In Nomvember 2009 VW will play its ace with the sixth series of the Golf: a difficult task for the small-medium car which will have to make its way on the knife edge passage from one generation to the next. It should be a callling back to the fourth series, implicitly admitting the scarse appeal of the current range.

There will be a number of departures from the style of the fifth Golf: chrome plating will disappear and the next version will have a more subtle grill with only the brand’s logo in view. The measurements will be slightly larger, reaching 423 cm, only three more than the current model. In terms of occupancy the situation will remain more or less the same.

Auto, Motor und Sport reports that the focus will be more “driver-oriented” with notable steps forward in reducing weight and emissions thanks to a new diesel-hybrid engine. Another word from up high was “downsizing” the motors, a move that will involve all manufacturers in the coming years: the Golf will have both aspiration petrol and turbo engines from 80 to 200 hp, while for the diesel a common rail with a first in a 1.6 litre which will be offered with the 2.0 TDI.

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Volkswagon has released the German pricing of the new Passat Coupè, presented at the world Detroit Show last January. Sales will start in June, but it’s already possible to order it, starting from 30,300 euro.

With this figure it’s possible to buy the base version, equipped with 1.8 TSI at 160 bhp, which enables a maximum speed of 222km/hr. For the driver preferring a diesel engine, the 2.0 TDI 140 bhp starts from 30,775 euro.

The top of the range, equipped with a 3.6 V6 FSI of 300 bhp can be bought for a starting price of 40,800 euro. Go to the following PDF (in German) for the official release from the German company.

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The new Volkswagen Lavida will start production between June and July, the new Berlin proposal created by Wolfsburg for the Chinese market.

The car distinguishes itself through more advanced mechanics, not only in comparison to the products usually dedicated by Western countries to emerging markets, but also in absolute terms. For the engines it appears as if the modern 1.4 TSI engine (assembled in China) will be used, even if it’s more likely that the 1.6l or 1.8 turbo will be employed in the next generation.

Even the platform - PQ 34 - will be shared with other illustriuous european parents such as the VW Golf, new Beetle, Jetta, Audi A4, TT, Seat Leon and the Skoda Octavia. It is foreseen that the “mini-Phaeton” (nickname coined by the Chinese press) will sell 8000 cars in the second half of 2008. The figure is still modest but it’s the prelude for a strong expansion.

Via | ChinaCarTimes

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Blunt denial from Stockholm regarding recent rumors that had Porsche nearing 75% control in Volkswagon. In a press release distributed in the course of the afternoon the company has underlined that it would be an understatement to say that the purported operation would be difficult to realize: speculation of the last few days would not take into account the “composition of VW’s shareholders”.

From the moment in which Land of Lower Saxony - second VAG shareholder - holds more than 20% of the package, the probability of acquiring almost all the rest of the quota becomes highly unlikely.

Where do these rumors appearing in all the automobile and global press come from then? Simple, at least according to Porsche: the responsibility is all the fault of analysts and investors. Truth or bluff?

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Five more images of the new Volkswagen Scirocco have leaked before the official presentation, including a couple of photos of the interior.

As you can expect, the cockpit is very similar to the Golf’s. The sporty seats are pretty nice and appear to be new (and probably optional…).

For now we only know that there will be 4 engines available, both TSI (turbocharged petrol) and TDI (turbocharged diesel), starting from the 1.4 TSI (122 ps) up to the 2.0 TSI (200 ps, in the photos).

More information will be available after the official presentation, which will happen in a pre-show event in Geneva on march 3rd.

Continue reading: Volkswagen Scirocco 2009 - 5 more images

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Some images of the new Volkswagen Scirocco have surfaced today in Internet forums. The general proportions appear little changed from the Iroc concept, while the front has changed significantly: a thin radiator grille, not chromed and completely different from current VW grilles, with a wide air intake under the front bumber (see the detail in the enlarged first image of the gallery).

The new Scirocco seems a nice and sleek little coupè, but the white paint can’t help but underline the similarities with the Golf, with which it shares the mechanical underpinnings.

Via | Autoblog.com

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The new Volkswagen Scirocco will debut next week in Geneva 34 years after the first generation Scirocco. The new coupè, based on the Golf platform, will be quite a bit bigger than the original, with space inside for 4 adults.

Initially the engine range will include four TDI and TSI engines ranging from 122 ps (presumably the 1.4 TSI) to 200 ps (probably the 2.0 TSI). The Scirocco will also include new technologies such as an adaptive chassis control system.

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Volkswagen has opened an official mini-site for the new Scirocco. This should mean that the small coupè, based on the Golf platform, will be officialy presented at the Geneva auto show.

The mini-site only shows us some teasers on the new Scirocco: an alloy rim with a new design, a curved glass surface, the headlights and the 2.0 TSI logo, which means a 2.0 litre turbo-charged engine with direct gasoline injection, the probably the same unit seen on the Tiguan, which will be flanked by other TSI and TDI units. More details should come out in the next few weeks. Sales will probably start in the second half of 2008.

Continue reading: VW Scirocco 2008 mini-site

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Today, the 15 millionth Passat produced throughout the world rolled off the assembly line at Volkswagen’s Emden plant. Official DKMS ambassador Sybille Beckenbauer accepted the vehicle as a donation from Prof. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Pavel Vacek, plant manager at Emden and Peter Jacobs, Chairman of the Works Council of Emden plant. The car is a Passat Variant BlueMotion 1.9 TDI 105 HP in arctic blue silver metallic.

The Passat is one of the most successful models in Volkswagen history and also one of the most popular mid-size models in Europe. Heizmann stated: “Fifteen million Passats produced in 34 years are a fantastic result which everyone at Emden can take pride in together with all the other members of the Passat family at plants throughout the world”.

Plant manager Pavel Vacek added: “This round figure has a very special significance for our plant. Of the 15 million Passats produced in total, 5.9 million were made in Emden. This indicates the strategic importance of the model as a symbol for Emden plant and the whole region.” On the presentation of the vehicle in Emden, Sybille Beckenbauer stressed the importance of the charitable work of the German Bone Marrow Donor Center: The Passat donated to the organization will be employed in the large number of campaigns organized by the DKMS.

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Martin Winterkorn has only one aim: he wants Volkswagen to be one of the top selling carmakers worldwide. And every single model is important to achieve this ambitious target.

The Volkswagen New Beetle is nowadays a secondary model in the Volkswagen range so it will be replaced by an all-new car in 2012 in order to boost sales.

The 2012 New Beetle, as anticipated in this rendering from Auto Motor und Sport, will feature a new look, closely inspired by the previous model. The most notable differences are in the front air intake, that is now similar to the one on the Volkswagen Up! concept, and in the new LED front lamps.

The most important innovations, however, will be under the hood: the next-gen New Beetle, that will be built on the Golf VI platform and will feature the newest FSI, TSI and TDI engines made in Wolfsburg, giving a much needed breath of fresh air to the technical specs of the old model. We can also expect to see the excellent DSG dual-clutch gearbox on the 2012 New Beetle.

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