Automotive Description: VW

Showing posts with label VW. Show all posts

VW Demonstrates its Handsfree Auto Pilot in Action [Video]

Back in June, Volkswagen revealed its Temporary Automated Pilot (TAP) system at the HAVEit (Highly Automated Vehicle for Intelligent Transport) event in the city of Boras in Sweden.

TAP can assume control of the car using all its active safety systems without any intervention of the driver, who simply monitors the situation.

ABT Sportsline has 2012 VW Tiguan SUV on its Sights

The recently refreshed for the 2012 model year Volkswagen Tiguan is next up on ABT Sportline's tuning menu.

While still on the works, the German tuning house released the first renderings and information on the upgrades that will be available for VW's compact model. Beginning with the performance modifications, ABT Sportline will offer a variety of power kits for the entire range of the European model's engines.

Malignant Rumors: Bentley May Build a Super Luxurious SUV

There are some things in the auto industry that one takes for granted: Fiat is best known for its small cars like the Panda and Punto; Land Rover for its ultra-capable 4x4s like the Defender and the Disco and Ferrari for its glorious-sounding supercars.

In Bentley's case, it's the hand-crafted luxury coupes and sedans, but change is inevitable (especially if you operate under the umbrella of the VW Group…).

Luc Donckerwolke to Head VW Group’s Advance Design Division

It’s time to move on for automotive designer Luc Donckerwolke who will leave his position as Director of Design at Seat to become the VW Group’s Head of Advanced Design starting on August 1, 2011. In his new role, Donckerwolke will report directly to Design Chief, Walter de Silva. The 46-year-old Belgian designer will be replaced at Seat by Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. Read more »

VW Reportedly Put a Price on the Table for GM’s Opel after Hearing Rumors about Hyundai’s Interest

German monthly publication ‘Manager Magazin’ reported in its latest issue that the Volkswagen Group has a far deeper interest in Opel than originally thought.

Citing unnamed sources close to the automaker, the financial magazine said that Volkswagen gave General Motors a rough estimate of what it is willing to pay for Opel after the German company heard rumors about Hyundai’s alleged interest in the European brand.

VW Says “More Masculine” 2012 Beetle will Appeal to Men, Convertible Said to Join the Range Next Summer

Volkswagen is confident that a higher percentage of men as well as younger consumers will buy the 2012 Beetle compared to its predecessor when U.S. sales start in September.

VW of America’s Vice President of marketing and strategy Rainer Michel told Autonews that “a more masculine appearance, including a higher beltline, and 20 more horsepower for the base model, should do the trick”.

While female buyers accounted for more than 65% of the previous Beetle’s sales, Michel believes that the percentage for the all-new 2012 model will be split between the two sexes.

VW Begins Series Production of 2012 Beetle in Mexico

Volkswagen announced that it has commenced regular production of the 2012 Beetle at its factory in Puebla, Mexico, where its predecessor was also built. To mark the occasion, Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Board Member for Production and Logistics at VW Passenger Cars Hubert Waltl visited the plant in Puebla. Read more »

The Best Car Ad You’ll See Today: Volkswagen Tiguan Translator

We’ve seen more car-related ads trying to capture our attention than we can remember, but very few actually manage to pull it off like the way the Brazilian division of the BBDO advertising agency did with its “Volkswagen Tiguan: Translator” commercial.

The TV ad was created to show off the SUV’s hands free park assist system. Being that the whole point of this commercial is the element of surprise, we won’t spoil the ending by telling you what happens. Enjoy the clip after the break,

Would You Pay $50,000 for Kate Middleton’s Used VW Golf?

Say want you want about the media’s obsession around Britain’s newly-wed royal coupe, Kate and Williams, but for some people, like Sonny Brazil, it’s a gift from the heavens.

You see, Sonny’s father Al, bought Kate Middleton’s inky-blue 2001 VW Golf hatchback back in 2009 from her brother James for a reasonable £1,400 (about US$2,300 or €1,600 at today’s exchange rates).

Frankfurt Rumors Fuel Design of 2012 Volkswagen CrossPassat

Recent rumors have suggested that Volkswagen may introduce a high-riding, faux-crossover Variant of its latest generation of the European market Passat, as early as at the forthcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

And while we can’t confirm the rumormill, what we can do is show you a very well executed rendering of the VW Cross Passat made by a talented reader of Autoblog.nl.

