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The Polo is like a precious stone in the VW family, small but shining brightly. Having just won the European Car of The Year award recently, the little star has just received another accolade by capturing the coveted World Car of The Year award. VW's car beat the two highly-regarded finalists, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Toyota Prius, to win the award. 30 vehicles had originally been nominated for the prize, a list that was whittled down until the three finalists were announced last month. To be considered for the award, a vehicle had to be in production and sold on at least two different continents in 2009. At least 500 units of each nominated vehicle had to be produced in 2009 to qualify. The award is voted on by a jury of 59 automotive experts from around the world, though only one juror was from Africa or South America. Collectively, they narrowed the field from 30 to ten in January, before choosing the finalists a month later. Previous award winners include the VW Golf, Mazda2/Demio, Lexus LS460, BMW 3-Series, and Audi A6. Just a suggestion to Volkswagen Singapore - How about a discount of SGD 2010 off the Polo for a limited period to commemorate this joyous ocassion ?

One tuning division has basically emerged right after the announcement that one is in the midst of winding down its business. We already know that Mitsubishi's Ralliart division is basically winding down its business due to Mitsubishi pulling out from most motorsport activities due to the ailing economy but when it comes to the powerhouse Volkswagen, things are different. It has somehow seen the need to set up its own performance tuning company simply called R GmbH. Sales of the R versions of their cars must be very encouraging for this to happen. Now Volkswagen has officially passed the Scirocco R and the Golf R as R GmbH's first models and other products that would emerge from this new company are something called R line design packages. This probably is something like Audi's S line packages, bodykits, spoilers, rims exhaust tips and interior trim. This was also announced at the Geneva Motor Show recently. Volkswagen states as follows:

hi all!! between these 2 car brands, which do you prefer?? German reliability or Italian style?? as far as i know, these 2 car brands have rivaling cars at around the same price...

Volkswagen has pulled the curtain off its latest 7 seater at Geneva - The all new Sharan. It is a timely replacement as the existing model is looking like an antique, and the replacement sports the new VW corporate 'face'. This third-generation variant of the model is the biggest one yet, measuring 4.85 metres long, 1.9m wide but 1.72m lower, together with a wheelbase is 2.92m long. A new feature of the Sharan is the rear sliding door, aimed at making rear access easier. The individual seats of the second and third row can be folded down to create a flat floor for the convenience of transporting huge items. The second row can be adjusted laterally within a range of 160mm and can be tilted by 20 degrees. Consumer will have the option of four direct injection turbo petrol (TSI) and turbo diesel (TDI) engines at launch. The entry level petrol motor generates 150PS, followed by a 200PS version. VW claims that the 140PS TDI model is able to complete 100km with just 5.3L of fuel on the combined cycle. As expected, VW's famed DSG transmission is available for all engine options. In Singapore, the Sharan will compete head on in the large MPV market dominated by the Honda Odyssey, Ford Galaxy, Toyota Previa etc.

Hi all I am considering changing to a continental ride. I am looking at 3 dr Golf GTi. My wife says 5 door easier to access the rear seats and ferry people. However I love the styling of the 3-door. Looks more compact and sporty. We have no kids and I don't really like to ferry people around. We go grocery shopping once a while and the boot space is adequate for our lifestyle. We also love to go for driving holidays up North occasionally. Currently I am driving a 4 dr 2L Jap saloon. I also looked at 2nd hand car market for Golf GTi, not alot are selling though. For new ride, I realized that PI pricing is 20k cheaper than AD version. Anybody know the difference between these versions? Warranty is the only thing I can think of. Another thing is the maintenance. Are continental rides more difficult and expensive to service and maintain than jap cars? On top of this, the Golf GTi is turbocharged, how reliable is the engine and turbo? Can last me 5 years at least? Are turbo cars more difficult and tedious to maintain? I don't mod my rides. Priced at 120k+, is the Golf GTi pedigree priced reasonably? I am in no rush to change ride now. Hope mcf bros can give me some advise and share your experiences.

