Volkswagen
Volkswagen Reconfirms Amarok Not Planned for North America
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Despite reports to the contrary, Volkswagen continues to insist that the Amarok pickup truck will not see duty in the U.S. In a recent interview with Gilberto dos Santos, VW Brasil’s PR boss, InsideLine states that there is no plan to bring the German pickup to North America. “Volkswagen is not planning currently to market…
Report: Volkswagen Mulling Touraeg R Hybrid
Volkswagen is apparently investigating the use of hybrid technology for the hottest version of the next-generation Touraeg, for a combined output of 500 horsepower. The proposed powertrain would mate a 500 horsepower V8 with a 47 horsepower electric motor. While this would bring a serious challenge to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW X5M, the…
Volkswagen Race Touraeg 3 Revealed, Will Take Part In 2011 Dakar Rally
The Dakar rally doesn’t get a lot of love in North America, but some of the machinery used in it is extremely badass, and the Volkswagen Race Touraeg 3 is no exception. Looking like a Touraeg’s homicidal cousin, the Race Touraeg 3 is build for racing on sand dunes and features the appropriate jacked-up bodywork,…
Volkswagen Announces Winner of App My Ride Contest
Dude, that app is so cool! It’s so cool that it won Volkswagen’s “App My Ride” contest. Taking the top spot of this contest was “DUDE,” a talking car pal that communicates with the driver to get them to their destination in the funnest way possible. Beating out 100 other applicants, DUDE was chosen as…
Alfa Romeos To Be Sold In North America In 2012, No Sale To VW Planned
FIAT CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters at a Chrysler event in Ohio that Alfa Romeo cars would be sold in the United States in joint Alfa/Fiat dealerships starting in 2012. The official statement pretty much puts to rest any rumors of a sale of the Alfa Romeo brand to Volkswagen, something was was reported by…
Volkswagen Looking To Buy Alfa Romeo
Volkswagen looks to be following a brand strategy similar to Pokemon; “gotta catch ’em all”. The company is aiming to increase its stable to 12 brands, and one of those under consideration is apparently Alfa Romeo. While Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne denied reports that Alfa is for sale, the Italian sports car maker is considered…
Mcchip-DKR Tunes Volkswagen Golf R To 315-hp
Yes, we are in love with Volkswagen‘s Golf R and every time we see yet another tuner releasing upgrades for it we curse the fact that it isn’t offered here. Mcchipp-DKR is the newest of our interests, with a simple ECU tune that boosts the stock figures of 270-hp and 256 ft-lbs of torque to…
VW Phaeton Confirmed for Return to North America, As Early as 2013
The next-generation Volkswagen Phaeton will be offered in North America says VW product planning boss Juergen Borrmann. The first generation version of the flagship luxury sedan originally went on sale in the U.S. in 2002, but was dropped in 2006 after dismal sales results. Originally targeted at 20,000 units globally, last year VW moved just…
Volkswagen Releases CrossTouran
Volkswagen released the CrossTouran, a pseudo-offroad version of their Touran microvan, for world markets. The CrossTouran joins the CrossPolo and CrossFox in yet another variant for people who want a car just a bit higher off the ground than Volkswagen usually produces. With a raised suspension, special wheels and a new bodykit, the CrossTouran gets…
Volkswagen Looking To Add Small Vehicle To New U.S. Production Plans
Volkswagen is looking at producing a small car (similar to the Polo pictured above) at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant alongside the upcoming New Midsize Sedan, set to replace the Passat when it debuts in 2011. The Chattanooga facility could also host a new engine plant as well. The new U.S. plant is a vital factor…
Wall Street Journal Columnist: GM Should Watch Out For VW, UAW As Obstacles To Prosperity
A column in today’s Wall Street Journal was hidden behind the “subscribers only” section to the detriment of many industry watchers, as the Journal’s Holman Jenkins outlined what he sees as GM’s biggest threats to becoming successful again; a resurgent Volkswagen, and a UAW that Jenkins feels is representing interests that run counter to the workers and…
New Lancia Stratos Spotted; Is This Abarth’s KTM-Based Sports Car?
