The recently restyled Volkswagen Tiguan will soon be available with the R-Line aesthetic package (for its Sport&Style version only). The R-Line treatment is actually made of two kits, one for the exterior and one for the interior of the car, which can be bought separately.

On the outside, the most distinctive elements are the R-Design bumpers - featuring matt chrome inserts - Sterling Silver painted 19″ Mallory alloys and the little diffuser that can be spotted right below the rear bumper. Inside the car the R-Line package consist of front sport seats, a multifunctional leather steering wheel and aluminum pedal caps.

The kit for the exterior will be on sale at 2460 € and will be available in the following five colors: Candy White, Reflex Silver Metallic, Deep Black Pearl Effect, Night Blue Metallic e Pepper Grey Metallic. The R-Line kit for the interior will cost 840 €, unless you want the optional Vienna leather seats, but that would cost you a further 2120 €.

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Skoda Yeti’s success is persuading the top management of the Cech brand to broaden their offer in the SUV segment. According to Auto Bild, it is confirmed that two more models will enter the market by the end of 2016: a 4.3 meters long model will replace the Yeti while an older sister measuring 4.6 meters in length - based on VW Tiguan - will also join the fold, and will probably be able to accommodate up to 7 people in its cabin. Rumor has it that both cars will be heavily inspired by the design of the Mission L Concept - recently showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show - and that their front end will become a signature feature for most future Skoda cars.

This new policy toward the SUV market alongside the introduction of brand new versions of both Fabia and Octavia models should allow the Cech brand to achieve the 500,000 units sold target in 2018, as estimated by the VAG Group’s global strategy plan. Skoda is actually expanding its customer base by entering new segments of the market with such models as the Up!-derived Citigo and a new MPV based on VW Sharan. Also a saloon car called Rapid is recently entered into production in India, but it is destined to extra-European markets only.

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Volkswagen has some work to do for its brand on the US car market and in plans to expand beyond the Passat, Jetta and Beetle models, reports have emerged that it might expand its production and build the Volkswagen Tiguan on US soil. That’s one model that makes a lot of sense for us.

The new Volkswagen Chattanooga plant in Tennesse will build the Volkswagen Passat US model, and could make room for the Tiguan as well. More local US production of VW models is required to achieve the ambitious target of one million unit sales of Audis and VWs in the US.

The Volkswagen Tiguan could get to production either in Tennessee or at the Pueblo plant in Mexico where the Jetta and Beetle are assembled. If US Tiguan production starts, it could go ahead in 2013. It’s no secret that the Tiguan is a popular SUV around the world and the US could benefit from local production of both the restyled and the future next-generation model, too.

Source | Wirtschafts Woche via WorldCarFans

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Do we detect some “me-tooism” across the Volkswagen brands? While we liked the Seat IBX Concept when it was revealed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, we wonder if VW isn’t stacking its models a little, with plans to produce the IBX based on the new Audi Q3. The savings with such a project are obvious - both models would be produced at the Martorell plant meaning production line economics can be maximised, and the IBX would be the second new model born from the Volkswagen Tiguan.

What we loved about the Seat IBX might be the very thing that disappears in a production version - its edgy design. The Audi Q3 comes across as just another Audi, but this three-door coupé-crossover could be just what Seat needs to distinguish its crossover from the rest. Audi can afford this, because it’s an upmarket brand; Seat can’t really allow itself to produce an anonymous crossover, though.

If VW goes conservative on the design though, the IBX will join the growing ranks of crossover models with nothing to set it apart. We could see this project working if Seat keeps the IBX a little different and markets it at lower price, in which case it could also find a future for itself on the Chinese car market as well, for example.

Continue reading: Analysis: Seat IBX to production and the design challenge

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The new Volkswagen Tiguan restyling didn’t do much to what is already a winner for the company, and in this video we get to see both the Tiguan’s urban and offroad capabilities. From the video we gather this is a highly-specced vehicle with stuff like Lane and Park Assist technology. The restyled Tiguan gets a new front look and more technology with a new XDS electronic differential. A BlueMotion model is available with start&stop and on offer is either a dual-clutch DSG gearbox or manual transmission.

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The Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet and the Tiguan restyling might not be the wow factor you’re looking for live at the Geneva Motor Show, but the two models are symptomatic of Volkswagen’s approach to things: steady, quality design and nothing radical on the popular models. Volkswagen was keen to underline the importance of the Golf Cabriolet in its model range, and it is keeping the traditional fabric roof, and giving up on the central roll bar.

The model is pretty much a standard drop-top Golf apart from the more slanted windshield compared to the three- and five-door models. The roof can be opened in just 9.5 seconds and the mechanism works up to 30 km/hr. The diesel and petrol engine range goes from 105 to 210 hp and we’ll also see BlueMotion and DSG dual-clutch transmission. For the type of vehicle it is, the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet will never be as popular as its hard-top counterpart, but we expect to see a number of these cruising around Europe in summer.

