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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Volkswagen

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Volkswagen Phaeton.

To put it charitably, the Phaeton never met the U.S. sales expectations set by Volkswagen, but that hasn’t stopped VW execs from considering another push to market the luxobarge in North America. Sales of the facelifted Phaeton are up in Germany by 45.4-percent for the first quarter of 2008 and that’s making V-Dub’s brass seriously consider bringing the Phaeton back to U.S. shores. According to Autobild, many of the higher-ups at VW want to start shipping the Phaeton across the Atlantic towards the end of the year, but VW’s largest shareholder, headed by Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking, isn’t convinced that the Phaeton could fly again. We can’t blame him, considering the chilly reception a $60k+ VW garnered here in the States, partnered with Volkswagen’s new push to reestablish itself as the affordable people’s car.

[Source: Autobild]

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Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Euro, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen

Click above for high-res gallery of the Volkswagen up!

Volkswagen’s adorable little up! has the ambitious goal of becoming the next original Beetle, and new info on Auto Express seems to indicate that the Germans in Wolfsburg may be on to something. The up! will feature both gasoline and diesel-powered engines with a minuscule displacement of only .6 turbocharged liters, and a larger 1.2L three-cylinder engine may be planned, as well.

The up! will also be extremely fuel efficient, with U.S. fuel economy numbers near 80 mpg. Perhaps the most eye-catching bit of info is the base price of the handsome little micro: models will sell for as little as £4,500 in emerging markets and more richly equipped European models will start around £7,500. VW is also looking at making both a three- and five-door up! with the exact same wheelbase, as well a roomier MPV version and even a hybrid. VW also says that the 11 foot long up! will also feature the roomiest cabin in its class. Is it just us, or does the amazing little up! almost sound too good to be true? We’ll find out for sure next year when the production up! is released to the public.

[Source: Auto Express]

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Filed under: Volkswagen, Motorcycles

click on the above image to view a high-res gallery of the VW GX3

Ferdinand Peich, the Chairman of Volkswagen, wishes that the German automaker had purchased Ducati all the way back in 1985 when the iconic Italian motorcycle marque was experiencing financial troubles and was for sale. “I would still like a small, valuable motorcycle manufacturer,” says the 71-year-old Peich, who rides a Ducati himself. Considering the close ties that Volkswagen has with Porsche, which helped create Harley-Davidson’s sportiest models, we could imagine some amazing two-wheeled creations rolling out of Wolfsburg. In fact, there’s a certain three-wheeler called the GX3 that we’d love to see back in the product pipeline ASAP.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Filed under: SUVs, Volkswagen

Volkswagen has apparently seen the same gap in its SUV lineup that we did when the Tiguan was introduced. According to Autocar, the Germans are working on a mid-sizer that would slot between the large Touareg2 and the smaller Tiguan, but have seating for seven.

Autocar says VW does not plan to base the vehicle on Audi’s Q5 platform or a stretched Tiguan. Instead the company is expected to utilize the much cheaper, next-generation Passat, which itself shares numerous parts with the next Golf. Sources say the larger SUV is planned for a 2011 intro with possible Skoda and Seat variants.

Anyone want to take a guess at what obscure nomadic tribe this one will be named after? Wikipedia lists at least two that begin with “T” that haven’t been used yet. There are the Toubou of Chad, but that’s a bit too easily pronounced. Our money’s on the Dutch Trekboers, as in “How much do you think the new VW Trekboer will cost?”

[Source: Autocar]

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, China, Volkswagen

The Volkwagen Lavida (or La Vida, perhaps) is VW’s China-only sedan that will go into production this summer. The car will be built in China by Shanghai Volkswagen, and could get the Chinese produced 1.4-liter TSI engine as well, but is more likely to come with a 1.8- or 2.0-liter engine.

As a testament to VW’s commitment to China, they haven’t skimped on the car: it gets the PQ34 platform that sits under other VW Group products like the Bora and A4. Planned as a luxury car that will compete with the Buick Excelle, the car is 100 mm longer than the Bora and has been called a “mini Phaeton” by the Chinese motoring press.

The car’s design has some split personalities and a bit of Zelig thrown in. If you look at the grille, it’s obviously a VW. If you look anywhere else, well, it could be any number of Asian sedans — but if you know it’s a VW, you can also see VW cues, like the rear door line at the wheel well. Shanghai VW is expected to sell 8,000 Lavidas in the second half of this year.

