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[extract] When Volkswagen released the Passat CC back in 2008, the German automaker stated that the car was the
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The 2012 Detroit Motor Show is considered one of the biggest auto exhibitions in the United States and that is the best time and place for an automaker to showcase a new model. Some groups have wondered what Volkswagen will debut at the abovementioned show. There were rumoured reports that Volkswagen is coming up with a convertible version of the current generation Beetle. It seems that those reports were pretty close but still not close enough as Volkswagen has introduced an all-electric version of the Beetle with an open-top roof which is named as the E-Bugster. The name E-Bugster is a combination of the words electric, bug and speedster. The steeply raked front windshields, shallow side windows, lowered height profile and the sloping roof line indicate a speedster styled vehicle. But, Volkswagen has emphasised that it is not a true open-top speedster. But still, the three inch chopped roof gives it a masculine retro look (just like an American hot rod). Other unique features of the car include a rear spoiler that is wrapped around the body; just below the rear windscreen, a five spoke 20 inch wheels, a C-shaped LED lights that is situated on the front bumpers and a similar C-shaped reflectors on the rear bumpers. The real highlight of the car is the Blue e-motion electric drive unit that Volkswagen has applied to this sexy looking speedster. The E-Bugster is capable of a 100 mile driving range on a single charge. The lithium-ion battery pack which weighs around 315 kilograms is fixed under the trunk floor. Volkswagen did not reveal the battery
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The Volkswagen Group is one of the largest automaker companies in the world and they develop and manufacture for all vehicles that is within their group, which includes Audi, Skoda, Seat, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. Many of their vehicles share parts and technologies. In other words, they are experts in cross-brand sharing. Some of their cars even share bodyshells. Things are going to get even more similar starting from next year when Volkswagen has announced that they will go through a technical overhaul for all their cars, mainly vehicles from Audi, Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen itself. The first car that will receive this treatment is the upcoming Audi A3 which will be released next year. The Audi A3 will share parts with 40 other models. Parts such as chassis, axles, steering columns, drivetrains and etc. will save the company around
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Mercedes Benz reveals plans for 10 new future models
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Locally, the Mercedes Benz marque has always been known or seen as a rather upmarket name. Many also perceive that this brand name attracts older buyers rather than younger ones and thus the nickname -
[extract] Let us continue in this second instalment of iconic vehicles from the movies and TV shows. Herbie VW Beetle from The Love Bug Herbie is an anthropomorphic Volkswagen Beetle that was featured in the Love Bug movie franchise. The character has a mind of its own and basically it can do anything it wants, for example driving on its own. The romantic comedy is about a struggling race car driver who, after a racing crash, went out to look for a replacement race car. He eventually bought a white VW Beetle after visiting a showroom and at one point of the movie; he was convinced that the car had a mind of its own. The rest of the movie tells the adventures of the driver and his companions
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Suzuki takes Volkswagen to ICC International Court of Arbitration
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
It looks like the relationship between Suzuki Motors Corporation and Volkswagen Group has gone from bad to worse. Some of us might know about the recent reports of Volkswagen threatening to sue its Japanese partner. And now, Suzuki has begun arbitration proceedings against Volkswagen on the 24 November 2011 at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, located in London. If the proceedings are successful, it will force Volkswagen to sell back its stake in the Japanese company back to Suzuki or to a third party approved by Suzuki Motors. The alliance between the two companies began in 2009. Volkswagen Group bought a 19.89% stake in Suzuki and in turn, Suzuki acquired 1.49% of Volkswagen. The alliance was originally intended for Volkswagen to expand in India where Suzuki has experience and sales success. On top of that, Volkswagen will give Suzuki access to its core technologies; technologies which the Japanese automaker could not afford to develop on its own. The partnership began to crumble when Volkswagen mentioned in an annual report that -
[extract] The Volkswagen Type 2 bus is one nostalgic vehicle. The sight of it evokes old memories of riding in one, from Singapore to Malacca, many years ago. It was a slow ride through the scenic Malaysian countryside (the north-south highway did not exist yet during that time). I recently found out that the Type 2 bus is still being manufactured new in Brazil and the Netherlands
