Volkswagen
307 articles in this category
-
Rumors about the demise of the Volkswagen Beetle have been flying around for the past few years, but we finally have confirmation that it is ending. Volkswagen's R&D boss, Frank Welsch tells Autocar that there will not be a replacement for the Beetle. Welsch said "two or three generations is enough now" for the model and that the upcoming I.D. Buzz will take the place of the Beetle. No timeframe was given as to when Beetle production would end. The news isn't so shocking when you t
-
Do you remember the Volkswagen Kübelwagen? You might know it better as the Thing sold in 1970s. Volkswagen could be bringing it back as an electric vehicle. Speaking with Car and Driver, Volkswagen brand boss Herbert Diess said the upcoming MEB (Modular Electrification Toolkit) architecture might be the perfect platform to bring back some of the company's iconic vehicles like the Thing. “MEB is flexible—rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive—and we have so many emotional
-
The last thing Volkswagen wants is another issue on its plate. But this week, the UAW has filed an unfair labor practices charge in Tennessee against the automaker. The filing states that Volkswagen declined to negotiate on a contract with the newly formed collective bargaining unit at the Chattanooga, TN plant. Earlier this month, a group of 152 skilled tradesmen voted at the plant voted on whether or not to form a UAW bargaining unit at the plant. With 71 percent votes saying yes, the unit
-
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
-
Finally, some good news in terms of the Volkswagen diesel scandal. According to German newspaper Die Welt, Volkswagen has reached a deal with U.S. authorities over its cheating of EPA emission tests. Not much is known about the deal, but sources tell Die Welt that key part of the deal will see Volkswagen paying owners in the U.S. $5,000 in compensation. This deal will be presented tomorrow to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer at a hearing. We'll likely learn more about the agreement and wha
-
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
-
Volkswagen is making some big changes for the future. In a statement released today, the company announced that it would cut 1 Billion Euros (about $1.1 billion) in investments. The statement didn't say would be part of the cuts. Volkswagen also announced that it would be fitting diesel models sold in Europe and U.S. with SCR and AdBlue technology 'as soon as possible'. Further down in the statement, Volkswagen announced that it would put more of a focus on battery and plug-in powertrain
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Automakers have been downsizing their engines and adding turbochargers to improve fuel economy while retaining power from larger displacement engines. But is there a point where this trend doesn't make sense anymore? Volkswagen believes that time is coming very soon. "The trend of downsizing is over," said Herbert Diess, Volkswagen's chairman. "Emissions tend to go up as engines get smaller." This is due to smaller engines needing to work much harder to produce the power figures o
-
Automakers have been bailing out of various auto shows for the past few years. Case in point, a number of German automakers pulling out of the Detroit show for 2019. Volkswagen is the latest one to announce that it will not be showing up to a major auto show. Reuters reports that the German automaker will be skipping this year's Paris Motor Show. “The Volkswagen brand is continually reviewing its participation in international motor shows,” the company said in a statement. Instead, Vo
-
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
-
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
-
It seems Volkswagen is going forward with sending the I.D. Buzz concept into production. "Emotional cars are very important for the brand. We are selling loads of Beetles still, particularly in US markets. But we will also have the Microbus that we showed, which we have recently decided we will build," said Herbert Diess, head of Volkswagen to Auto Express. It confirms a report back in February where a source revealed that the I.D. Buzz would go into production in 2022. Diess was a big
-
After an emergency meeting held today, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn announced his resignation amid allegations that the automaker manipulated their diesel vehicles to meet emissions regulations around the world. "As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group. I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am no
-
Diesel is quite popular in Europe partly due to subsidies provided by governments - in this case, a lower tax rate on diesel fuel than gasoline. The thinking at the time was diesel engines burn their fuel more efficiently than gas engines, thus they contribute less to global warming. But as the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal would reveal, diesel vehicles aren't that much cleaner, producing more nitrogen oxide emissions than their gas counterparts. Now, one CEO from a German automaker is sayi
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 26, 2012 The Detroit News reports that Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said the company expects to build an all-new SUV in the U.S. for the U.S. This confirms a long standing rumor that Volkswagen would build a three-seat crossover for the states. Now, a final decision on whether this goes through or not will take place sometime next year, From what we had know, the three-row crossover will slot between the Tiguan and Touareg and be bu