New Study Finds that Chinese Buyers Prefer European over Local Brands

Car buyers’ preferences in China are shifting towards European models and away from domestic and even Japanese vehicles, according to a new study published today by JD Power Asia Pacific. This is the third year that the study takes place.

The latest edition included 65 brands and 161 separate models in nine segments and is based on responses from 4,979 potential buyers of new-vehicles located in 53 cities.

Skoda Posts Record Worldwide Sales in First Half of 2011

Skoda revealed today that it delivered 454,700 vehicles in the first half of 2011, which represents an increase of 20.1% compared to the same period in 2010. The Volkswagen Group brand also achieved its best ever June sales, with 81,300 deliveries, compared to 71,300 units in 2010, scoring a new sales record for the fourth month in a row. Read more »

Union of Concerned Scientists Releases 2011 Hybrid Scorecard: Prius = Good, Touareg Hybrid = Bad

The Union of Concerned Scientist, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its second annual Hybrid Scorecard. The organisation criticised hybrid car manufacturers for not delivering on the technology’s promise, for placing performance above fuel efficiency and environmental benefit and burdening hybrids with features that put them out of the price range of average Americans.

A total of 34 hybrid vehicles from the 2011 to 2012 model year were tested for their fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The latter is features that don’t improve fuel efficiency but probably make the cars more appealing to money-conscious consumers.

Video: Jay Leno Takes the New 2012 VW Beetle for a Spin

Some guys have all the luck. Like Jay Leno. Not only is he a famous and wealthy TV presenter, but he also gets to drive a bevy of new cars well before anyone else.

After driving the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell, which won’t enter production for another two years, and the new SLS Roadster wasn’t enough, Leno was also invited to VW’s headquarters at Wolfsburg to try out the new Beetle.

VW Sets Record First Half Year Car Sales with More than 2.5 Million Units

Volkswagen announced today that it set a first half-year record in passenger car sales, with more than 2.5 vehicles delivered globally. This represents an increase of 11.8% compared to the same period of 2010 (2.26 million). Read more »

Siemoneit Racing’s VW Golf R Black Pearl with up to 530HP

While VW’s 270-horsepower Golf R hatchback is hardly underpowered, the engineers over at the German tuning firm Siemoneit Racing felt like it could use some extra ponies.

Siemoneit Racing calls its tuned VW Golf R the ‘Black Pearl’for obvious reasons- and it offers customers a choice of two performance packages. The first boosts the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine’s output from 270HP and 320Nm to 355-horses and 485Nm (357.7 lb-ft) through thanks to the updated ECU software, custom exhaust and a new air intake system.

Paging David Hasselhoff: Sebastian Toddenroth’s High-Tech VW Schwimmwagen

Remember in Baywatch, how the cast used to tool around in canary yellow cute utes with jet skis strapped to their trays? Did you ever wonder why they didn’t just eliminate the middleman and employ WWII-era Schwimmwagens?

German industrial designer Sebastian Toddenroth certainly toyed around with the idea and the result is the Volkswagen Rescue Rover concept you see pictured here.

Audi wants to Build a New Factory in the USA

Audi has decided to build a new car assembly plant in North America and is seriously considering adding an engine and transmission plant, probably at a later date. However, the German company has not yet come up with a final plan, as Audi’s CEO, Rupert Stadler, pointed out to Automotive News: “It is totally clear that we need new production capacity in the US. The only question is when”. Read more »

Yeeeee-Haaa! Fail Jump: The VW Caddy Edition

Many have tried, but few, if any that is, have succeeded. We’re talking about people who try to imitate the driving style of the Dukes of Hazzard, but who eventually end up in a situation that’s closer to what you’d expect from Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane than Bo and Luke Duke.

In this video, we see the driver of Volkswagen Caddy small van getting off the road to use a knoll as a lifting ramp… Do we need to say more? Watch the clip for yourself after the break (for a better viewing experience we propose playing both videos at the same time).

VW Releases Fresh Batch of Photos of New 2012 Beetle

Not that the 2012 Beetle needs it, but Volkswagen wants to keep its newcomer in the headlines until it launches into the market this fall starting with the U.S. in September, followed by Germany in October, the rest of Europe in November, the UK in January 2012, Asia in February 2012 and finally South America by the beginning of 2013.

To do so, the German automaker came out today with a fresh batch of images as well some new info explaining some of the thinking behind the creation of the 2012 Beetle.

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