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It was about only two months ago when Volkswagen introduces the VW Up city car at the Frankfurt Motor Show. At that same event, Volkswagen also showcased several Up concepts and one of them was the Up GT. Initially thought to be just a showcasing formality, but now details of the Up GT have leaked onto the internet and it seems that we might see it released sooner than later. In terms of horsepower, the Up GT might deliver up to 100bhp (something in the range of the Fiat Panda 100HP version) and most probably VW will force-induced the base model
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[extract] Before anyone makes any jokes about how many clowns can fit into a tiny car, this is no circus act. In fact, it is a publicity stunt organised by Volkswagen
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Volkswagen will increase its investment in the coming five years as it sets its sight to overtake General Motors and Toyota as the world's largest auto maker within the next 10 years. Europe's largest car maker aims to sell more than 10 million vehicles by 2018 and achieve a pre-tax profit margin of at least 8 percent, which would equate to a return on investment in their core Automotive Division of over 16 percent. Although VW's supervisory board meets every autumn to decide on the rolling investment plan, this year's 62.4 billion euros plan represents a significant jump compared with the 51.6 billion euro investment over five years targeted last November. "The overall figure sounds spectacularly high, but one has to remember that 4 to 5 percent capital expenditure-to-sales ratios are relatively normal in the industry," said UniCredit analyst Georg Stuerzer, pointing to a figure that has fluctuated between 4.6 and 6.6 percent at VW between 2007 and 2010. According to data from annual reports, VW's capital expenditure at its core Automotive Division amounted to 5.0 percent of sales last year, less than the 6.0 percent rival Daimler invested in its Mercedes-Benz cars division. Volkswagen met a setback in its bid to dominate the industry when Suzuki Motor said that it wanted to end an alliance that would have boosted the German group's small-car presence in India. In addition, VW also called off a merger with financial holding Porsche SE this year because of legal issues and is now examining other options to integrate the holding's 51 percent stake in Porsche sports cars. In its bid to be world
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Volkswagen will debut cylinder deactivation (cylinder shut-off) technology in the new 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged, direct-injection engine beginning in 2012. Volkswagen will be the first carmaker to implement this technology in a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in large-scale production. The primary goal of the system is to reduce significantly fuel consumption by temporarily shutting off two of the four cylinders (cylinders 2 and 3) during low to mid loads, effectively making it similar to the Fiat 500 TwinAir 2 cylinder engine. Volkswagen says that cylinder shut-off reduces fuel consumption of the 1.4 TSI by 0.4 liter per 100 km in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) driving cycle. When the Stop/Start functionality is integrated, which deactivates the engine in neutral gear, the savings effect adds up to about 0.6 liter per 100 km. The greatest benefits of the technology are realized while driving at constant moderate speeds. At 50 km/h, in third or fourth gear, savings amount to nearly one liter per 100 km. Even when running on two cylinders, the 1.4 TSI
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[extract] Recently, the Parliament approved a 26 per cent increase in the Singapore President
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Volkswagen has unveiled the Taxi Concept in London, based on the upcoming Up! / Lupo city car. The Taxi Concept, which has been previewed as the Milan Taxi Concept in Germany, is the brainchild of Klaus Bischoff, who heads the design team at Volkswagen. He was present at Central London at the unveiling of the concept taxicab. Powering the Volkswagen Taxi Concept is an all-electric set-up that features 113 bhp electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack with a 45 kW/h capacity. Charging the batteries to 80 percent takes about an hour. A completely charged Taxi Concept is able to clock 300km (an optimistic estimate) and reach a top speed of 119km/h. It measures 3,730 mm long, 1,680 mm wide and 1,600 mm tall. The Taxi concept sports the City of London's coat of arms on each of the front doors and an image of the Union Jack on the roof. With Singapore
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German automaker Volkswagen AG has extended CEO Martin Winterkorn's contract for another five years. Winterkorn's current contract is to be ended on December 31st, 2011 but it is now extended until the end of 2016. The fact that the announcement has been made so early signals a vote of confidence in Winterkorn's leadership of the VW Group. Winterkorn, 63, is tasked with executing Volkswagen's strategic plan to become the world's top automaker in volume sales by 2018, and knocking off Toyota from it
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-2011 Jetta - Volkswagen Group (VW) has finally signed an agreement with a Malaysian company to manufacture its cars in Malaysia. The partnership with DRB-HICOM (DRB) will be a joint venture agreement with DRB holding a 70% stake in the venture while VW the remaining 30% and the total investment of this would be around RM1 billion. It will enable VW to manufacture cars in Malaysia as well as throughout South East Asia. What will happen firstly is that the local assembly of the 2011 VW Passat and 2011 VW Jetta models will start rolling out of DRB