-
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
-
The workers Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee have made their decision on union representation. On Friday night, retired Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Sam Payne released the results of the three day vote which saw workers say no to UAW representation by a vote of 712 people opposed to 626 people in favor. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
If you're planning on picking up a 2019 Volkswagen Passat, then you might be disappointed by the limited amount on configurations on offer. The Car Connection reports that Volkswagen will be cutting down the 2019 Passat lineup to just two models - the Wolfsburg Edition and SE R-Line. Wolfsburg Edition: 17-inch alloy wheels, push-button start, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring as standard. A sunroof and 18-inch wheels are optional. SE R-Line: LED lighting, adaptiv
-
The compact crossover arena has become highly competitive in the past couple of years and automakers are pulling all of the stops to draw customers into their showroom. Volkswagen is no exception. According to Automotive News, Volkswagen told its dealers that it would be cutting the price on several trims of Tiguan effective immediately. The price cuts are as followed, Tiguan S: $600 Tiguan SE: $2,180 Tiguan SEL: $1,460 This brings the base prices down to $25,495
-
Imagine getting into a new vehicle with a payment that could range $39 to $99 per month. Seem like a fantasy? Well that is what a number of Volkswagen dealers across the U.S. are doing. An example is a Volkswagen dealer offering an $89 36 month lease on Jetta, after you hand over $2,500 as a down-payment. It's part of an effort by Volkswagen to bring customers in now at a loss to have hopefully return in three years when the automaker will have a brand new lineup. 2018 will see Volkswagen in
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 19, 2012 Volkswagen currently sells four diesel models in the U.S.; the Golf, Jetta, Passat, and Touareg. Now, there’s word that a fifth diesel is joining the lineup. Autoblog has been told by Volkswagen that a diesel Beetle will premiere at next month’s Chicago Auto Show. No details about the diesel engine in the Beetle have been release, but bet on the 2.0L engine in the Golf, Jetta, and Passat ending up in the car also. More inte
-
Volkswagen was originally planning to roll out the Arteon in the U.S. towards the end of this year. But complications stemming from the European Union's Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) has caused the German automaker to push back the launch to early 2019. Automotive News reports that the first hint of the delay came when Volkswagen cancelled a media drive event in California that was scheduled for next month. A spokesman told the outlet the delay comes down to
-
In a month's time, Europe will be switching from much maligned New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). Automakers are scrambling to get models certified under this new procedure. This presents a big problem for Volkswagen as they don't have enough engineers to make sure their vehicles to meet the new standards. According to Reuters, Volkswagen lost a number of engineers that specialized in engine calibration ever since the compa
-
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
-
We're coming up on three years since the Volkswagen diesel scandal came to light. It caused the German automaker to spiral downward with various fines, lawsuits, people either stepping down or being arrested, and sales tanking. By now, you would think that the pain is done and over. But you would be wrong. Reuters reports today that prosecutors in Germany have fined Volkswagen a billion euros ($1.18 billion) over diesel emission cheating. In a statement, Volkswagen will accept the fine, the
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 21, 2011 Volkswagen's plan for world domination is now entering it's next stage. Starting with the next Audi A3, Volkswagen will begin to standardize components and technologies across forty different models. Volkswagen says the plan will help it lower production costs by 20%, cut assembly times by 30%, and save the company up to $6.5 billion per year. The plan will also let Volkswagen to build cars from different brands at the sam
-
Volkswagen is turning towards plug-in hybrid technology for the majority of its models till longer range batteries become a reality. This was announced at Volkswagen's annual media conference yesterday by Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn. Why plug-in hybrid tech? Winterkorn explained that plug-in hybrids are the best stop-gap technology with reducing emissions without sacrificing range. Now that doesn't mean Volkswagen isn't stopping work on electric vehicles. The automaker is currently w
-
As we reported in May, Volkswagen is making big cuts to the Golf lineup in the US. Already announced for end of production in 2019 are the Golf Sportwagen and Golf Alltrack. For 2020, the current base Mk7 Golf returns and will be offered in just one trim, called the Value Edition that includes features like Keyless entry, Wifi, heated seats, and 16-Inch alloy wheels while the GTI will come in S and SE trims. Missing from the 2020 lineup is the Golf R. Volkswagen has confirmed to Motor Au
