Designed specifically for American drivers—and built in America, too—the all-new Volkswagen Passat was recognized as Motor Trend’s 2012 Car of the Year during a ceremony held during the first day of the Los Angeles Auto Show. [click to continue…]
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The Volkswagen Golf turned a notable double play recently, when two variants of VW’s popular subcompact—the high-performance GTI and the high-efficiency TDI—shared a place on Automobile Magazine’s 2012 All-Star list. It was the sixth All-Star award for the former—including two overall Automobile of the Year honors—and the first for the latter, with each boasting its own unique resume of advantages. [click to continue…]
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When the Volkswagen CC debuted four years ago, the first affordably priced four-door coupe on sale in the U.S. created a brand new segment. Nearly 270,000 people around the world have bought Volkswagen’s practical and stylish sedan that has the looks and heart of a sports car.
Volkswagen will present a technically and visually updated version of the vehicle at the LA Auto Show, held at the LA Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles between November 18 and 27. With new front and rear styling and an extended range of standard equipment that includes Bi-Xenon headlights with the Adaptive Front Lighting System and LED taillights, the new CC makes an even bolder statement in the entry-luxury class.
The 2013 Volkswagen CC will go on sale in the Spring in the U.S. at your local Volkswagen dealer.
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The Volkswagen Group has earned more in the first nine months of 2011 than during all of 2010. Operating profit rose to €9.0 billion (approximately $12.3 billion), up from €7.1 billion ($9.7 billion) in fiscal 2010. The group recorded a 14.1 percent increase in vehicle deliveries to 6.2 million. Global market share rose to 12.4 percent. Sales revenue increased by 25.6 percent in the first nine months to €116.3 billion ($158.9 billion), while operating profit jumped 86.0 percent to €9.0 billion ($12.3 billion). Operating return on sales improved to 7.7 percent.
“Our strong business performance shows the strength and stability of our strategy,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, on Thursday at the presentation of the quarterly figures. “We shall continue to launch fascinating new models onto the market in the coming months and hence expand the Volkswagen Group’s strong position in the global markets,” he added.
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When it comes to hot hatches, the iconic VW Golf R32 was an especially sizzling performer, packing a 3.5-liter V6 engine that made a rousing 250 hp when it was introduced in 2008. But Volkswagen plans to turn up the temperature even further with the reborn 2012 Golf R, which will boast more power, better performance and increased fuel efficiency as compared to its predecessor.
The game-changer here is the automaker’s award-winning 2.0-liter TSI engine, a turbocharged power plant that will feature 256 hp, 243 lb.-ft. of torque and expected EPA ratings of 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway in the new Golf R. And in addition to holstering the most powerful production engine ever used by a Golf in the U.S., the car includes standard performance enhancers like a uniquely tuned sport suspension. [click to continue…]
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Volkswagen of America, Inc. reported that 27,036 units were sold in September 2011, a 35.6 percent increase over 2010 sales. Year-to-date sales are up 22.2 percent.
“We are continuing to see consumer interest in our German engineered vehicles grow as we launched the all-new Passat and Beetle in September,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “As we enter the last quarter of the year, we anticipte Volkswagen to continue to outperform the overall industry as we expand our product portfolio and make German Engineering accessible to a larger audience.” [click to continue…]
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Packed with features, the fuel-efficient and highly customizable 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will showcase a base price of just $18,995. But that’s just the latest good news about VW’s icon, which has been completely re-invented for the 2012 model year to offer an ideal mix of German craftsmanship, European sophistication and all-American motoring excitement, in three bold new flavors.
The Beetle 2.5L, priced at under $19,000, gets things started by offering a responsive 170-hp I5 engine that delivers up to 10 percent better fuel economy ratings than past models with a similarly sized engine. EPA ratings on the car are now up to 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway with a standard five-speed manual transmission and up to 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway when leveraging an optional six-speed automatic. [click to continue…]
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With fuel costs likely to remain high, so is customer interest in today’s new generation of small cars, and that’s good news for Volkswagen customers. After all, it was the only automaker to have two of its vehicles—the VW Golf TDI and the VW GTI—rated among the “Best Reviewed Economy Cars” in a recent study by ConsumerSearch.com, one of the country’s leading resources for customer-oriented product-quality information.
The site takes a unique approach to consumer advocacy, gathering reviews from across the country, from both experts and buyers, and using that information to develop its own lists of the “Best Reviewed” products in a wide range of industries. For example, in the automotive sector, the Golf TDI garnered recognition among the “Best Reviewed Economy Cars” for having the best non-hybrid fuel economy—an impressively hybrid-like 30 mpg city/42 mpg highway. In addition, ConsumerSearch.com reported strong praise from reviewers for the car’s diesel-derived torque—some 236 lb.-ft. of which is on tap in the Golf TDI—as well as its solid, refined feel and ample cargo room. [click to continue…]
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It’s never easy to replace an icon, let alone do it twice–but Volkswagen has certainly succeeded with the all-new, third-generation 2012 VW Beetle. Combining design elements from the very first Beetle with modern-day technology, performance and efficiency, the new model is a dynamic reinvention of an automotive classic.
It all starts with the new Beetle’s new shape, which retains the same lines as the original in the rear sections of the car but then, according to Klaus Bischoff, adds “a clean, self-confident and dominant sportiness. The car not only has a lower profile, it is also substantially wider, the front hood is longer, the front windshield is shifted further back and has a much steeper incline. All of this creates a new dynamism.” [click to continue…]
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VW’s assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., will be the home base for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, the company’s all-new mid-size sedan designed specifically to appeal to U.S. customers. And to make sure it does, VW has put significant efforts into preparing both its plant and its employees for the Passat’s launch. In fact, the automaker even opened a “Volkswagen Academy” at the Chattanooga facility to provide extensive classroom and hands-on training for every new team member.
It’s an approach that paid off even before the first retail Passat came down the line, as the plant was recently audited and confirmed as meeting the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for its ISO 9001: 2008 criteria. The ISO 9001: 2008 standard is recognized around the world as a key indicator of superior quality operating systems that are focused on system optimization and ongoing improvement. [click to continue…]
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