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Volkswagen motor racing representative Hans-Joachim Stuck has applauded F1's radical engine formula for 2013. The German car giant and its subsidiary Porsche have been linked with a possible F1 foray in the near future if the sport moves away from its current V8 engine formula. Recently in Monaco, the FIA green-lighted a new efficient formula for 2013 featuring small energy-efficient turbo engines. "The conditions for a possible entrance of the Volkswagen group have been created," hailed Stuck. He is also quoted by rp-online.de: "We have not decided anything, but we very much welcome the FIA's decision." In addition, Stuck reportedly told Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "The engine rules are a good starting point for Volkswagen in formula one." Mercedes' motor racing boss Norbert Haug said the new rules will slash engine budgets by "at least a quarter". The existing 1.4 Twincharger is already generating 180 bhp in certain applications. How about a 1.6L Twincharger producing well above 200 bhp for F1 ?!
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Volkswagen is raising the benchmark for fuel economy in the UK with the introduction of the new Scirocco and Passat CC diesel range that benefit from the firm's BlueMotion Technology. All entry-level and GT trim Scirocco models fitted with the 2.0-litre diesel engine now feature BlueMotion Technology modifications which include Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems, thus helping to create the cleanest and most fuel efficient Scirocco to date. When combined with the DSG transmission, fuel economy for the diesel powered 140 HP Scirocco 2.0 TDI is improved from 51.4 mpg to 57.6 mpg UK on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions drop down from 145 g/km to 129 g/km. In GT trim, fuel economy for the 170HP 2.0 TDI Scicocco improved from 50.4 mpg to 51.4 mpg UK while CO2 emissions is reduced from 147 g/km to 144 g/km. The Passat CC line-up also sees BlueMotion Technology with regenerative braking and Start/Stop systems installed in existing diesel versions. The updates helped the 2.0-litre TDI 140HP Passat CC to achieve a combined 60.1 mpg UK (up from 50.4), while CO2 emissions are reduced to 125 g/km, down from 146 g/km. The more powerful 170HP version of the 2.0-litre diesel engine also boast improved figures with fuel economy hitting 51.4 mpg for the DSG equipped model and emissions down to 144 g/km.
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During the European press launch of the new 2011 Jetta, the media got a taste of the Jetta R with a special prototype fitted with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, six-speed DSG transmission and Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive system. As you can see in the pictures, the V6 prototype's body has not been altered yet. Only the bigger wheels and four-tail pipes at the back signal that this is not your normal Jetta. Should it make it to production, you can rest assured that the R division will dress-up the Jetta with a body kit, racing seats, sportier steering wheels and pedals. The Jetta R should fit snugly in the R line-up, alongside with the Golf and Scirocco R models and the also rumored Polo R. Its future depends on customer feedback: "If there are customers asking for it, we will do it. It wouldn't be a problem for us. The Jetta's platform can take four-wheel drive" VW R&D chief, Ulrich Hackenberg, told Autocar magazine. The European Jetta has received many upgrades over its American counterpart. These include the use of higher quality and softer materials on the control panel with a more sophisticated four-link suspension system at the back instead of the U.S.-spec model's simple, beam axle setup. The base Jetta in Germany, which is powered by a 105HP 1.2-liter TSI petrol, starts at
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Volkswagen has introduced the European edition of the new Jetta model. "Never before has a Jetta had this much sports appeal, this much fuel efficiency or this large a size," Volkswagen says in the press release. Personally, I don
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Fiat CEO, Segio Marchionne, has put the rumor of VW buying over Alfa Romeo to rest for now. Alfa will officially stay under its Italian parent's wing at the moment as Marchionne attempts to revive the ever-struggling Italian luxury automaker. It is estimated that Fiat loses over $400 Million a year because of the upscale brand. Marchionne says Alfa will have to move 300,000 units annually to be profitable. For the record, Alfa is on pace for ~105,000 units this year, and Marchionne wants to hit 500,000 units by 2014 with the help of new models and entry into the US market around 2012. If plans to enter the US market do materialize, America should get some cars that will compete with BMW. That means in addition to the entry-level Giulietta, US should get the mid-size Giulia luxury car to take on the 3-Series, a larger 169 based on Chrysler's RWD platform, and possibly a small soft-roader to compete with the X1 and X3. Before any of the above happens, its shareholders will soon have to make a very important decision of investing $2 billion to pull Alfa Romeo back from the brink or ditch it and regroup.
