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[extract] After trailing the Ford brand by 1,298 units last month, VW has once again become the best-selling automotive brand in the European Union with a total sales of 138,304 units as compared to Ford, which moved 87,721 units. The Golf VI accounts for the majority of VW

The Volkswagen Golf GTI concept called the Golf GTI Excessive has been displayed at the annual Worthersee Show in Austria recently. The Worthersee Show started out as a gathering for Golf enthusiasts has now become an international gathering for Volkswagen and to a certain extent other cars within the Volkswagen-Audi Group. As such, this latest concept GTI follows a Volkswagen tradition of unveiling concept cars at this event. The Excessive is a concept Golf GTI intended to showcase the latest prototype range of accessories for the iconic hot hatch. It showcases a bodykit for aerodynamic and visual 'upgrades' and some mechanical modifications too. The add-ons claim to make the stock GTI into a more focused driver's car. And should they get a favourable response, Volkswagen will incorporate the new items into the latest list of accessories that a Golf GTI owner can buy for his or her car. The Excessive now has a lower front splitter, new look left and right air intakes that protrude further out, a new rear diffuser, titanium exhaust tips and arches. All purportedly make the Golf GTI slightly more aerodynamic than the stock version. Oh, those arches are not filled out very large 19inch BBS rims and tires, which should increase grip over the standard 17inch rims and tires setup. New spring and dampers round the handling package up. The earlier stated titanium exhaust tips aren't just hiding a stock system. The tips are part of a lightened sports exhaust system which somewhat add about 3ps to the 210ps that the stock Golf GTI makes. There are no other engine mods for this concept Golf. There are new sports seats added to this Golf Excessive, and some trimming. But nothing really out of the ordinary when it comes to the interior. Having driven a standard Mark 6 GTI recently I have to say that the modifications done by Volkswagen towards making the Golf GTI into a more focused car seems to be getting the car to handle the power, especially the torque the 2.0turbocharged engine produces. In the standard DSG equipped car the 280Nm of torque it produces does overwhelm the standard 17inch tires causing lots of wheelspin if you simply boot it out of a low speed tight corner or a junction. You have to be feed in the power to be smooth if not the traction control warning light simply flickers away as you brutally stomp on the throttle and power on out through a junction. More so in the wet. It however gives straight line thrills especially when flooring it at the traffic lights. The rest of the stock GTI is a very good piece of kit. It is stable at high speeds and directional changes and makes driving fast feel safe and confident when attacking corners. since as I stated it does overwhelm the front wheels. A front wheel drive with a lot of power does this. It is thrilling but pretty inefficient in laying down the power unless you feed it in gradually as stated above. I think that Volkswagen agrees with this fact as the more powerful and more torquey Golf R is all wheel drive. So, 19 inches rims and tires and the upgraded suspension would make the GTI able to reel in the turbocharged torque even better. It may make the GTI less thrilling with less wheelspin, but its a good thing when you're attacking tight corners than require you to be in the lower gears. These manufacturer upgrade items are the things that I'll be looking for if ever Volkswagen includes it in a package for the GTI. And I'd add that body kit too as the GTI is too subtle for me. Personally that is.

[extract] Volkswagen announced that it will pull the wraps off two new variants of its latest Golf GTI hot hatch at the W

[extract] Volkswagen will participate at this year's edition of the N

For the second time since its introduction in 2003 and four years after the presentation of the revised model in 2006, the Volkswagen Touran 7-seater MPV has been facelifted again. Due to make its world premiere at this month's Auto Mobil International (AMI) motor show, which runs from 10 to 18 April in Leipzig, Germany, the 2011 Touran features a refreshed styling inspired by the new Polo, Golf and Touareg models. At the front, the Touran gets VW's latest corporate grille along with new headlamp and bumper designs. The rear section of the Touran is also restyled, featuring two-piece tail lamps that extend from the wing into the tailgate. Completing the revisions are a set of new alloy wheels and chrome-edged rubbing strips running down the side of the vehicle as well as new exterior mirrors. On the inside, we get to see the familiar three-spoke steering wheel and a new set of dials featuring white backlighting, which are shared with the 2010 Jetta. A revised centre console with chrome highlights houses the new controls for the ventilation system. For the drivetrains, the new entry-level 1.2-liter TSI gasoline unit with 105HP is joined by a 1.4-liter TSI offered in 140HP and 170HP configurations. These engines are mated to the seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox.

Volkswagen proclaimed that millions of couples have made love in a Golf. Now, the words "playing it safe" in the subject title has no relationship to that acitivty inside the Golf. Rather, they refer to the fact that the VW hatchback has been named the safest car of 2009 by Euro NCAP Institute in Brussels. The Volkswagen Golf was tested in all four catergories: Occupant protection of adults, protection of children, pedestrian protection and supporting safety and driver assistance systems. The Volkswagen Golf attained the coveted five star rating with the top score of 103 points, earning the title of

