Volkswagen
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This afternoon, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen for skirting clean-air rules on some of their TDI models. The EPA says certain Volkswagen and Audi diesel models from 2009 to 2015 model years had special emission control software that could detect when a car is undergoing EPA emissions testing and turns on the full emissions controls. The software would turn off the controls during real-world driving. This allowed Volkswagen not to equip urea i
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Trying to figure out the logic of Volkswagen concerning the next-generation Phaeton is a very difficult task. The German automaker loses 28,000 euros (about $31,598) on every Phaeton built. Also the automaker has announced a cost-cutting plan that a plan to save 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) annually in the coming years. Yet, Reuters is reporting that Volkswagen is going forward with the next-generation Phaeton due sometime in 2017 or 2018. "Economically speaking, it's the most irrational proj
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Volkswagen's electric car offensive has already started in Europe with the ID.3. The next step is taking on the U.S. with the next electric vehicle, the ID.4 introduced today. The ID.4 looks very close to the concept that was first shown back in 2017 with such details as the VW logo smack dab in the middle with a light bar running across; wide air dam for the front, flowing lines, and a full-length lightbar at the rear. In terms of size, the ID.4 is about 4.6 inches shorter, 1.9 inches lowe
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In light of the announcement made by the EPA on Friday about certain Volkswagen vehicles equipped with the diesel engine violating emission standards, the German automaker has been at work on damage control. The Detroit News reported on Saturday that the company had pulled all of their ads and videos promoting the diesel engines on their YouTube page and asked dealers to put a stop-sale on Beetle, Jetta, and Passat models equipped with TDI engines. No word on how many vehicles are affected by th
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The Volkswagen 2.5L Inline-five found in the current Golf, Jetta, and Passat has been ok engine during it’s life. Now, Volkswagen is changing the guard. Car & Driver has learned from a couple of sources that Volkswagen is looking to replacing the 2.5 with a 1.8L turbo four. There are two reasons for the change. One is due to Volkswagen simplifying their manufacturing lines because the 1.8L turbo would be based on the same family as the 2.0L turbo. The second reason is due to how close the 2
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Another day and more bad news for Volkswagen and their diesel engines. Let's begin with the latest. Automotive News is reporting that about 11 million Volkswagen vehicles equipped with diesel engines worldwide have the illegal software. Also, Volkswagen is planning to set aside 6.5 billion Euros ($7.3 billion) in the third quarter to cover the costs of addressing the issue. Volkswagen says the amount could change as the investigation continues. Also, France, Germany, Italy, and South Kor
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After a meeting of Volkswagen's Supervisory Board today, Porsche CEO Matthias Müller has been named as the CEO of Volkswagen. Rumors of Müller's appointment have been swirling around for the past week. "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation," said Müller in statement. Müller has a difficult task ahead of him as he'll need to right t
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 18, 2012 Since last November, we've been reporting on Volkswagen dropping the 2.5L five-cylinder and replace with it a turbocharged 1.8L four for the Beetle, Golf, and Jetta. Now, we have got confirmation the 1.8T will be appearing in one of the three vehicles listed. Rainer Michel, Vice President of Product Marketing & Strategy at Volkswagen of America stopped by the Autoblog offices to talk about Volkswagen has in store for 2013. Mic
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Sometimes the more interesting bits of an auto show aren't the vehicles on display. Its the senior executives divulging some intriguing information. Case in point comes to us from Automotive News. Volkswagen of America's CEO, Michael Horn let out that the upcoming Golf SportWagen will be available with the company's 4Motion all-wheel drive system starting 2016. Also in 2016, the U.S. will also be getting the Golf Alltrack, a version of the SportWagen with increased ride height and body claddi
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 25, 2012 Car & Driver reports that Volkswagen has confirmed the dates of when the Mark 7 Golf and its variants will be going on sale. The base Golf will go on sale next spring for European markets. North America has to wait until the fall to get theirs. However, North America and Europe will get their hands on next GTI at the same time when its launched next Fall. Also, Volkswagen is considering whether to send the next generation GTD
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Since Volkswagen launched the Amarok pickup in 2009 in certain parts of the world, it has become a success for the company. It has also made many people in the U.S. clamor Volkswagen to bring the Amarok here. Before the model was launched, Volkswagen was considering selling it in the U.S. However the decision was made that the Amarok wouldn't be a good fit. But Volkswagen appears to be reconsidering their decision. "It's a question mark, but it starts to be discussed. Let's put it this way: we
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It seems Volkswagen has entered the megalomaniac stage. According to German publication Autobild, Volkswagen is planning a new premium midsize model to take on the likes of the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. This new model is expected to come in the form hatchback sedan (think Audi A7) and a station wagon. The U.S. and China will get the sedan only, while everywhere else will have both options. As for what will underpin the new model, Volkswagen is debating whether to use its own MQB
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Volkswagen is on a mission to cut costs and that means models will be shown the door. According to a report from German publication Der Spiegel, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said last June he would like to cut 5 billion Euros. Models that are being considered to get the ax include the three-door variant of the Volkswagen Polo. The reason for the cut is that the popularity of three-door hatchbacks has been declining in Europe. A key example of this is rival Renault dropping three-door versio
