In the past five years, Volkswagen has had its pants around its ankles. Gas tripled in price, Al Gore invented the environment and the brand once known for frugality didn’t have U.S. products that could compete on fuel economy. Volkswagen’s diesel-powered Jetta and Passat weren’t even legal in VW-friendly California, NY and Massachusetts. After miles of regulatory legwork, VW brought one of its new generation European diesels up to fifty-state compliance. The Jetta 2.0 TDI hits dealers this fall. So is it The One?

The only change is underhood. This means the Jetta TDI looks like a regular Jetta. And that means it looks like a Corolla. Cut to the chase: this generation of VW’s best-selling product will never muster the charisma of the past model with its tidy mini-luxe styling. But it’s certainly no worse than the look of the cheese-wedge Civic or botoxed Focus. Just don’t mention the Mazda3.

The TDI’s interior is fine; it’s nice, it’s well built, it’s a list of mediocre compliments. Next? Read more »

Ever since 2006, when Peugeot, Skoda and Mitsubishi pulled their factory works teams out of the World Rally Championship, the WRC has been desperate to attract another major automaker back to reinvigorate the series. Emerging reports suggest that Volkswagen has been inquiring about joining the championship after the company’s motorsport chief Kris Nissen visited the Finnish rally to meet with series officials and team leaders.

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The Best Golf of All Times

Wolfsburg, 05 August 2008 – Golf’s high levels of value and comfort nullify class distinctions

* New Golf design points the way to Volkswagen’s future
* TDI, TSI and DSG systems improve fuel economy by up to 28 percent
* First Golf with adaptive chassis and automatic distance control

Volkswagen is unveiling its most important automotive secret of the year: the new Golf. The car – Europe’s most successful with more than 26 million sold – was improved in all areas. “This sixth generation of Golf cars will completely redefine the quality and comfort level of its class over broad categories, offering more customer value than ever before”, says Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board at Volkswagen AG. The European market launch of the new Golf will begin in October; following in succession will be Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. The entry price for the German market is around 16,500 Euros.

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Marketing CSIs examining the Volkswagen Tiguan naming catastrophe need look all the way to Europe, where, as we’ve reported, the name was selected by readers of Germany’s Auto Bild magazine from a pool of equally weird alternatives. It is, VW, tells us, a combination of the German words for “tiger” and “iguana.” Either nobody in the higher echelons of management noticed, or they just didn’t care that it also works as a combination of the English words for “tiger” and “iguana.”

As inspiration for a model name, the tiger makes sense—regal, beautiful, and powerful; the iguana, not so much. Quite lazy in captivity, young iguanas eat bugs and the feces of adults—not exactly the cuddly sort of spokes-animal that will steal mountains of sales from the Honda CR-V. But did you know that green iguanas have a third eye on the top of their heads?

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Volkswagen’s key new model, the Up minicar, will be delayed by up to five months because VW bosses have decided to switch its engine from the rear to the front.

VW plans to sell at least 500,000 Up variants a year in Europe, emerging markets, and possibly in the US.

The car’s launch was scheduled for 2010 but will now be delayed by three to five months until early 2011 because of the engine layout change, VW sources in Wolfsburg, Germany, said.

The delay means that the Up will come to the European market much later than rivals planned by Toyota and Fiat. Toyota’s IQ goes on sale in Europe early next year. The Fiat Topolino launches at the end of 2009. Both will have their engines in the front.
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