The rumored Abarth sports car, based on KTM’s X-Bow trackday car could end up taking a very different form by reviving the legendary Lancia Stratos nameplate. On the same day that rumors of a KTM-based Abarth surfaced, spy photos of a new car that looks nearly identical to the Stratos appeared on various blogs, showing…
Volkswagen Amarok Reportedly Headed to North America
Volkswagen will launch its Amarok pickup truck in North America as the brand searches out new ways to expand its product offering on this side of the Atlantic. According to a report by Car & Driver the Amarok will eventually wind-up on our shores, although it’s not expected to make the jump any time soon….
Volkswagen to Increase Share of Suzuki by 10%; Takeover in the Works?
Volkswagen is looking to expand its 19.9% stake in Japanese automaker Suzuki by an additional 10 percent reports Automobile Magazine. The reasons for the larger share aren’t entirely clear, with possible reasons being increasingly shared products between the two automakers. We’ve already heard that Volkswagen intends to rebadge Suzuki models as VWs in some emerging…
2011 Volkswagen Jetta From Every Angle: New Photos Released
Volkswagen‘s all-new 2011 Jetta, the cornerstone of their plot to dominate the world U.S. market, just had the first round of media drives yesterday, and a new batch of photos has been released to coincide with that event. The new Jetta looks a lot like an Audi A4, which is no surprise considering it was…
VW’s Martin Winterkorn Plans To Triple U.S. Market Share By 2018 With New Jetta, EVs
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn is launching an ambitious plan to triple market share in the U.S. by 2018, with an electric vehicle and an all-new range of products designed with the U.S. market in mind at the forefront. An electric car based on the Golf or the new Up city cars will by sold by…
VW’s U.S. Sales Goals in Jeopardy After Jacoby’s Departure
Volkswagen‘s plan to triple its U.S. sales by 2018 and return to profitability after 8 consecutive years of losses may need to be revised suggests a new report by Automotive News. VW’s already lofty goals may now have become further out of reach with the recent news that the head of U.S. operations, Stefan Jacoby,…
JE Design Puts Volkswagen Golf R Power Into GTI
OK we just wanted another excuse to mention Volkswagen‘s Golf R in a post. And even though this isn’t even a Golf R, it packs the same punch under the hood. JE Design has come up with a nice little package for the Volkswagen Golf GTI to up the horsepower to 270-hp while adding its…
Volkswagen to Revive Lupo Badge for Production Model of Up! Concept
Over the past few years, Volkswagen has unveiled numerous Up! concepts, showcasing the brand’s capabilities when it comes to interior space, electric vehicle engineering, hybrid technology and even light-weight. Set to go on sale in 2012, the Up! Concept will revive the Lupo name, which ceased production in 2005 as the entry level model in…
Volkswagen Recalls Routan For Wiring Defect
Volkswagen is recalling its Routan minivan for a wiring defect that could lead to a short circuit and a possible fire. According to the company, the wiring harness was improperly routed, leading to the possibility of the harness insulation being worn down by repeated contact with the sliding door mechanism. Volkswagen will fix the problem…
Tuner Transforms MK5 VW Jetta SportWagen into MK6 Jetta SportWagen R
So what exactly do you do when a manufacturer doesn’t sell what you want? You build it of course. Front end conversions are nothing new to report, some are done right and some… not so much. But this one we’re huge fans of, especially since it’s on a platform that wouldn’t be the first thing…
Reports: VW Has Hyundai In Its Sights
The Truth About Cars is reporting that Volkswagen executives are turning their attention towards Korean auto giant Hyundai, after comments made to the press by two Volkswagen managers came to their attention. According to a translation by TTAC’s Bertel Schmitt, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn spoke admirably about Hyundai in a German magazine, stating “I have…
Hyundai Kia Boss Named Asia’s Best Automotive CEO
Back in 2000 Hyundai Kia CEO Chung Mong-koo refused a request by the company’s chairman, and his own father, to step down from the top post of the Korean automaker. Today, Mong-koo is getting the respect he rightly deserves, after being named Asia’s top automotive business leader by Automotive News. The industry publication sited Hyundai’s…
Volkswagen Jetta Coupe Confirmed in Patent Filings
Leaked Volkswagen patent filings have turned up a new model from the German automaker that was already assumed to be headed to production: the Jetta Coupe. Technically known as the New Compact Coupe, there’s no denying the resemblance to the newly released 2011 Jetta sedan and the New Compact Coupe that debuted earlier this year…