The iconic Volkswagen Beetle will be introduced at the Los Angeles Autoshow in November 2011. The new version, expected to go on sale in May 2011, will continue paying homage to the classic form. It is expected to have a more interesting engine lineup as compared to the current model. For the petrol options, the 1.2L TSI engine seen on the VW Polo, together with the highly-acclaimed 1.4 Twincharged powerplant are expected. A 2.0L engine producting 210 bhp could be seen on the car as well. I believe this is lifted from the hood of the Mark 6 Golf GTI. Autocar says that the vehicle will have a wider stance and longer wheelbase as it will be produced at the same plant, and on the same architecture, as the VW Jetta. The Beetle is expected to get a MacPherson strut front, torsion beam rear suspension, though a multi-link rear is also possible. Beetle's dynamics is expected to improve, with the ride becoming more supple. Look for exterior changes to be inspired by the 2005 Volkswagen Ragster concept. According to a reliable source, the new model is more contoured, with additional structuring and defined feature lines used to help to break up the simple surfacing and unadorned character of the current model. VW Ragster concept

Volkswagen has just taken the wraps off its second-generation Touareg SUV that is slightly longer yet more than 200kg lighter than its predecessor and will be offered right from the beginning with a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain. Set for a Geneva Motor Show debut on March 2 with European sales to follow in April, the new 2011 Touareg shares most of its underpinnings with the forthcoming 2011 Porsche Cayenne. The designers kept the basic shape of the current model and added a new face that's inspired from the firm's latest production and concept models such as the Golf VI, Polo and the NCC study. The new interior is also in line with Volkswagen's latest design DNA featuring several novelties including a pushbutton parking brake, and according to the Germans, the largest panoramic sunroof of all SUVs. The new Touareg is more spacious at the back and the rear bench now has 160mm in longitudinal adjustment with adjustable backrest angle.As an option, the rear seat can be electrically unlatched and folded down at the press of a button in which case, it frees up 1,642 litres of cargo space. Speaking of the interior, I find the combination of chrome and wood inserts rather untasteful and would prefer to have one type of furnishing instead. At launch, the new Touareg will be available with three engines including two turbo diesels and a gasoline-electric hybrid, all of which are offered with a standard 8-speed automatic transmission. The range kicks off with a 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel that churns out 240HP and 405 lb-ft of torque. Next up is the 4.2-liter V8 TDI diesel with 335HP and a massive 590 lb-ft of torque. The highlight of the range is the new hybrid model that's mates a 3.3-liter supercharged V6 TSI producing 330HP and 265 lb-ft of torque with a 46HP electric motor for a combined output of 376HP and 428 lb-ft. The Touareg Hybrid, which can be driven up to 50 km/h in purely electric mode, sprints from zero to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds and returns a combined consumption 8.2lt/100km. More details will be released at the new Touareg's world premiere in Geneva.

At the European driving event for the Volkswagen Golf R, company representatives confirmed that they would be setting up a new performance orientated division, named the R division, to compete with other similar divisions such as the BMW M division and Mercedes's AMG. R GmbH, a limited liability company, will be set up inside the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. In addition to representing the sportiest models in the VW range, it will be an expanded version of the VW Individual programme, which currently offers sporty add-on accessories and styling components under the R-Line brand in Europe. The division will be officially confirmed at the Volkswagen presentation during the Geneva Motor Show in March. The new company will sell the 266-horsepower Volkswagen Golf R, and the similarly-powered Volkswagen Scirocco R. The rumored Jetta R Sport would probably also be sold through the new company. A few months ago, BMW announced a dedicated showroom for its M division offerings in Singapore. This is a concept that Volkswagen Centre Singapore may wish to emulate to further enhance the brand's image locally, following the introduction of the R division.

VW must have read about the grouses at the VAG website from potential Passat CC customers having a tough time making a decision between style and practicality. Up to recent, the Passat CC is strictly a 4 seater. Volkswagen has now added an optional new rear bench for the Passat CC that turns the four-seater model into a five-seater. Available in Europe as an option for

Just as Volkswagen released a revised DSG equipped Jetta 1.6 in Singapore, news of an all new 2011 Jetta has been floating around on the internet. The above video shows the development of VW's next generation bread-and-butter model in Death Valley, California. The camouflaged prototype model seen in the spy video suggests that the new Jetta will boast all-new sheetmetal with a pinch of Audi A4 styling cues in the profile and rear-end. From the video, I observed that the new model has a more muscular side profile as compared to the existing model. Nice!. However, the dashboard of the prototype looks rather conservative. I hope that the dashboard will look better in actual production. Underneath the skin, the German firm's new compact-size sedan will most likely share bits and pieces from the Golf VI. In the States, the 2011 Jetta will be offered with VW's latest 2.0 TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines. In other parts of the world, power for the new Jetta will come from VW's lively yet fuel efficient 1.4-liter TSI four-cylinder petrol with outputs ranging from 122HP to 170HP. I would expect the excellent 7 Speed DSG gearbox to be carried over from the current model as well. Its rumored that VW's Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla challenger could make its auto show debut as early as this month's gathering in Detroit, but this has yet to be confirmed by Volkswagen. Although the current Jetta is set to go into the history book soon, VW still gave it a minor interior upgrade, which sports the Mark 6 Golf's steering wheel and instrumental dials layout. This is truly the spirit of continual improvement.

In Singapore, the current entry-level VW Scirocco is fitted to with the 1.4L Twincharged engine. However, a new entry-level 1.4 TSI (Single Turbo) model could be arriving in the near future as evident in its recent launch in UK. It is the same unit that powers the entry level 122bhp Golf. The European speced entry model benefits from a comprehensive list of standard equipment including a six-CD autochanger with iPod preparation, rain and dusk sensors, a multifunction computer and 17-inch

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] $65,900. That