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There are changes afoot in the Volkswagen Golf family. We'll begin with the bad news, the two-door Golf GTI will be no more in the U.S. Car and Driver was able to confirm this news with Volkswagen. Why? “The trend is clearly shifting toward four-door models,” said Volkswagen of America’s marketing chief, Hendrik Muth. Originally, Volkswagen was planning to offer the two-door GTI for 2017, but only in the base S trim. Now for the possible good news, Volkswagen is considering addi
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VW has announced the eight-generation of the Golf model with the most powerful Golf ever built for the North American market. The 2025 Golf GTI and Golf R offer a compelling blend of performance, technology and driver engagement and will be offered in the following trims per model: 2025 Golf GTI S trim SE trim Autobahn trim&#
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The decision on where Volkswagen's upcoming crossover should be built has ended up becoming a tug-of-war between Mexico and Tennessee. Reuters reports that Volkswagen has delayed a decision that was expected this month on where the crossover will be built after the respective governments negotiating with VW over incentive deals. "VW is taking way too long again to tackle another pressing U.S. problem. The crossover will be a gainful addition to their portfolio, VW has got no time to waste," sai
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Breaking news coming out of Germany today as Volkswagen Chairman and grandson of the company's founder, Ferdinand Piëch announced his resignation after losing a public battle to try an oust Volkswagen's chief executive, Martin Winterkorn. "The members of the Executive Committee have unanimously determined that in view of the background of the last weeks the mutual trust necessary for successful cooperation no longer exists," said Volkswagen's Supervisory Board in a statement today. "For this r
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 11, 2012 Volkswagen will complete the Beetle trio with the new diesel model coming out this August. Prices for the Beetle diesel will begin at $23,295 (excluding $770 destination charge) for a six-speed manual and $24,395 for a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. That gets you a 2.0L inline-four diesel, producing 140 HP and 236 lb-ft of torque. EPA fuel economy rating for the 2.0L diesel 32 City/41 Highway. Standard featu
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 30, 2012 Volkswagen appears to be spreading the Alltrack love. Autocar reports that Volkswagen is mulling over whether to do a a lifted version of its next Golf and Jetta wagon. The Golf would be for Europe while the Jetta would be for North America. The reason is due to the next generation Tiguan, due out in 2014, will be growing in size and offer a third row of seats. Volkswagen still wants a player in the small crossover market. The
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We knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when. In March, Volkswagen will end production of the current Phaeton at the Dresden plant. A pet project of former Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, the Phaeton never gained traction in the luxury flagship market for over a decade. Last year, Volkswagen only built 4,000 Phaetons. Volkswagen will bring back the Phaeton nameplate in 2020 for a fully electric luxury sedan. As for the Dresden plant where the Phaeton is built, it will be renovated to bu
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 26, 2012 With a new Volkswagen Golf on the way, that means right behind it is a new GTI. Car Magazine has unearthed some information about the seventh generation GTI due out sometime next year. The next GTI will be on VW's new MQB platform, like the next Golf. MQB will bring a weight loss of 90 lbs to the GTI. The next GTI will be lower (about 30mm (1.2 inches)) than the current model and use a longer wheelbase (about 50mm). The curre
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There is talk happening at one of Volkswagen's brands of possibly entering the U.S. marketplace. What brand would that be? Skoda, the Czech brand known for building some impressive cars at surprising prices. A spokesman tells Automotive News Europe that the brand is examining potential markets to introduce the brand. "That includes North America," the spokesman said. A decision on which markets will see Skoda entering is not expected anytime soon. Rumblings of Skoda possibly comi
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This morning, Volkswagen announced that it will build the upcoming seven-seat crossover at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant starting in 2016. The seven-seat crossover will see Volkswagen investing $900 million into the plant and add 2,000 jobs. The investment will also include retooling for the plant so it can build vehicles based on the MQB platform. “The Chattanooga-built midsize SUV will allow us to fulfill the wishes of our dealer network, bringing new customers to our showrooms and additio
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A new report from Germany's Auto motor und sport (via Automotive News) says that Volkswagen is working on a new Golf that will be due out in 2017, just under three years after the current model has begun arriving in the U.S. The eighth-generation Golf is expected to be lowered and wider than the current model, along with a restyled front end and new taillights. Other changes for the eighth-generation model include an automatic parking system, automatic braking with pedestrian recognition, heads
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Volkswagen unveiled an updated 2021 Arteon tonight. Now you might be thinking this is a quick turn around as the Arteon has been on sale in the U.S. for only a year. But you need to keep in mind that Volkswagen has been selling the Arteon in Europe since 2018, so a refresh was in the cards. Changes for the exterior are subtile with a more prominent grille, new lighting, updated Volkswagen badging, and new choices for paint and wheels. The interior is a bit more dramatic with updated dash fea