The Volkswagen Tiguan restyling is extremely minimal, with the company backing a winner which has sold 572,000 models. The front end gets a slight redesign to bring it under the “family feeling” image currently pursued by Volkswagen. The engine range has been modified to reduce fuel consumption across the line by an average of 0.7 l/100 km. The petrol options available range from 122 to 210 hp, the diesels from 110 to 170.

Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet and Tiguan restyling live at 2011 Geneva motor show

Continue reading: Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet and Tiguan restyling live at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

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The new Volkswagen Tiguan facelift will be going on show at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, but its already available to order in Germany where the new Tiguan costs about 24,175 euros. That price refers to the 1.4 TSI engine model with 122 hp in the Trend&Fun package. In the rest of Europe, the Tiguan will go on sale from August.

After selling more than 570,000 units internationally, the 2011 Tiguan facelift will be offered in the Track&Style and Sport&Style kits with an extensive range of engines. Four petrol powertrains are on offer: from the 1.4 TSI mentioned above to the top-of-the-range 2.0 TSI with 210 hp. Three diesel engines are being offered, with power ranging from 110 to 170 hp, and gearboxes on all models are a choice of either manual or the seven-speed DSG transmission.

The new Tiguan is sold with updated technological solutions: Light Assist, Dynamic Light Assist, Lane Assist and new XDS electronic differential. A Volkswagen BlueMotion Tiguan is also available with start&stop as standard, and there are choices of either front-wheel drive or 4Motion all-wheel drive. While that’s not all the information, and not all of it exciting, we expect that Volkswagen’s highly popular compact SUV will continue its healthy sales - and you don’t change a winner like this in a hurry.

Continue reading: New Volkswagen Tiguan facelift more pics

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After the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan was leaked late last week, the company has released these
new Tiguan pics and announced that it is already available for order in Europe. The official 2012 Tiguan unveiling will happen at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but in the meantime customers can already order the popular SUV.

Entry level Tiguan pricing in Germany starts at 24,175 euros for the 1.4-litre TSI version with 122 hp (that price refers to the “Trend & Fun” package). There’s no other information available at this stage as to other engine options or specs but Volkswagen is reassuring customers that it’s new Tiguan will be true to the previous one, so we’re not expecting anything revolutionary.

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The Skoda Yeti will get a bigger version alongside it in the SUV range in a ‘maxi’ version with seven seats. It could be called the Skoda Bigfoot although we’re hoping that this name changes. The bigger Skoda model would be based on the longer Volkswagen Tiguan model and would represent the biggest car not only in the Skoda line-up, but also in the VAG group. It would fill the gap left by the absence of the Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra.

The Skoda Bigfoot would be about 465 cm long and would compete with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mitsubishi Outlander, Citroen C-Crossover, Peugeot 4007 and Volvo XC60. That’s a crowded segment so hopefully the Skoda will do something to distinguish itself from the others. The Skoda Bigfoot would be available in Europe, but would also possibly arrive in Russia, China and India.

The Bigfoot engine range would include the 1.4 TSI with 150 hp, the 2.0 TSI with 211 hp and the new 2.0 TDI twin turbo with 204 hp. A 4×4 version would also be available, along with a dual-clutch DSG gearbox. The Skoda Bigfoot should be released sometime in 2013 at a competitive price.

Source | AutoInternationaal

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Here is the first rendering of the Volkswagen Rocktan: a brand new crossover in the works that could be based on the Suzuki SX4. The Rocktan will be the first Volkswagen-Suzuki joint project where Volkswagen will take up where Fiat left off with the Sedici - twin to the current SX4.

The Rocktan will be a city SUV and will sit between the CrossPolo and the Tiguan in the Volkswagen range. The model should replace the CrossGolf, which was developed on the base of the Golf Plus, and should compete with Japanese rivals, the Toyota Urban Cruiser and the Nissan Juke. It will also most likely be a low-cost model, with a price somewhere below the 20,000-euro mark.

The Rocktan engine range will have the 1.4-litre TSI fuel engine, and most probably the 1.6 and 2.0 TDI units. Currently, no news is available as to when the Rocktan might be presented, especially as no official green light for production has yet been given. If that does occur, however, the vehicle will be produced at Hungarian facilities in Esztergom.

Source | AutoInternationaal

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Drive magazine has taken a look at some of the best vehicles for the snow, but which have enough city and off-road features to keep people happy, and looking good in both urban and and off-road settings.

Some of the usual “lifestyle” vehicles and faux off-road models such as the Audi Q5, Renault Koleos, Land Rover Freelander or Volvo XC60 may suit for snow and ice driving condictions. Audi and Volvo often come across with some of the best AWD options, having sedans, hatchbacks, wagons and offroads throughout the range which can give you all the four wheel effect you want.

But which are the cars that really stand out? There are a few surprises in the list, which includes: the Mazda3 (for its stability control), the Nissan Dualis, Volkswagen Tiguan and the Subaru Liberty/Outback. In fact, given Subaru has all wheel drive across its range, any old one will do. The Audi A6 allroad wagon gets itself on the list, as does the Volvo XC60 and the Lexus RX350.

For full details, see Drive.com.au.

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