- Editor-in-Chief
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 22, 2013 Volkswagen has officially pulled back the curtain on the next-generation Golf R, making its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The new Golf R packs the same 2.0L turbo-four found under the new Audi S3 with 296 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Impressive numbers when compared to the outgoing Golf R which packed 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Power is channeled to all four wheels via Haldex system
- 2015
- Volkswagen
- Golf
- Golf R
-
Tagged with:
-
The march towards majority SUVs continues on and the two newest casualties are the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen and the Golf Alltrack. As we predicted a month ago, Volkswagen will end production of the two vehicles in the 2019 model year, though in the case of the Alltrack, production will be extended to December. Volkswagen says that with 50 percent of their sales being SUVs, consumer tastes have shifted strongly to SUVs, and VW is responding by releasing three new SUVs over the next 2 year
-
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
-
When the Volkswagen ID.3 debuted this week at the Frankfurt Auto Show we reported that the ID.3 would not be coming to the U.S.. That is still true, however we got a tease of the ID.4, which will be the next iteration of the ID family from Volkswagen during the ID.3 intro. The ID.4 is based on the ID Crozz concept from the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show and it is this model that will be VW's first ID model in the US. While no details have been released, expect the ID.4 to follow the ID.3 mechani
- Editor-in-Chief
-
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
-
Ford's decision to drop most of their passenger car lineup last week is still sending shockwaves, and likely causing various automakers to have discussions about if they should follow in their footsteps. One automaker that will not be following Ford is Volkswagen. “We are intending to be a full line car manufacturer,” said Volkswagen of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken. The reason as to why? Electric Vehicles. “The question of whether electric mobility will favor sedans or SUVs hasn’t
-
There was talk a few years back about Volkswagen possibly sending over the next-generation Polo over to the U.S. But it seems those plans have been scrapped. Speaking with Automotive News at the launch of the sixth-generation Polo, Volkswagen global sales boss, Juergen Stackmann said it doesn't make sense for the automaker to bring it over. "It doesn't make too much sense for us to bring a car like this, which has the substance of a class higher, into a segment that is so price driven
-
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
-
We have been talking about the next-generation Jetta GLI for almost a year. The next-generation model is expected to get some infusion from the GTI with the same turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder producing 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It will also swap the torsion-beam rear suspension for a multi-link setup. The one item we have been wondering is where Volkswagen is planning on debuting it. For some time, we thought the Detroit Auto Show in January would be the place. But Autoblog
-
Remember the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid? Most likely not as it made up a sliver of overall Jetta sales - about one percent according to Volkswagen spokesman. For the 2017 model year, the Jetta Hybrid will dropped from the lineup. Some of reason as to why the Jetta Hybrid wasn't a big seller was the high price. According to Automotive News, the Jetta Hybrid only came in the top SEL Premium trim that starts at $31,940. This is slightly hard to ask when the base starts at $18,500. Also, hybrid and
- Volkswagen
- Jetta Hybrid
- Jetta
- Hybrid
-
Tagged with:
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 14, 2012 Volkswagen is planning on bringing a electric vehicle over to the states sometime late next year. Volkswagen of America President, Jonathan Browning told Automotive News the company is planning on bringing a electric version of the Golf. Volkswagen will follow the same path as other automakers wherein they will only sell the Golf electric in certain markets before rolling it out nationwide. Browning says Volkswagen wants to o
-
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
- Volkswagen
- Truck
- Van
- Consideration
-
Tagged with:
-
Ever since the Volkswagen Buzz I.D. concept made its debut, rumors have been flying as to whether or not the German automaker would go forward with it. Yesterday at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Volkswagen finally put the rumors to rest. "After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, 'please build this car’,” said Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. "The Microbus has long been part o
-
As more manufacturers begin to add more technologies (keyless entry, advanced infotainment system, and online connectivity), the danger of having a vehicle hacked increases. We saw this first-hand last year as two security researchers revealed a number of security holes in FCA's UConnect system that allowed them to access critical vehicle functions such as braking and steering. Now a new research paper reveals 100 million Volkswagen Group vehicles going back to 1995 have a serious security issue
-