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If the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal hasn't swayed you from wanting one, then you'll be happy to hear Volkswagen will once again be able to sell brand-new 2015 model year TDI models. Green Car Reports says near 11,000 TDI models will soon be back up for sale once they are updated with new software, making them legal. Volkswagen does caution those interested in picking up a new TDI to call their nearest dealership to see if they have any in stock. But that's not all. Volkswagen is
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Volkswagen has outlined new plans to bring new and updated models to the U.S. on a shorter timeframe. Michael Horn, head of VW’s U.S. operations told Bloomberg that the company is planning to introduce new models every five years, down from the current seven years. As for refreshes, Volkswagen wants cut that down from four to three years. “Customers want quicker change. We’re working to shorten the life cycle of the products to bring more new features and design elements, in terms of face-lifts
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Volkswagen dropped the pricing information for the 2018 Atlas crossover arriving at dealers next month and it is right on the nose of the automaker's promise of starting somewhere around $30,000. The entry-level Atlas S kicks off at $30,500 and comes with a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, rearview camera, 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarP
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 18, 2012 Despite the large amount of complaints from the automotive media about the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat's interior quality, Volkswagen is standing behind them, stating that interior quality hasn't been compromised. We didn’t take (cost) out. We just rebalanced where (the money was spent). We moved it from here to there. Whatever was taken out went right back in,” said Jae Min, chief designer-group interior at VW’s Design Center C
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Volkswagen announced today a new Goodwill Package for owners of the affected 2.0L TDI engine. As we reported over the weekend, the package includes two $500 gift cards - a Visa and Volkswagen Dealer card - along with three-years of roadside assistance. To get your hands on this package is quite the challenge. First you have to visit VWDieselInfo.com and put in your VIN, along with vehicle information. From there, Volkswagen will mail out the cards to you. But you cannot use those cards yet.
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You might think the vehicle caught by a spy photographer is a Volkswagen Tiguan mule. But you would be incorrect. What you're looking at is the next-generation Volkswagen Touareg. While Volkswagen has been clever with applying camouflage strategic points, the longer length and taller body give away its true identity. Is it expected that the Touareg will be similar in design to the Tiguan. Car and Driver reports the next Touareg will transition to the MLB Evo platform that currently underpin
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 20, 2012 Volkswagen is thinking about adding a smaller four-door coupe (See Volkswagen CC) to their lineup. There are two reasons for this. One, this would be a vilable alternative to the new Audi A3 sedan and upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLC. Two, this will provide Volkswagen another way to increase its market share in North America and China. Known internally as the SC (Sport Coupe), the vehicle was given approval after U.S. market studies
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As we have been reporting since this summer, Skoda is putting serious consideration into entering the U.S. market. Currently, a decision is expected sometime next year. But ask their parent company, Volkswagen what they think of the idea of Skoda entering the U.S. and they would likely say something to the effect of this, “We may be crazy, but we’re not mad. Entering this huge market with an unknown brand, a model range focused on Europe, and a non-existent dealer network is pure suicide. F
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Last month, we reported that Volkswagen could be cutting the Polo 3-Door and Beetle as a way to save costs. But Autoblog reports that the Beetle will live on. Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, member of the board of management responsible for development at Volkswagen said that the Beetle will continue, with a new model coming sometime in the next 3 years. The next-generation Beetle will move to the MQB platform which allows such options as a hybrid and a electric version. Neusser also went onto say th
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The Volkswagen Jetta is an important model for the North American market and a new model is just over the horizon. Volkswagen North America CEO Hinrich Woebcken recently spoke with journalists at the Redbull Global Rallycross Championship in Los Angeles and dropped some interesting details about the next-generation Jetta. The new Jetta will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Design-wise, Woebcken said it would have coupe-like form and promises to be "great-looking". Dealers
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The blame game over the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal continues with the former chairman Ferdinand Piëch saying that Volkswagen's top brass knew about the cheating months before it came to light. German newspaper Bild reported yesterday that Piëch told prosecutors that he informed Martin Winterkorn and four other members of Volkswagen's supervisory board about the possible cheating with their diesel engines. The other members include, Stephan Weil, prime minister of the German s
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 14, 2012 The Volkswagen BlueSport concept, a mid-engine diesel powered concept shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show has been hitting some bumps in the road to production. According to Autocar, the future of the BlueSport is in danger due to the company not finding enough sales to justify it. The biggest problem lies with Volkswagen of America, which believes having a sports car in its U.S. lineup is low-priority at
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 28, 2012 Back in November, we reported on Volkswagen was planning on dropping the 2.5L for a 1.8T due to the company simplifying their manufacturing and to increase fuel economy. Now, there is another engine in play. Volkswagen executives told Car & Driver the Jetta could drop its 2.5L for a 1.4T engine. The 1.4T made its first appearance in the Jetta Hybrid shown at the North American International Auto Show in January. The 1.4T