- 2009 VW Gol And now for something that may forever change the perception that German cars are bulletproof. Well, the engineering behind the cars are sound, but assembly of the cars by people in Brazil and Mexico have shown that recalls do not only affect Japanese brands, but Volkswagen as well. Just a day after announcing that they have to recall 200,000 Volkswagens in Brazil, Volkswagen have had to recall another 20,000 units in Mexico. The models involved are the unique to South and Central America VW Gol and its derivatives. It involves the possibility that the rear wheel bearings could be insufficiently lubricated, causing then to make noise If the situation is not addressed, it could cause the wheel bearings to lock and can cause noise. Continuous use could lead to a blockage of the wheels and in severe cases may result in a wheel coming off. Volkswagen Brazil had said on its website that 193,620 Novo Gol and Voyage cars were at risk of not having sufficient lubrication on its rear wheels. I would imagine that the wheel bearing supplier had failed to supply properly lubricated wheel bearings. In some ways it is a supplier that seems to be at the center of the fault. This is much like the Toyota faulty accelerator issue, where an outside contractor had supplied faulty parts causing a massive recall. It shows that no company is safe from faulty manufacturing or faulty parts. Now even a German company that supposedly is the leader in quality. It could also show that car manufacturers are braver and more accountable these days or are just taking advantage of the situation arising from Toyota

Along with the Bluemotion and GTI Polo models, Volkswagen will also be staging the latest generation CrossPolo, which is a beefed up version of the Polo. It sports black plastic molding around the wheel arches, across the sills and bottom of each door, as well as on the front and rear bumpers. The front bumper gets a honeycomb treatment for the lower air intake and light silver trim at the bottom suggests the presence of underbody protection. Also included are the CrossPolo's trademark silver anodized roof rails and handsome 17-inch two-tone wheels. The CrossPolo may not have extensive external dimensions but is able to swallow about 37 cubic feet of cargo with its rear seat down. Volkswagen offers no less than six engines to haul all that stuff. There are three gas-powered engines that include a 1.2L (70ps) and 1.4L (85ps) four-cylinder units, as well as a range toping 1.2 TSI engine (105ps) that features direct injection and turbocharging. The TSI powered CrossPolo completes the century sprint in 9.9 sec and consumes just 5.5L of petrol per 100km with either the 6 speed manual gearbox or the famed 7 speed DSG. There are also three diesel engines available. The dashboard layout is identical to the standard Polo but I find the stiched "Cross Polo" words on the front seats a nice touch.

Here are the first images of what the new Volkswagen Polo GTI will look like and it will be unveiled in the flesh at next month's Geneva Motor Show. It definitely looks like it deserves the GTI badge, and goes like one too. The highly anticipated new hot hatch will be powered by Volkswagen's 1.4 litre TSI engine which pumps out 177bhp which is quite a lot for a hatch this size, and of course, it comes with the standard 7 speed DSG transmission. It also features Volkswagen's XDS electronic differential which uses the brakes to slow the inside wheel instead of limiting power, which in turn cuts down understeer. These German's never stop inventing the good stuff.. The suspension has been lowered by 15mm all round and the Polo GTI even has its own spring and damper settings. And like the last Polo GTI, its styled to look like a mini Golf GTI which isn't really surprising but the good thing is you get the similar five-spoke polished 17 inch alloys and the same honeycomb grille with a red frame which really is minimalism at its best. You see Hyundai's and Swifts with that red strip which frankly is just wrong.. The red stitching on the inside and finally, the flat-bottomed steering wheel which is one of the best additions you could possibly ask for. When will this be here? No one knows, but I'm certain that it'll make its way to our little island. For now, we'll wait for it to appear at the Geneva Motor Show.

[extract] I was sitting in a chair at the reception area of a dance academy waiting for my daughter to finish her dance lesson when I realized why Volkswagen never rocked my boat, the GTI included. As I wrote elsewhere a few years ago, the reason I thought the GTI was not a fulfilling car to own was that the Mark5 Volkswagen looked too much like a mini MPV instead of a stonking hot hatch. When you parked it beside to its cousins the Audi A3 or the Skoda Octavia or even the larger sized A4, you

Scirocco R OMG this is an awesome ride. 265-horsepower/350 Nm (258 lb-ft) 2.0L turbo four 0-100 in 6.5s