Volkswagen sees crossovers as its savior in the U.S. marketplace. Speaking with Wards Auto, Volkswagen North America CEO Hinrich Woebcken said their model mix would change from 10 to 12 percent crossovers to 40 percent in the next few years. “We are shifting the brand into a position where we will enjoy more business volume because we were not present in those segments. We’re currently at 12% and the industry is nearly 60% light trucks and SUVs, so we are severely underrepresented,” said W
-
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
-
Johan De Nysschen has landed on his feet after being abruptly fired as President of Cadillac in April of 2018. JDN will take over as Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen of America starting October 1st. This is not JDN's first experience with Volkswagen Automotive Grou (VAG), he was once a star executive in the Audi organization. He later moved on to Infiniti where he moved the headquarters to Hong Kong and renamed all the vehicles to the Q or QX designation. Infiniti has since moved bac
-
Volkswagen's Chattanooga, TN plant will soon have two more vehicles rolling off the line. Hinrich Woebcken, VW's North American CEO told Autocar that the upcoming I.D. Buzz and Crozz EVs for the region will be built at Chattanooga. “For strong product momentum, they need to be produced in the USA. It’s not possible to come into a high-volume scenario with imported cars. We want to localise electric mobility in the US,” said Woebcken. Woebcken also revealed that the models would be
-
Blake Noble Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 7th, 2012 At the moment, Volkswagen builds only two different flavors of sports-utility vehicles. On one hand you have the small highway-oriented Golf-based Tiguan, and on the other you have the larger off-road capable Touraeg. However, that stage may be preparing to change as VW could be planning to expand their portfolio of SUVs in the near future. According to a recent report sourced from German business newspaper Handelsblatt, Volkswag
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 18, 2013 Volkswagen is planning to shutter all of its naturally-aspirated engines within the next three to four years. This news came from Volkswagen’s executive vice president for group quality, Mark Trahan. “You have to have a turbo these days. We only have one normally aspirated gas engine, and when we go to the next generation vehicle that it’s in, it will be replaced. So three, four years maximum.” That engine is the 3.6L VR6 th
-
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
-
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
- Volkwagen
- Golf R-400
- Van
- Consideration
-
Tagged with:
-
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
-
The Volkswagen Golf is one of the German automaker's most important vehicles - currently is the best-selling vehicle in Europe. To keep this title, the automaker is planning a refresh for 2017. According to Autocar, Volkswagen isn't making any major changes to the exterior. There will be reshaped bumpers and revised head and taillights. The big changes are inside as Volkswagen is planning to implement its own version of Audi's virtual cockpit - 12.5-inch to display gauges along with the abi
-
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
-
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
-
When we drove the Volkswagen Atlas back in the summer, we liked the base turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder for the most part. Aside from noticeable turbo-lag, the engine provided decent oomph. But for 2019, Volkswagen is quietly reducing the number of models you can order with the turbo 2.0L. CarsDirect recently obtained the order guide for the 2019 Atlas and reports that the base S trim will be the only model available with the 2.0T. Previously, the SE and SEL could be ordered with the 2.0T.
-
Volkswagen ID.7 is the brands first upper mid-size electric sedan. This is their first EV with the companies' new display and operating system. The ID.7 also delivers an excellent aerodynamics with a more efficient powertrain that ensures long range operation. The ID.7 offers exceptional comfort through features such as new AC system, seat Climatronic with massage function and a panoramic sunroof with switchable smart glass. The ID.7 will launch autumn 2023 in Europe and China and North America
-
With automakers building/bringing over subcompact cars to the US, one automaker is missing in the action. That automaker is Volkswagen which built it’s empire on small vehicles (Beetle and Golf). When asked if the company would bring over any subcompact vehicles, like the Polo or new UP!, Volkswagen said no. Volkswagen cites the traditional argument of small cars having a small profit margin, especially when they have to be imported like the Polo and UP! Futhermore, Volkswagen recently re-esta
-
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
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 5, 2013 When Volkswagen pulled the covers off the new Golf GTD at the Geneva Motor Show this year, questions arose whether or not the model would arrive in the U.S. Answers were mixed between yes and no. But we now have an answer. The GTD will be coming. Volkswagen made the announcement this week, saying the GTD will be here in 2015 as a 2016 model. The model will use a 2.0L TDI engine with 184 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. "We
-