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 20, 2012 Earlier this week, General Motors announced that it sold 9.03 million vehicles in 2011, making it the world’s largest automaker by volume. However, Volkswagen is challenging the claim, stating GM included sales of automakers it doesn’t even fully own. Volkswagen's beef with GM's claim is that it includes sales of Chinese automakers SAIC Motor Corp. and Wuling Motors Co. GM has stakes in both companies, but not a majority sta
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During the reign of former Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, the company was arranged in such a way where each of the twelve brands were given autonomy to encourage competition between them. Many believed this arrangement made controlling almost impossible and was slow to react to changes in the marketplace. But with Piëch out the company, there appears to be a change incoming in how the company is structured. German publication Handelsblatt reports that Volkswagen will restructure the de
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 25, 2013 Today, Volkswagen announced that the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf for the North and South American Market will be built at Volkswagen's plant in Puebla, Mexico. Production will begin sometime in the first quarter of 2014 and will help provide additional capacity for Volkswagen's Wolfsburg and Zwickau plants. The move is part of Volkswagen's plan to sell 800,000 vehicles in the U.S. by 2018. Volkswagen's North America
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Volkswagen is gearing up expand their Chattanooga, TN plant, and that expansion could add as many as 2,400 jobs. Chattanooga currently builds the North American version of the Volkswagen Passat sedan and the expansion will be to grow capacity to build a new Volkswagen mid-size crossover SUV due in late 2016 as a 2017 model. Part of the expansion will be a new Engineering and Planning center that will bring 200 jobs. The addition to the production facility will add another 1,800 new jobs once
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After ten months when news came to light that Volkswagen used illegal software to cheat emission tests in the U.S. the German automaker has agreed to a $14.7 billion settlement. This morning, the U.S. Justice Department filed details of the settlement in U.S. District Court in San Fransisco. As part of the settlement, Volkswagen will offer owners of affected models the choice of either having their vehicle bought back or repaired if and when a repair is approved by the EPA and CARB.
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 8, 2013 Volkswagen announced this week that the 2015 Beetle, Golf, Jetta, and Passat will come with a new turbodiesel engine. The aptly named EA288 TDI Clean Diesel will take the place of the current 2.0L TDI engine. Performance specs are 150 horsepower (up ten horsepower from the current engine) and 236 pound-feet of torque. Volkswagen made a number of changes to the engine that improves throttle response and lower emissions thanks to a
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21% overall sales increase is nothing to ignore and while the sales numbers for themselves are impressive across the whole VW family as is shown by this chart, the focus is on VW moving forward into an EV world of sales as they delivered 474 during the Month of March to customers. The VW ID.4 is an all new electric SUV for 2021 and kicks off the start of the EV onslaught for North America. Already the ID.4 is getting critical praise from the press. The ID.4 made Autotrader's 10 Best C
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If you didn't think the diesel scandal at Volkswagen could get any worse, think again. Let's begin with the former CEO at Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn. Reuters is reporting that German prosecutors have opened an investigation into Winterkorn into "allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data" based on ten unidentified individuals filing charges. Now Winterkorn has said that he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing on his part in light of this scandal. There is a rep
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One question that we have found ourselves wondering is who blew the whistle on the software cheat Volkswagen was using on their TDI models. A new book says it was someone at Volkswagen of America. Automotive News got their hands on Faster, Higher, Farther: The Volkswagen Scandal by New York Times reporter Jack Ewing. In the book, Ewing reveals that the head of VW’s Engineering and Environmental Office in the U.S., Stuart Johnson revealed the existence of the cheat to federal authorities. Jo
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Volkswagen unveiled their new CrossCoupe concept at the Tokyo Motor Show today. The concept gives us a glimpse of what the future of Volkswagen's crossovers will look like. The design of the CrossCoupe features a low window line and a simplistic style bolstered by frameless windows and flared fenders. The CrossCoupe length is 171.1 inches, which puts it between the Volkswagen Golf (165.4 in) and Tiguan (174.5 in). Power comes from a 148 HP TSI engine and a 54 HP electric motor for the front a
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 16, 2012 The Volkswagen VR6 engine, found in the Passat, Touareg, and Porsche Cayenne could be saying good-bye. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, a member of the Volkswagen board of management who oversees research and development said the company is deciding whether to keep the VR6 in production or scrap it. As it stands, the VR6 engine is expensive to build and import, and doesn’t sell in many vehicles. Hackenberg said the company is deciding
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The delayed launch of the Volkswagen Arteon may be nearing its end. MotorTrend is reporting that the Chairman of Volkswagen has said that the Arteon will hit U.S. shores this year. The original cause of the delay was a backlog of certifying vehicles under the World Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). The Arteon in the U.S. will use a 268 hp 2.0 liter Turbo from Audi that had yet to be certified. VW sells the Arteon in Europe using a different engine. The Arteon debuted
