Watch This Clever Ad For The New Volkswagen Golf

The latest ad for the new Volkswagen Golf in the Netherlands features a one very confused little dog as it harries its owner over the course of a normal day.

From strange behaviors to an unusual series of barks, it would seem this particular dog was raised in the garage. You can take a closer look at the video below to see just what we mean.

 

Rides : Check Out The All New 2013 VW CC R-Edition

Sorry, we had to. How many times can you reference Creedence Clearwater Revival in a story about a Volkswagen? For some Fortunate Son or daughter looking to get behind the wheel of the 2013 Volkswagen CC R-Line, we now know how much you'll have to pay the Penthouse Pauper. (Hey, we could do this all day).

MSRP for the R-Line edition of the Volkswagen CC is set at $32,195, not including a destination charge of $795. For that, buyers get unique R-Line visuals including a more sporting grille, projector-style fog lights, along with revised lower front fascia and side skirts. The R-Line also receives 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, while the cabin is fitted with a navigation system and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters augmenting the DSG dual-clutch transmission.

The CC R-Line debuted at Germany's Auto Mobil International show, and it comes equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four sending power to the front wheels. In addition to the DSG, a six-speed manual gearbox is available. The rest of the features list is essentially that of the CC's Sport Plus trim.

 

Press Release

PRICING FOR THE 2013 VOLKSWAGEN CC R-LINE STARTS AT $32,195

The only affordable four-door coupe now offers a sporty R-Line package
• Unique R-Line® styling, including an aggressive grille, projector-style foglights , and side skirts
• 18-inch "Mallory" aluminum-alloy wheels
• Standard RNS 315 navigation system
• DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission-equipped models gain paddle shifters

Herndon, VA - Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced pricing for the 2013 CC R-Line, the sportiest rendition of its ultra-stylish and luxurious four-door coupe. This newest addition to the CC lineup boasts bold styling cues, including an aggressive front end that incorporates a large lower air intake and projector-style foglights, side skirts, and R-Line badging. Other changes include dramatic 18-inch "Mallory" aluminum-alloy wheels, and stainless-steel R-Line scuff plates.

Under the hood, the CC R-Line is fitted with Volkswagen's award-winning, 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI® four-cylinder engine that generates 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters. All R-Line models are front-wheel drive. The 2013 CC R-line will start at $32,195 and go on sale at the end of 2012.

The 2013 CC model range:

2.0T Sport
The 2.0T Sport provides entry to the 2013 CC model range and starts at an MSRP of $30,250; it is available through special order. Standard equipment includes new 17-inch "Verme" aluminum-alloy wheels with all-season tires; Bi-Xenon headlights; LED taillights; LED license-plate illumination; rain-sensing windshield wipers; Climatronic® automatic dual-zone climate control; heated 12-way power front seats; touchscreen Premium VIII sound system with HD Radio, eight speakers, and a six-disc CD changer; Bluetooth® technology; iPod® connectivity; V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces; and matte chrome interior trim. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual with the option of a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic. The Sport model with LED Daytime Running Lights and Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) is available in dealerships for an MSRP of $30,610.

2.0T R-Line®
The R-Line starts at $32,195, and features 18-inch "Mallory" aluminum-alloy wheels with all-season 235/40 tires; RNS® 315 navigation system; multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters (DSG transmission only); R-Line stainless steel scuff plates; R-Line front bumper and side sill extensions; and R-Line badging on grille.

2.0T Sport Plus
This model opens at $32,850. The six-speed dual-clutch DSG is the only transmission offered.

2.0T Lux
The 2.0T Lux has an MSRP of $35,355 and comes standard with the six-speed DSG automatic transmission. Its additional standard features over Sport Plus include new 18-inch "St Louis" five-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels; brushed-aluminum interior trim; a power-tinted-glass sunroof; and ambient lighting.

VR6 4Motion® Executive
Compared with the 2.0T Lux, , the flagship CC adds: 4Motion all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission; Tiptronic® paddle shifters; a headlight washer system with heated nozzles; a rearview camera; the RNS 510 navigation system that features a 6.5-inch touchscreen; leather seating surfaces; "Interlagos" 18-inch polished aluminum-alloy wheels; memory seating and mirrors; ventilated front seats with driver's seat massage; Park Distance Control with front and rear proximity sensors; Dynaudio® Premium Sound System; and a power rear sunshade. The model has a base MSRP of $41,420.

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Volkswagen Scirocco GTS goes on sale in Europe

 

The Volkswagen Scirocco GTS has went on sale in Europe recently and in Germany its price starts at 28,100 euros.

According to the German based automaker, the Volkswagen Scirocco GTS is coming with 18-inch alloy wheels but this can be swapped for larger 19-inch rims. The look of the model is finished by the rear spoiler which has been inspired by the “R” and with the modified rear bumper with an integrated diffuser. The interior design of the Volkswagen Scirocco GTS is getting black leather seats with contrast red stitching, a flat-bottomed steering wheel with the same treatment as the leather seats, piano black accents, a special gear knob and GTS logos.
Volkswagen says that the Scirocco GTS is coming with a choice of four engines on the Old Continent, the 1.4 liter TSI petrol which is producing a total output of 160 HP, the 2.0 liter TSI with its 210 HP and the 2.0 liter TDI diesel in two outputs, with 140 HP or with 170 HP. The base starting price for the Volkswagen Scirocco GTS in Germany has been set at 28,100 euros but this can quickly go up to 33,525 euros, depending on the engine and optional features chosen.

Rides : Volkswagen finally, really, taking over Porsche

After several snags, fits, stops and starts, and even a temporary fear by executives the deal might not get done, German automaker Volkswagen is all set to close the deal to acquire Porsche.