The German's these days are getting increasingly aggressive. It used to be just Hitler, but now its the Volkswagen group. They've become so dominant that mentioning a car under their name is inevitable. Volkswagen have led the way in build quality, their innovative and extremely efficient DSG gearbox which is currently unparalleled in the mass-car market and even in their advertising for crying out loud. Most notably however, the car that has stood the test of time is undoubtedly the Golf. And now, there's a new variant. The Hybrid Golf Coupe. Recently unraveled at the Detriot Motor Show last week, the Hybrid Golf Coupe will be the wedge between the Scirocco and the Passat CC. It will be equipped with a 147bhp engine with a 25hp electric motor and comes with the DSG seven speed gearbox which enables the Golf Coupe to do 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds. And that is impressive from a car that dons one of those 'hybrid' badges. The best part though, is that the Golf Coupe comes with a special clutch which separates the engine from the drivetrain to reduce drag and this comes into play when you lift off while traveling at high speeds, the car will glide smoothly rather than be bogged down by the engine. This results in a very tree-hugging 20km/litre and carbon emissions of 98g/km which is astonishing! For those who cannot stand the idea of a hybrid, don't despair. Petrol and Diesel engines are on the way too.. This looks much more exciting than the current Golf and is it just me or are there huge hints of the Audi A4's tail lamps at the rear? That's no matter really, because the Golf Coupe looks fantastic with those front headlights, certainly hope those go into the production model. Even the old school open front grille has been closed up to reduce drag. These German's are so obsessive about making a green car yet their minimalist and simplistic designs still please the eyes.. This car will definitely be worth the wait.

The Volkswagen Passat EcoFuel has recently edged out the Toyota Prius for the title of "greenest car in Europe." The International Automobile Federation (FIA) sanctioned the Eco Test that evaluated a number of cars. The winning Passat is powered by a 1.4-liter TSI inline-four fueled by natural gas. VW's TSI engines are turbocharged and direct injected. Both the Passat and Prius scored 92 out of 100 on the test, but the less expensive natural gas fuel system gave the VW the edge. The test evaluated emissions of CO2, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. The EcoFuel TSI engines are available in many of VW's European models including the Golf, Touran and others. With the result of such a test, I wonder if hybrid cars are relevant going forward. They are more expensive and complex to build than a normal car of similar dimensions and engine output. Its resale value could be a question too as I believe that most used car buyers are more comfortable with a 'proper' petrol driven vehicle in terms of reliability. Once again, congratulations to VW!

Happy new year to all readers of MyCarForum! Year 2009 saw a shift in the buying pattern of motorists in Singapore. Continentals and Koreans are gaining market share at the expense of the offerings from the land of the rising sun. The major reasons being the closing up of the price difference between the continental and japanese cars, and the major improvement in the build quality of the Korean vehicles while maintaining their price competitiveness. VW is determined to continue the momentum that it has started in 2009. When I woke up on the first day of the new year, I saw a major advertisement by Volkswagen Centre Singapore (VCS) which promotes its TSI and DSG technologies. VCS also offered a special promotion period for their Jetta, valid till 20 Jan 2010. I became a proud owner of a Jetta Sports about 2 weeks ago and would like to share my personal opinions on the car. The exterior styling of the car is nothing to shout about. It projects an executive image and basically that's about it. The rear LED lightings is a nice touch. Going on to the interior, the dials on the instrument cluster are large and easy to read. The touchscreen RCD 510 entertainment system adds additional class to the well-built interior of the Jetta. The sound system is fine to me as I am not really an ICE person. The Jetta is very well put together with no rattlings from any part of the cabin. This is a testimonial to the quality control at VW's South Africa plant. Next, I come to the highly acclaimed 7 Speed DSG gearbox. Gear changes are lightning quick and imperceptible. My only complaint is that it upshifts too quickly and the car is already in 7th gear when I am travelling at around 65km/h. Being at the final gear at such low speed makes the car feel a bit lethargic some times. Perhaps in its application to the Jetta, the DSG system is more tuned towards efficiency. The Jetta Sports is fitted with the 2009 'International Engine of the Year' award winner - the 1.4 Twincharger engine. The engine is smooth even if I rev it up to 4000-5000rpm range. It's refinement can be compared to the creamy K20Z lump in my previous Honda Civic 2.0. When the traffic light turns green, the car feels a slight relunctance in moving off but it picks up speed readily once the car upshifts to 2nd gear. Fuel consumption wise, I am should be getting around 12 to 13km/l on my current 2nd full tank. The car has only clocked 800km so far and I would expect the consumption figure to improve over the next few weeks. Overall, I am quite pleased with the Jetta Sports and I wish VCS all the best in the coming year.