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Has it really been a month since Volkswagen and the U.S. Government announced they had reached an agreement over the 2.0L TDI emission scandal? Yes, it has and since then, the two have been hard at work with finalizing the agreement. This week, the two were in Federal Court in San Francisco to give an update. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at the brief hearing that the two parties have been making significant progress. The "parties ... have reported that in the month since we la
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On Friday, Volkswagen made an announcement that many of us were expecting, cutting its massive R&D budget. The company will cut 1 billion Euros (about $1.1 billion) from R&D to prepare itself for the massive fines that will be heading its way in the near future due to the emission scandal. Along with this, Volkwagen announced that it would be capping spending on property, plant and equipment at around 12 billion euros ($12.8 billion) for next year. This is about eight percent smaller
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The sh*t is hitting the fan. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced today that Volkswagen had illegal 'defeat device' software installed on a number of their vehicles equipped with the 3.0L TDI V6 to evade diesel emission testing. The two parties say the software allowed the TDI engine to emit nine times the legally allowable pollution limit. Vehicles involved in this latest allegation include, 2014 Volkswagen Toureg TDI 2015 Porsche
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 4, 2012 Please give a warm welcome to the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf, introduced today in Germany. Volkswagen says the next-generation Golf offers "more features, even better safety, and more performance." The design of the new Golf is an evolution of the last-generation Golf, with sharper lines, an smaller grille, and other changes. "One of the keys to the Golf’s success lies in its continuity. There are a handful of cars wi
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 29, 2012 For the past six months, we've been following rumors about what will replace Volkswagen's 2.5L five-cylinder engine that is used in the Jetta, Golf, Beetle, and Passat. Last November, a report from Car & Driver stated the 2.5L will be replaced by a 1.8T. Then in January, Volkswagen executives hinted the Jetta, Beetle, and Golf could get the 1.4T that will be under the hood of the upcoming Jetta Hybrid. Now, Car & Driv
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On Tuesday, Volkswagen debuted the refreshed 2024 Golf. This renowned hatchback receives an updated exterior and revised interior. The GTI also receives mild styling changes and a more powerful engine. European GTIs have an updated 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 261 horsepower, an increase of 20 horsepower. GTIs will still be front-wheel-drive, but Volkswagen killed off their six-speed manual. This leaves VW's seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic. Exterior changes includ
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 10, 2013 Back in March, we reported on a rumor that Volkswagen would be planning a smaller four-door coupe as a way to grow their market share in the U.S. and China. Codenamed SC (short for Sport Coupe), the model would be based on Volkswagen's MQB platform and come out sometime in 2015. Now in the new year, Auto Express has some new information on the SC. Auto Express' report says the SC would be called the Golf CC and use the MQB
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Volkswagen is trying to save as much cash as they can to help offset the upcoming fines and penalties due to the cheating devices they fitted to a number of diesel vehicles. We have reported that Volkswagen is in the process of freezing and reevaluating a number of projects. Now it seems the German automaker is making cuts in the trims and variants it offers. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen will be cutting back on the number of trims and variants that it offers. Bernd Osterloh, a superviso
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 10, 2013 Volkswagen has announced their 2014 lineup and the big news is that the 2.5L will be bidding farewell in the Beetle, Jetta, and Passat. In its place will be a new 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder with 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. While the 1.8T has about the same horsepower as the outgoing 2.5, it has about seven more pound-feet of torque. The 1.8T will be available in the Jetta and Passat SEL at the start. The rest
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Volkswagen has broken ground on an $800 million expansion of their plant in Chattanooga, TN. The expansion is for additional capacity to build electric vehicles for North America. The body shop will increase by 564,000 square feet and a new 198,000 square foot battery assembly center will be constructed. Overall the expansion will add about 1,000 permanent jobs. Production of a long range vehicle, the ID. Crozz / ID. 4 is expected to begin in the expanded plant in 2022. Chattanooga current
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Volkswagen has unveiled the updated Mark 7 Golf today in Europe. The exterior hasn't seen many alterations aside from new bumpers and LED lighting for the front and rear. But it only disguises the big changes Volkswagen has done. It begins in the interior as Volkswagen has swapped the standard insturment cluster for a digital display - think Audi virutal cockpit. All Golfs will also feature touchscreen infotainment systems ranging from 6.5 to 9.2 inches. The largest screen will offer ge
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 7, 2012 The next Volkswagen GTI is due out sometime next year and Autocar has uncovered some juicy bits of what the vehicle could be packing. The GTI will still use a 2.0L turbocharged four going to the front wheels. However, horsepower is expected to jump to 260 HP. To handle all of that power, VW will use front differential consists of an electronically controlled Haldex clutch to allow for “more agile steering behaviour”. Volkswage
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 9, 2012 One of the vehicles that many auto enthusiasts in the U.S. have been clamoring for the past few years is the Volkswagen Scirocco, a small coupe based on the Golf platform. But, when the next Scirocco comes around, we could be getting it. VW Group of America's CEO, Jonathan Browning told Automotive News that he is lobbying to bring the Scirocco here. "That's a piece of the lineup that I would dearly love to see here." Browning