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Four years after it hit the market, Volkswagen is giving the Eos coupe-cabriolet its first cosmetic makeover. The facelifted model, which will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November, goes on sale in January 2011. The exterior restyling brings the Eos in line with VW's latest models such as the new Touareg, Passat B7 and Jetta. At the front, there's a new upper grille which is now completely separated from the lower. The headlamps now incorporate the horse-shoe shaped LED running lights. The bumper has been re-designed and the side mirrors look more chiseled. Moving to the rear, the revised bumper now house a diffuser and the new rectangular tail lamps incorporate LED techbology. Inside the cabin, the changes are limited to some fresh colors, new controls for the air conditioning system and additional features such as the keyless locking and starting system, a new multi-function color display and remote control for the retractable hardtop. Under the hood, the only change is the incorporation of start-stop system and regenerative braking for the 140hp 2.0 litre TDI engine that helps to improve fuel consumption by 0.7 litre / 100km. More details on the 2011 VW Eos will be released at the car's LA Sow premiere in November.
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This is Volkswagen's facelifted Caddy compact van that enters the 2011 model year with six new TDI diesel and TSI petrol engines. The exterior facelift includes a completely redesigned front end that draws inspiration from the latest Volkswagen models and re-trimmed tail lamps at the back. Inside, there's a new steering wheel design, a revised instrument cluster and higher-grade materials. For the first time, the second row of seats can be completely removed on all models. This allows for a maximum cargo capacity of 3,030 liters on the 5-seater Caddy, up to 3,880 liters on the Caddy Maxi. On the safety aspect, a new Electronic Stability Program and daytime running lights will be standard across the range. Those opting for a diesel have a choice of four engines with 75HP, 102HP, 110HP or 140HP. The 102HP and 140HP TDIs can be hooked up to an optional DSG dual clutch transmission, while the 110HP TDI is exclusively available as a 4MOTION model with four-wheel drive. On the petrol front, the redesigned Caddy's lineup includes a new range of 1.2-liter TSI four-cylinder turbo engine with 86HP or 105HP. The most powerful version returns a combined fuel economy of 6.6lt/100km.
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For the second consecutive year, the Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger engine has been declared the overall winner at the International Engine of the Year Awards. The 72 member panel was impressed that the engine produces almost 180 bhp (134 kW / 183 PS), despite its small capacity, thanks to the intelligent use of both a turbocharger and a supercharger. According to IEOTYA co-chairman Dean Slavnich, "That VW's clever 1.4-liter Twincharger is still proclaimed by the judges as the best engine on sale in the world today demonstrates the class of this highly refined trend setter." The Fiat 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo (from the Alfa Romeo MiTo / Giulietta) won the title of
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It appears that Volkswagen wants to dump its premium pricing strategy in order to compete with Japanese competitors in the compact and mid-sized sedan segments in the US. The first step begins with the redesigned 2011 Jetta sedan which will go on sale in October. The new Jetta pricing will start from USD $16,000, down from USD$18,435 for the current Jetta. In addition, the entry-level version is offered with stability control and air conditioning. Regarding the competition, the entry-level 2010 Toyota Corolla starts at USD $16,200 while the base 2010 Honda Civic is offered for $16,405. The Jetta will be the most affordable car from Volkswagen in the United States, slotted below the Golf which starts at USD $18,370. Apparently, the Jetta price was lowered because it is Volkswagen
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[extract] Volkswagen's master plan is all about numbers, being the biggest and baddest automaker out there. That's why it isn't any surprise to hear that Volkswagen might be bringing Italdesign Giugiaro under its wing, with the goal of becoming the World