Volkswagen is introducing a new generation of diesel engines with the 2.0 TDI Evo. This new engine is said to greatly undercut the limits of the tough new Euro 6d-Temp emissions standards. Volkwagen posted an interview with Sebastian Willmann, the Head of Diesel Engine Development at Volkswagen. In that interview he says that VW was able to reduce fuel consumption by 0.4 L/100km compared to the previous engine and reduce CO2 emissions by 10g/km. They did both of these things while also increasi
-
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
-
Late last week, Volkswagen unveiled the production T-Roc crossover. The subcompact crossover is based on the MQB platform and stands out with a stylish look and range of gas and diesel engines. Previously, we have reported that the T-Roc was under consideration for the U.S.. But a new report says the model is off the table for the time being. “The car is meant for Europe and China. The most compact model of the Volkswagen range for the U.S. remains Tiguan,” a Volkswagen source tells Automob
-
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
-
When Volkswagen introduced the new T-Roc crossover last year, there were some who were hoping it would come to the U.S. But that would not be the case as would learn. Still, Volkswagen is planning a separate compact crossover that will be aimed at various global markets such as the U.S. and China. According to Automotive News, the new crossover known internally as Volks-SUV will sit underneath the Tiguan and be first built in China by the SAIC-Volkwagen joint venture with sales beginning in
-
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
-
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
-
Currently Volkswagen has 588 dealers in the U.S., and sold 256,830 vehicles last year. But coming up in seven years, VW has set a goal of selling 800,000 vehicles in the U.S., and the current number can’t handle that goal. Back in April, head of VW of America Jonathan Browning, said there would be an "evolutionary" increase in dealers for the next couple of years, after which a "radical change" would be necessary. When would this radical change happen? "But by 2014/15 we will have to add deal
-
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
-
2017 will be the last year Volkswagen sells the Touareg in the U.S., according to Motor Trend. While a reason as to why wasn't given, we have to think declining sales played a key role. The past few years have seen sales fall at a steady rate - 2016 saw a 40 percent drop to 4,223 units. 2017 isn't faring any better with 1,630 Touaregs sold through June. There is also the model being squeezed by the larger Atlas crossover and the upcoming Tiguan, which is slightly longer than the Touareg.
-
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
-
Volkswagen unveiled one of the loosest kept secrets in the automotive industry, the Atlas Cross Sport. The 5-seater mid-size features a more rakish back glass to give a coupe like appearance. While the Atlas Cross Sport is 2.8 inches shorter, it still rides on the same 117.3 inch wheelbase and boasts almost as much cargo space (77.8 cu. ft.) as the bigger Atlas (96.8 cu. ft.) with the seats folded. The Cross Sport is also 2.3 inches lower to the ground adding to its racier profile.
- Editor-in-Chief
-
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
-
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
-
Volkswagen has made their plans clear of introducing a number of full electric vehicles beginning with the I.D. next year. But the company is also planning to electrify a number of models beginning with the next-generation Golf. This week at the International Vienna Motor Symposium, Volkswagen unveiled a 48-volt mild hybrid system currently under development for the Mk. 8 Golf. The system is comprised of a 48-volt belt-integrated starter generator and a 48-volt battery. This will allow for a
-
Volkswagen is working both ends of the SUV size spectrum lately. Their Atlas model has become an excellent seller, moving 74,108 copies as of November 2019. That an increase of 40% over the prior year to date figures. Though it's first model year was 2018, Volkswagen feels that it is nearly time for a refresh for 2021. The update will be mostly visual with new head and tail lights, new front and rear bumpers, and a revised grille. Volkswagen says it will also have updated and new driver-assist
-
A few weeks ago, we reported that Volkswagen wasn't planning to bring the T-Roc over to the U.S. No reason was given, but we suspected price was a key reason. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Volkswagen's director of development, Dr. Frank Welsch confirmed the T-Roc isn't coming. "Let's be very clear: The T-Roc will not go to the U.S. I don't believe it's too expensive, but it's because it's a very small car. They tell us people in the U.S. expect more size for that money. It is too small. We a
-
Some interesting news came out of Chicago concerning Volkswagen. First up, Autoblog reports that the next-generation Passat will be coming out next year. Volkswagen's North American CEO Hinrich Woebcken revealed this during a roundtable with journalists at the show. Not many details are known about the Passat. It is hinted that it could grow in size and feature styling similar to the new Jetta. One detail that is certain is that Passat will continue to be built at Volkswagen's Chattanooga,
-