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A possible punishment that the EPA could bring down on Volkswagen is making them build electric vehicles in the U.S. German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reports the EPA is asking the German automaker to produce EVs at their Chattanooga, TN plant and to help build out a network of chargers across the U.S. The report doesn't say if EPA is asking for VW to produce a new electric vehicle or a current one - the Golf EV. It should be noted that Welt am Sonntag's report doesn't cite a source. "Tal
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In Europe, Volkswagen offers a couple of plug-in hybrid models such as the Golf GTE. But don't expect any those plug-in hybrids to come to the U.S. "It's a bridging technology," between internal-combustion and full-electric cars, said Matthew Renna, Volkswagen North America Region's vice president of e-mobility yesterday at the Chicago Auto Show. "It's very cost-prohibitive to have two different powertrains on one platform." Volkswagen has made no secret about their electric car a
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 18, 2012 Volkswagen's first try with Phaeton was a colossal failure in the U.S. Despite being one the best luxury vehicles with a surprising price, no one could get over the high price-tag for a Volkswagen. Well, Volkswagen is going for another try with Phaeton in the U.S. Automotive News is reporting that the Phaeton will return sometime in 2015. The Phaeton will ride on the new longitudinal platform and be priced “well below” the $7
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If you had the chance to read a review or opinion on the Volkswagen Jetta or Passat, then you'll notice a reoccurring theme - they are boring to look at. Volkswagen is getting tired of this complaint and has decided to make a change. Automotive News reports that next-generation of Volkswagen vehicles for the U.S. will "bare their teeth and flex their muscles to convey a more aggressive design message". This was said during a tour of Volkswagen's design studio. "This has to be bold. It has to b
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Volkswagen has announced it will cut between 5,000 to 7,000 jobs through attrition and early retirement at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Most of the job cuts will be administrative staff. While cutting those job, VW will be creating 2,000 new software and electronics jobs. The cuts are part of a cost savings plan to drive 3€ Billion in annual savings by 2020 and 5.9€ billion by 2023. The move comes the day after the company announced it will increase its EV plans to build 22
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We know that Volkswagen is in the midst of readying a seven-seat crossover and a long-wheelbase Tiguan as a part of a new product offensive for the U.S., but that may not be the only vehicle in the plans. Automotive News reports that Volkswagen is considering two other vehicles for the U.S. The first is the production version of the Golf R-400 concept. The concept which made its North American debut at the LA Auto Show in November packs 395 horsepower version of the Golf R's turbocharged 2.0L f
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Volkswagen has taken the wraps off the 2020 T-Roc Cabriolet ahead of the Frankfurt International Auto Show in September. Volkswagen says the T-Roc Cabriolet offers just the right combination of SUV flexibility and the open air experience of a convertible. The soft top opens in just 9 seconds, can open or close while the car is in motion up to 18.6 mph (30 km/h), and locks or unlocks electrically. On the safety front, the T-Roc Cabrio has roll-over protection. The system can detect a roll-o
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 8, 2013 According to a report from Motor Trend, Volkswagen is planning to bring over the next-generation Polo and a new subscompact crossover to the U.S. within the next few years. The reason is due to the upcoming CAFE standards and Volkswagen apparently needs a few more vehicles to help out. The new Polo and subcompact crossover will utilize Volkswagen's MQB platform which has the flexibility to support a wide range of gasoline, diesel,
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The Volkswagen brand is on track to introduce 34 models globally in 2020. While some, like the ID.3, will be new to the portfolio, others are variants of familiar faces with many of those being electrified. Much stricter emissions rules come into effect in Europe starting January 1st and will force every company that sells on the continent to rethink their lineups. For Volkswagen, that means that most of their internal combustion powered vehicles will gain an available hybrid powertrain. V
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Kenneth Fineberg finds himself helping out another automaker in crisis. Volkswagen announced yesterday they have brought in Fienberg to work on and oversee a new claims program for owners of Volkswagen models involved in the diesel emission scandal. “We are pleased to announce the retention of Kenneth Feinberg. His extensive experience in handling such complex matters will help to guide us as we move forward to make things right with our customers,” said Michael Horn, President and CEO, Volk
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 11, 2013 With Volkswagen still trying to work on taking over the world, sorry I mean become the number one automaker in the world, their chief executive of America says the company is considering selling commercial vehicles in the U.S. Jonathan Browning, chief executive of VW Group of America told Reuters that vehicles such as the Caddy and Transporter vans "certainly represent an opportunity" for the United States. "There are prelim
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In 2005, Volkswagen was in dire straights. The company was going through a painful restructure and was looking into various ways to get itself back into shape. One of those ways was a possible deal with Daimler on possibly using their diesel technologies. But Volkswagen canceled the talks later that year and worked on their own diesel engines, which led to the cheating software and the mess it finds itself today. Bloomberg has learned from sources about a top-secret plan known as 'Project T
