkswagen is developing a new range of products for the Indian market under its India 2.0 plan. The first offering from this new range will be an SUV that will be built on the MQB A0 IN platform. The company has planned an investment of Rs 8,000 crores that will done in the next few years. In an interview with Moneycontrol, Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said: "As a logical step we are looking at the A0 SUV segment, which is one of the fastest growing segments. These are not the sub-4 meter class. We will have something (on the lines of) the (Hyundai) Creta. Because we think they have the highest potential of growth and business case and fits perfectly in our target group." In addition to Volkswagen, Skoda too will have its own set of products based on this platform. In addition to building an SUV, Skoda might also re-enter the hatchback space post its exit with the Fabia. Volkswagen also wants to increase the localization in its … [Read more...] about Volkswagen working on Hyundai Creta rival, to be based on the MQB A0 IN platform