Two years ago at the Frankfurt auto show, Volkswagen unveiled the Up!, a prototype for a minicar targeting global markets. It came as a surprise that the Up! was designed with the engine in the back, a layout that was deemed space-efficient and perfectly suited for strict pedestrian-protection regulation. A Space Up! and a hydrogen-powered Space Up! Blue concept followed to show the possibilities of the platform.

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The high-performance ‘R’ version of the Scirocco that was previewed as a concept study at last year’s Bologna Motor Show has finally been revealed in production form. The new Scirocco R is powered by a reworked version of the previous Golf GTI V’s 2.0-liter engine boasting a higher pressure turbocharger as well as other modifications such as new intercooler that help boost output to 265HP and 350Nm or 258.2-lbs/ft of torque. The reason why VW chose the older generation ‘EA113′ four-pot over the Golf GTI VI’s newer 2.0 TSI codenamed ‘EA888′ is said to concern the lower development costs.

Expect to see the same direct-injection four-pot replacing the previous Golf R32′s 250HP 3.2-liter V6 in the still under-development, Golf R sport hatch or as it may be called, R20. Not surprisingly, the 265HP 2.0 TSI is mated to a standard six-speed manual gearbox and optionally, to a twin-clutch DSG semi-automatic transmission.

Marking a departure from the other ‘R’ models, the hot Scirocco is not equipped with an all-wheel drive system as VW preferred to retain the coupe’s front wheel drive layout. This solution helps keep the weight down to around 1,330 kg or 2,932 lbs.

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The wait for the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI is over as the German market launch of the hot hatch will begin in a few days with the rest of Europe following just after Easter at the end of April. North America and Asia will follow in late summer. As you can see in our mega gallery after the jump, nothing has changed compared to the 2008 Paris Show’s so-called concept Golf GTI. The new model is powered by a new 2.0-liter TSI engine producing 210-horsepower at 5,300 – 6,200 rpm and 280Nm of torque between 1,700 and 5,200 rpm.

2010 VW Golf GTI VI Even though its performance and displacement data might suggest that VW revised the GTI V’s 200HP engine, according to the German firm, this 2.0 TSI is actually a new powerplant of the “EA888″ generation of engines whose technical origins were in the 230-PS version.
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It’s not sold here, but globally, the subcompact Volkswagen Polo is one of the most important models for the German brand. Here at the 2009 Geneva auto show, VW is unveiling an entirely new generation. It’s the fifth new Polo since 1975, when the car was first launched as a stripped version of the radically modern Audi 50, whose sales it completely cannibalized within a few years.

Mature, Handsome Styling

Styled with crisp, bold lines, the new Polo offers a fresh and very welcome interpretation of a subcompact car. Its styling is deliberately not of the cutesy, happy-face school that dominates the segment, an aesthetic that can be acutely embarrassing to some who move down-market from more “grown-up” vehicles. Instead, the Polo resembles the acclaimed, one-size-up sixth-gen Golf. Since the new Polo didn’t use a carryover platform, the design team had even more freedom to express Volkswagen’s new styling direction.

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Volkswagen’s Concept BlueSport should go a long way towards making the term “diesel performance” a household name. While it might seem to be an oxymoron to some, seeing it at the Detroit Auto Show, we can tell you that if it reaches production, everyone will be a believer. While officially just a concept for now (and the interior is a dead giveaway this isn’t production-ready), the two-door roadster sports a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four mounted amidships. It puts out 180 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque and pushes just 2,600 pounds via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Expect a 0-60 of 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 140, all while returning about 35 mpg on the European cycle and upwards of 62 mpg in “Eco” mode.

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