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Volkswagen has been teasing us with the I.D. Buzz for 6-years when they made the announcement back in 2017 that they would bring the I.D. Buzz to market. The standard wheelbase model has been on sale in Europe since May of last year, and today, Volkswagen is officially announcing the long-wheelbase version for sale in the U.S. starting next year. The ID.Buzz will not, as previously reported, be built at VW's Chatanooga plant alongside the ID.4, instead being built in VW's Hanover Germ
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 1, 2012 Volkswagen apparently has been talking about what's coming down the pipeline. What Car? talked with Volkswagen board member Professor Ulrich Hackenberg where he revealed some surprises. For starters, Hackenburg revealed that the company would begin selling limited numbers of the XL1, a plug-in diesel hybrid that will get 313 MPG (European cycle). The XL1 has been seen testing over the past year or so, adding fuel to the fire. H
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There has been a small number of people wanting Volkswagen to bring the Amarok over to the U.S. There are numerous issues to this, the big one being the 25 percent Chicken Tax on trucks, But some recent news has brought hope to this small group. Motor Authority reports that Volkswagen filed a trademark application for Amarok last November. This could mean one of two things; either Volkswagen is planning on introducing the Amarok to the U.S., or the German automaker is covering all bases. As
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The California Air Resources Board has rejected Volkswagen's plan to fix the 3.0L TDI V6. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB wrote in a letter to the German automaker. This comes as a bit of a surprise as last month, Volkswagen's lawyer Robert Giuffra said the company was close to a fix for this engine and it wouldn't affect overal
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The past few years at Volkswagen haven't been smooth sailing with the diesel scandal coming to light with various executives being fired or stepping down, sales taking a nosedive, and various fines. Matthias Müller who has been Volkswagen AG CEO since the scandal broke has been trying his best to get the company back on track. But that might not be enough for him to keep his job. Bloomberg and German paper Handelsblatt have learned from sources that Müller will be stepping down as CEO on Fr
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 16, 2012 The Volkswagen/Suzuki partnership had so much going for it back in 2009. Two years later, the two are fighting and lobbing cheap shots. Suzuki wants out of it, while Volkswagen wants to work it out. Last November, Suzuki asked for arbitration in London to make Volkswagen return the 19.89% interest it had taken and to pay an unspecified amount of damages. Suzuki in their filing claims that Volkswagen didn’t keep its promise of
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We know that the current Volkswagen Beetle will soon be heading off to the great parking lot in the sky sometime next year, and that a direct replacement will not happen. But there is talk about bringing back the Beetle as an electric vehicle. Volkswagen's design chief Klaus Bischoff revealed to Autocar that he has already made a sketch of a possible Beetle EV, but it will be some time before the automaker makes a decision whether to move forward with this or not. Some of this comes down Vo
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Drivers in Europe can now place deposits for Volkswagen's new ID.3 all electric vehicle. This is the car that Volkswagen expects to compete with the Tesla Model 3 in the compact EV space. The target starting price for the ID.3 is under €30,000 which translates to $33,585 at the time of this writing. Initial vehicles offered will be special edition ID.3 1st. With an initial run of 30,000 vehicles, the ID.3 1st starts around €40,000 ($44.803) and comes equipped with voice control, navigation syst
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Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller told a German publication that it would launch a recall for diesel vehicles that have emission-cheating software starting in January and hopefully finish up fixing all of the vehicles by the end of the year. "If all goes according to plan, we can start the recall in January. All the cars should be fixed by the end of 2016," Mueller told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Now it should be noted this is only for vehicles in Europe. A Volkswagen of America s
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The Volkswagen Passat isn't the most exciting sedan to look at. But the German automaker injected some style and sport with the Passat GT Concept at last year's LA Auto Show. It took some design ideas from the Golf GTI - black grille with red accent lines and a more aggressive body kit - along with new wheels. Volkswagen also lowered the suspension and added a sport exhaust system. Volkswagen didn't go crazy with the engine - it is the same 3.6L VR6 found in the standard Passat. According
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Volkswagen is looking towards vans and a possible pickup as way to bolster its U.S. lineup and become something other than a niche player in the marketplace. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen's head of the light commercial vehicle unit, Eckhard Scholz said the company is investigating whether or not to send some of their vans and possibly the Amarok - the only pickup VW builds at the moment - to the U.S. “Pickup trucks are a dominating segment,” while there’s also a trend in the U.S. toward co
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Volkswagen (VW) premiered the global ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz cargo in Hamburg today providing yet another solution to sustainable and CO2-free mobility. The ID.Buzz comes with the latest ID. software and sets new standards in its segments with the latest systems and functions for safety, comfort and charging. VW gave us the quick punch list of the ID.Buzz as follows: Design: The ID.Buzz transfers seven decades of Bulli know-how into the era of software and digitalisation Charging: Plu
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With the new Golf coming to the U.S. later this year, Volkswagen decided it would be a good time to give the Jetta a bit of a refresh. Vinay Shahani, Volkswagen's vice president of marketing tells Autoblog that the company is planning a refreshed Jetta that will arrive later this year. Expect subtle tweaks to the exterior and interior, and maybe some new features. Shahani also revealed that the next-generation Jetta SportWagen would be arriving early, however it will not have the Jetta nameplat