The Volkswagen Polo has made its presence known in India. Eagerly awaited by the Indian market, the Polo will now be available in showrooms by March 2010. Volkswagen is not the only car-maker to venture into the Indian market, Nissan, Ford and General Motors have also taken the plunge and started manufacturing their cars in India. The Chakan factory has an annual capacity of around 110,000 cars and Volkswagen claims it to be the most state of the art amongst the Volkswagen group worldwide. The plant was set up with an initial investment of 580 million Euros and is also one of the largest investments done by a German company in India. It is also the only car manufacturing factory that is operated by the Germans that includes the entire range of the production process from the press shop, body and paint shop to the assembly. Large automakers like Volkswagen, General Motors, Ford and Nissan have now awoken to the fact that Indian consumers prefer small affordable cars rather than the huge luxury models that sell well elsewhere. I think that Volkswagen have taken a huge step to cater to the Indian market, but I'm starting to wonder whether the Polo's in Singapore will come from the same factory in India. If that does happen, it is possible that the price may go down due to the lower cost of production. However, we all know that whenever a car company outsources their production process to other countries like Thailand for instance in the case of Honda and Toyota, the quality has never really been the same as when they were originally produced in Japan. The standard set by the Polo from South Africa is the benchmark and I do hope that the Polo will be equally good wherever its made.

[extract] The all new Volkswagen Passat will bow in 2012, and here is what to expect from the next-generation sedan when it debuts early next decade. The 2012 will retain its transversely mounted engine, although it will ride on an all-new platform. Dubbed MQB, the architecture will prevent VW from putting obscure engines

VW has announced today that they've bought a 19.9% stake in Japanese carmaker Suzuki. I think it's brilliant. Suzuki, as of recently, has been churning out cars that have actually been worth the mention like the Swift which have a few awards in it's pockets and even the SX4 which handles like a dream. Both companies will be sharing their tech knowledge and working together on things like fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicle technologies. I'm quite excited with this prospect...with such a relation, I'm sure Suzuki is going to find a way in improving their cars build and fittings quality, getting them one-up on the competitors in Japan like Honda and Toyota and also in overseas market. This is a continuing expansion for VW, after having rode the turbulent waves of the economical instability better than it's major competitors, even taking over Toyota as the largest auto maker some months back. A little trivia I stumbled upon: Did you know Suzuki held the number 1 spot in the local (Japan) mini car segment for more than 30 years! Daihatsu snatched that away 2 years ago though.

[extract]It

[extract] $65,900. That

Sources:http://kereta.info/german-carmaker-volkswagen-planning-for-car-assembly-with-proton/