Volkswagen's Canadian site has dropped a teaser for the upcoming 2019 Jetta. The single gif reveals a couple of details about the design. One is that the side profile features some sculpting and a character line that possibly runs the whole length of the vehicle. Second is the Jetta's grille is similar to the T-Roc crossover with a pentagonal design. Last month, Volkswagen North America CEO Hinrich Woebcken told journalists that the next-generation Jetta "would have coupe-like form and prom
-
Nearly four years ago, Volkswagen made the pronouncement that it wanted to be the world's largest automaker by 2018. But in light of the diesel scandal, Volkswagen is taking that dream off the table and focusing on trying to survive. Today, Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller announced a new plan called Strategy 2025 that will focus on improving profit rather than volume growth. The plan will be developed over the next few months and will be shown sometime next year. “Many people outsid
-
Volkswagen has been gung-ho on electric vehicles ever since it was revealed that it used illegal software on diesel vehicles to pass emission tests. The company recently unveiled plans to invest $82.5 billion into electric vehicles over the next five years. So it seems bizarre for Volkswagen's CEO to make this comment at the Geneva Motor Show. “Diesel will see a renaissance in the not-too-distant future because people who drove diesels will realize that it was a very comfortable drive conce
-
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
-
If there is one bright spot in Volkswagen, it has to be their commercial division. Through August, the division has seen sales increase 8.2 percent to 308,500 models. With their success, it should come as no surprise they are considering moving into other markets such as the U.S. Eckhard Scholz, Volkswagen's commercial vehicles division CEO tells Reuters that the United States "are still a highly interesting market." A lot of this comes from many commercial vehicle manufacturers operating i
-
Volkswagen put forth an ambitious plan to offer an electric version of each model it sells. The automaker set aside about 20 billion euros ($23 billion), but that will not be enough according CEO Herbert Diess. “The burden for our company, such as the cost of bringing to market electric cars, will be higher than expected,” Diess said in a interview with Volkswagen's internal newsletter, obtained by Bloomberg. “This is particularly so since some of our competitors have been making more
-
Volkswagen recently held an event for journalists and investors to talk about the upcoming Jetta. But the company also gave a preview of their product plans for the near future. According to Autoblog, those plans include two new crossovers. The first will be a five-seat model that will slot between the Tiguan and Atlas. Volkswagen North America CEO President and CEO Hinrich Woebcken described it as 'coupe-like'. We're assuming this model will compete with the likes of the Ford Edge and Niss
- volkswagen
- plans
- future
- u.s.
-
Tagged with:
-
Volkswagen's brand chief Herbert Diess revealed in an interview this past weekend that the modular MQB platform with some minor tweaks will underpin the next two generations of their vehicles. "The MQB has high technical substance, so we can use it for the next two vehicle generations without further major investments," Diess told German newspaper Boersen-Zeitung. This move is in an effort to save a bit of cash due to the fallout of the diesel emission scandal. Diess didn't say what k
-
Volkswagen has announced their next-generation of gas and diesel engines, launching in 2026 will be its last. “Our colleagues are working on the last platform for vehicles that aren’t CO2 neutral. We’re gradually fading out combustion engines to the absolute minimum,” said Michael Jost, strategy chief for Volkswagen. The German automaker has set aside $50 billion over the next five years to begin transforming itself into an electric car builder. The first rollout is beginning very soon
-
For a number of years, people have been saying the biggest problem with Volkswagen is they haven't “figured out the American market yet.” Even the automaker admits that it's the reason that its market share has dropped. Volkswagen has tried again and again to make some inroads into the market to no avail. But the German automaker is giving it another go. Automotive News had the chance to do a deep dive into Volkswagen's new plan by speaking with Volkswagen Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebc
-
Volkswagen has gotten the approval on a fix for their older first-generation 2.0L TDI models involved in the diesel emission scandal. Now they're waiting for Federal officials to give the go ahead for the automaker to begin selling these vehicles. When that approval comes, Volkswagen's head of North America Hinrich Woebcken says they have a plan to get them to dealers. Speaking with Automotive News, Woebcken said the company would slowly release the 2.0L TDI vehicles to their 652 dealers in
-
The Volkswagen Arteon is taking the scenic route to the US with a delayed launch brought on by some delays in getting its engine certified for the US. The US version of the Arteon debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in 2018 and we recently reported that the Arteon would finally go on sale sometime in early summer. Volkswagen has announced pricing for the U.S. model will start at $35,845 plus $995 destination charge for the base SE front-wheel-drive model and $37,645 for all-wheel drive. All-w
-
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&#