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It has been almost a year since Volkswagen introduced the U.S. to the seventh-generation GTI at last year's New York Auto Show. While we have to wait just till June for the GTI to arrive at dealers, the company has revealed the pricing for the hot hatch. The 2015 GTI will start a price of $25,515 (includes a $820 destination charge) for the S model which gets you a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 210 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and a six-speed manual transmission. That will a
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 1, 2012 Volkswagen showed their most important new platform, named MQB (a German acronym for “Modular Transverse Matrix”) today at their Wolfsburg HQ. MQB will underpin as many as 60 different vehicles of all different shapes and sizes. MQB brings forth many advantages for the next generation of Volkswagen vehicles. First, MQB brings a uniform mounting position for all available engines. MQB also allows current alternative fuels to
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 12, 2013 Surprising news coming from Volkswagen today. Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen of America has stepped down. In a statement, Volkswagen says Browning has left for personal reasons. A former executive for Ford and General Motors, Browning became CEO of Volkswagen of America in 2010. During his tenure, Volkswagen saw sales rise 23 percent in 2011 and 30 percent in 2012. This year has seen sales decline five percent through mo
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One of the safety issues surrounding electric vehicles is that they are nearly silent at low speeds with only limited tire noise emanating from them. This is a hazardous situation for pedestrians who may not hear an EV creeping up being them. Volkswagen is working on a solution to the issue by hiring composer and music producer Leslie Mandoki to produce a sound for the upcoming ID series of cars to make when operating at low speeds. One advantage of this is that brands, including Volkswa
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The Volkswagen emblem is easily one of the most recognizable emblems in the auto world, next to Chevrolet's bowtie and Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed star. But the German automaker is planning to make some tweaks for a new future. At a press briefing in Berlin, Volkswagen's chief marketing officer Jochen Sengpiehl said the new logo would debut next year. Details about what the emblem will look like are being kept close to the chest, but Sengpiehl did say it would be updated to look good on t
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 3, 2012 Volkswagen made some big announcements today concerning a new model that will be premiering at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show and pricing for another model. We'll start with the new model first. Volkswagen revealed the new Beetle convertible a month ahead of its official unveiling at the L.A. Auto Show. The soft-top has a similar roofline to the normal Beetle when its up. Want to put the top down, it will only take about ten s
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It seemed like it would never happen. But today in a federal courtroom in Calfornia, Volkswagen and the U.S. Justice Department announced they have reached an agreement over the 570,000 2.0L diesel vehicles equipped with illegal software that cheated EPA emission tests. The preliminary "agreement in principle" states the Volkswagen will give owners the option of selling their affected TDI vehicles back to VW or have the vehicle modified to meet U.S. emission standards. Those who are leasing
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Volkswagen was planning to release the preliminary findings of its internal investigation into the diesel emission scandal this month. But now, the company has scrapped those plans. In a statement, the German automaker cites strong objections from their lawyers and “unacceptable risks” to the company. But there might be more this than what Volkswagen is saying. Last week, Volkswagen finally reached a deal with the U.S. Government over the emission mess. By releasing the results, it might pu
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Another week has passed and some new information has come to light in the Volkswagen diesel scandal. First off, Volkswagen has confirmed one of their diesel engines doesn't have the cheat. The EA 288 TDI engine used in vehicles for the European-market has been checked out to see if it had the illegal software. In a statement issued by Volkswagen, the engine did not have “software constituting an improper defeat device as defined in laws is installed in vehicles with EA288 EU5 as well as EU6
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William Maley Editor/Reporter – CheersandGears.com March 28, 2012 Volkswagen has a lot riding on their new MQB platform. It cost the company $79 billion to develop and will underpin a vast majority of the brand’s upcoming cars, as well as a slew of new models. Speaking at the VW Group profits announcement, Michael Macht, the board member in charge of group production, said the company could sell the platform to other companies. “The next two to three years are exciting for us, and during th
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 23, 2012 Volkswagen has released some details about the next Golf, which will have its official debut in Berlin next month. The new Golf will be larger than the outgoing model. The overall length will now be 167.5 inches, and it will be 57.2 inches tall and 70.8 inches wide. Volkswagen says the Golf is larger due to increased safety and giving passengers more space. Despite the added size, Volkwagen cut close to 220 lbs out of the new
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The Volkswagen CC is getting a bit long in the tooth and will be soon phased out. But there is a successor to the CC in the pipeline known as the Arteon which the German automaker has begun to start teasing. Shown off in a pencil sketch, the Arteon looks very similar to the Sport Coupe Concept GTE shown at last year's Geneva Motor Show - a long front end, stubby rear end, and a coupe-like roofline. Volkswagen says the Arteon will feature a grille that extends into the LED headlights, a
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