Malaysia's Proton, Volkswagen close to tie-up: report Posted: 07 June 2007 1626 hrs KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's ailing national carmaker Proton and Germany's Volkswagen AG are close to sealing a tie-up that will likely see the German auto firm take a 51 per cent stake in its key assets, a report said Thursday. Citing unnamed sources, The Edge Financial Daily said a new company would be created which will see Volkswagen, Europe's biggest carmaker, controlling key operations with the 51 per cent stake. Proton Holdings will hold the remaining 49 per cent in the new company, which would encompass key assets including British subsidiary Lotus, as well as manufacturing, research and development, and engineering activities, the report said. A 42.7 per cent stake in Proton Holdings currently held by the government's investment arm, Khazanah Nasional, may also be taken over by state-linked conglomerate Sime Darby, The Edge reported. The newspaper said details were expected to be finalised at a meeting underway in New York between representatives from Volkswagen, Khazanah, Sime Darby and the prime minister's office. With Volkswagen's expertise and platforms, the new company is expected to launch new Proton models under the Malaysian carmaker's brand name while most of the existing ones will be phased out, it said. Proton officials declined to comment on the report while Khazanah executives were not immediately available. Proton's share price was sharply higher Thursday on the news. At the morning close, Proton was up 0.95 ringgit (0.28 cents) or 16.24 per cent at 6.80 ringgit. Malaysia's government has been under intense pressure to announce details of a partnership for Proton in a bid to provide it with expertise to arrest a sharp decline in market share. The company last year lost its status as Malaysia's biggest-selling automaker to rival Perodua, another homegrown manufacturer. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on May 31 that talks with Volkswagen had failed but the next day a senior government official said negotiations were back on after Volkswagen requested a final round of talks. A senior government official said last month that talks were also continuing with US automaker General Motors Corp. Analysts said a deal with VW would bring no immediate relief for Proton. In a note to clients, Hwang-DBS Vickers Research said a partnership with Volkswagen remains the preferred scenario, but "a gestation period of 18 to 24 months may be necessary in order for operational turnaround to take effect." TA Research said a tie-up with Volkswagen is "a step forward for Proton but it will still have to endure some pain in the short term due to huge inventories and declining sales." Malaysian ministers have acknowledged that Proton needs a foreign manufacturing partner which would bring the necessary expertise to help turn around the company's fortunes. At the same time they have expressed reservations about ceding control of a key national asset, although The Edge Financial Daily said such views were changing in the face of Proton's loss-making performance. Proton last week reported larger than expected net losses of 591.36 million ringgit (US$174 million) for the year to March 2007. The carmaker blamed weak sales and higher production costs for a reversal from the previous year's profit of 46.69 million ringgit. The government has so far missed two self-imposed deadlines to announce a partner for Proton. Previous talks with PSA Peugeot Citroen of France and Mitsubishi of Japan were unsuccessful. Proton's market share has fallen sharply in recent years due to the whittling away of duties that have made imports more affordable, and a persistent reputation for poor quality and unimaginative models. [/color] It seems like Proton had no choice but to give up majority share holder. Hope change name to Volksproton.

As above, any reliable PIs you can recommend?

Just out from Autocar Magazine July Edition VW Bluesport is a cabriolet Specs are as follows Engine-1.9l Inline-4 turbo diesel midship producing 178bhp@4200rpm coupled with a 6 speed DSG Kerb weight 1,200kg Peak Torque 350nm@ 1750rpm-2500rpm Possible engine variants including a 2.0 Direct injection with 265hp and 350Nm in a R model variant 0-100 standing start- 6.6 seconds Top speed 225km/h Tires are Pirelli P Zero Nero 235/35 R19 for front and 245/35 R19 for rear Fuel tank is at 50L and has a range of 1005km Compression ratio is 16:5:1 Boot space is @180L one thing to note though, its priced @20000 pounds and VW is likely to reduce top speed to 100km/h Interior is mostly Golf based its pretty a nimble cabrio and looks good , though i believe it could be a few more years before we see this car in sg

With budget of around $90k... I know they are totally different type of cars... But for now, both suit my current need... Have drove Jap & Korean so thinking of owning a Conti car next... Ur feedback would be appreciated, thanks in advance. Cheers.

Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact crossover SUV built by the German automaker Volkswagen, based on the A5 (PQ35) platform of the Mk5 Golf. Tiguan is a combination of the German words Tiger ("tiger") and Leguan ("iguana"). Tiguan - Pronunciation Key (tee-g

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090106/tts-...ch-509a08e.html ......."Porsche, which makes the 911 sports car and Cayenne sport utility vehicle, plans to raise its stake in VW to more than 75 percent this year, with which it expects to gain total control over the group. Having more than 75 percent would allow it to seal a so-called domination contract giving it full financial control. In Germany, a minority investor that owns 25 percent of a company's shares can block strategic decisions, but in the case of VW that level is currently set by law at 20 percent, the amount owned by the state of Lower Saxony, where VW is based. Porsche has challenged the so-called VW law and has received support from the European Commission, which has threatened to haul Berlin into European court again after a revised version of the law retained the 20 percent minority blocking threshold. Porsche built up its stake in the much bigger VW through the use of stock options that allowed it to catch markets by surprise last year with the size of its holding........."