Thanks for the tip, 21cdb!

[Source: The Tycho]

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen

Click above for a high resolution version

It was only a matter of time before Abt got its hands on a Volkswagen R32. The hot hatch is no slouch in stock form with 250 horsepower, but Abt has boosted output to 370 bhp via a supercharger complete with a water-cooled intercooler. This knocks the 0-60 mph time down to 5.0 seconds flat and raises the top speed to 167 mph. Abt has also fitted the R32 with an adjustable sport suspension, as well as 19-inch BR wheels. Follow the jump for the press release.

[Source: Abt Sportline]

Continue reading Rabbit on ‘roids: Abt tunes the Volkswagen R32

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Filed under: Euro, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen

Click above for high-res gallery of the Golf GTI Pirelli

The Golf GTI Pirelli is back (but only in the UK right now). Celebrating its arrival after a 25-year absence, the Pirelli-themed Volkswagen hatchback features an enhanced version of the 2.0-liter T-FSI powerplant boosted to 230 PS (about 227 hp). Power is sent to the front wheels through a traditional 6-speed manual, or VW’s very nice twin-clutch DSG gearbox. The added 30 horses over the stock VW GTI drops the sprint time to 60 down to just 6.8 seconds and raises the hatchback’s maximum speed to 152 mph.

Differentiating itself from the standard GTI, the Pirelli version features a front splitter, side skirts, smoked rear lenses and tinted windows. Of course, it also gets 18-inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels wrapped in, you guessed it, Pirelli P-Zero tires. The Pirelli theme is carried to the interior with custom yellow-stitched sport seats and tire-tread imprints in all four seating positions. With a few added mechanical upgrades, several exterior enhancements, and a lot of interior branding, the GTI Pirelli package appears to be a slick package. That is, assuming you don’t tire of it. (Oh, come on, we just had to say that.)

After checking our archives, we noticed that Volkswagen actually previewed the GTI Pirelli at the Wörthersee show last year, and we’re happy to report that the spokes on each wheel are still exaggerated versions of the letter ‘P’.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading VW brings back Golf GTI Pirelli in the UK

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Filed under: Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Volkswagen

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE

“I think we’re gonna have to buy a Volkswagen,” I told me wife just hours after signing for the keys to a 2008 Jetta 2.5 SE. I had only done about four miles in the car and, already, the near-luxury interior and throaty exhaust had won me over.

But my wife was skeptical of a sedan’s ability to handle the needs of our pack-rat family even if it did have 170 horses. So I drove the handsome little VW a couple of days more before turning it over to her for toddler-toting duty. I felt sure she’d see the positives of German engineering by week’s end.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SE

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Volkswagen

A few of us around the Autoblog offices have made the case that the recently unveiled Volkswagen Passat CC should replace the current model and drop the “CC” prefix altogether. Both are fine looking vehicles, but there doesn’t seem to be any need for another variant carrying the Passat name. Well, apparently VW agrees with part of that argument and has updated its consumer web site with information about the new CC, while dropping the Passat moniker altogether. It’s a subtle marketing ploy that may or may not work, but will help to fill the gaping hole between the standard Passat and the soon-to-be-revived Phaeton nameplate.

Thanks for the tip Rob!

[Source: Volkswagen]

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Filed under: Time Warp, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen, Celebrities

When Volkswagen reintroduced the Rabbit to the U.S., it claimed that it was drawing on enthusiasts’ emotional connection with the Rabbit name, and it wants to draw on even more of that pop culture history with its latest advertising and marketing campaign. VW is referring to its new campaign as “DAS AUTO”, or literally as “the car.” A black 1964 Beetle called Max will be the star of the campaign as he it converses with such varied celebrities as Heidi Klum, David Hasselhoff (!) and Leonard Nimoy, among others.

According to Tim Ellis, the newly-appointed vice president of marketing at Volkswagen of America, “Max personifies Volkswagen’s American consumers and lets them know how Volkswagen understands and responds to what the people want.” Were people asking for talking VW Beetles? We’re not sure, but we’ll soon be finding out; Max and the DAS AUTO campaign will begin in earnest starting very soon, kicking off five new model launches: the Tiguan compact SUV, Routan minivan, CC, clean diesel Jetta TDI and Jetta SportsWagen.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen ist das Auto

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