On one hand, the deal may sound incongruous to the average consumer and car buyer. VW, which literally translates to "the people's car," buying one of the most prestigious and exclusive brands in the world. But, in reality, the managements and ownership of the two companies have been entwined for decades since the end of World War Two.

Perhaps one of the most ironic twists in the deal that will finally bring Porsche under the Volkswagen AG umbrella, is that it comes after the much smaller Porsche had tried in 2008 and 2009 to acquire the much larger Volkswagen. Porsche's former CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking, considered almost the Lee Iacocca of the European auto industry, tried to engineer the deal through a complex and shady web of financial maneuvers and investments that came completely unglued and almost bankrupted Porsche.

The failure of the deal completely ruined what had been an 18-year, storied career for Wiedeking.

Indeed, after Porsche attempted the hostile takeover of VW, it was Volkswagen that came to Porsche's rescue. The deal has been delayed while the companies and the lawyers have been trying to sort out who will be on the hook for a number of shareholder lawsuits should they get decided in the favor of the plaintiffs.

The deal that is being solidified today, which will result in VW's full ownership of Porsche on August 1, was actually begun in 2009.

The connections between VW and Porsche have been many.

The connections between VW and Porsche have been many. Let's start with the fact that VW supervisory board chairman Ferdinand Piech is also part of the Porsche-Piech clan that holds a controlling stake in Porsche AG. The two companies have done business and collaborated on vehicles for decades. The current Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, for example, were engineered by Porsche and share a chassis. Going back in even further, of course, Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Volkswagen Beetle for the Nazi Party in 1930s Germany – the car on which the present day Volkswagen AG was literally built after the war.

How will the deal work and what does it mean? Because Volkswagen already owns part of Porsche, the deal will be classified as a restructuring to avoid 1.5 billion euros in taxes that usually follow a merger or acquisition. It's good to have the clout of Piech and Porsche in German politics. After all, we are pretty sure Germany could use the money, what with the country bailing out Greece and all.

VW will pay Porsche shareholders $5.61 billion for the 50.1 percent it does not already own.

VW will pay Porsche shareholders $5.61 billion for the 50.1 percent it does not already own. Then companies will continue to build cars together, finding engineering efficiencies like the one created around the Cayenne and Touareg.

And it's not as if VW doesn't know how to manage luxury brands. It also owns Bentley, Audi, Lamborghini and Bugatti. Indeed, Porsche's influence will be seen in future Bentleys and Audis for sure, though the brands will remain fiercely independent.

The deal is seen as a big positive for both companies by investors, who drove VW and Porsche shares higher on Thursday. 

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Volkswagen to start building Porsches this fall

Volkswagen still has to go over the river and through the woods before it can close the deal to take over Porsche, but this fall it will begin building them. Primary Boxster production will commence this summer at Porsche's factory in Zuffenhausen, where the 911 is also built.

Overflow production will be handled by VW at its Osnabrück plant, which also handles assembly for the VW Golf Cabriolet and overflow Porsche Cayman production. The arrangement isn't unexpected, with plans for the Osnabrück option mentioned as far back as 2010.

Rides : Check Out The All New Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet

Who says you can't have the best of both worlds? Certainly not Volkswagen, which has just dropped the top on its new Golf GTI Cabriolet in advance of its debut at the rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show.

Previewed in concept form (alongside an even sportier Golf R Cabrio concept) at the Wörthersee gathering last June, the Golf GTI Cabriolet – as you might have guessed – combines the best attributes of the Golf GTI and Golf Cabriolet. (Which, when you think about it, is not unlike the approach taken by big brother Bugatti with its Veyron Vitesse, only much smaller and just slightly more affordable.) It includes the GTI's 2.0-liter turbo four and six-speed gearbox (manual or DSG), electronic limited-slip differential, 17-inch alloys and all the visual cues that go with 'em, but with the power folding fabric roof from the cabrio.

 

Press Release

VOLKSWAGEN LIFTS THE LID ON NEW GOLF GTI CABRIOLET

The most powerful production Golf Cabriolet ever is set to be unveiled next week at the Geneva Motor Show.

Pictured here for the first time, the Golf GTI Cabriolet packs in all the performance and practicality of the GTI hatchback, and adds the pleasures of open-air motoring for four, thanks to an electrically powered fabric roof which can be folded away in just 9.5 seconds, even while travelling at speeds of up to 18 mph.

Visually, the Golf GTI Cabriolet has all the classic GTI design cues. The radiator grille has a honeycomb structure with red edging and the GTI badge, while the front bumper incorporates a deep honeycomb air dam and distinctive vertical fog lights. Side sill extensions help give the GTI a wide, well-planted stance, while a bespoke rear diffuser is framed by a chrome tailpipe on either side. Smoked LED tail lights complete the look. As on the GTI hatchback, standard wheels are 17-inch 'Monza' alloys.

Under the insulated fully automatic roof are four individual seats covered in the classic tartan 'Jacara' cloth upholstery; 'Vienna' leather upholstery is optional. The bespoke GTI multifunction steering wheel is wrapped in leather, as are the handbrake and gear lever gaiter, all finished with contrasting red stitching. The pedals have brushed stainless steel caps, while there are black 'Edge' decorative inlays on the doors and facia. The hood lining and roof pillar trims are all finished in black.

Under the bonnet is the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the GTI hatchback, mated to either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or optional six-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox and producing 210 PS. The benchmark zero to 62 mph sprint is covered in 7.3 seconds with either transmission (versus 6.9 seconds for the hatch), while top speed is 147 mph (146 mph for the DSG).

Maximum torque of 206 lbs ft (280 Nm) is available from just 1,700 rpm to 5,300 rpm, at which point maximum horsepower is achieved. This broad torque band helps to make the GTI an excellent cruiser – even at low revs in a high gear, the reserves of torque make the GTI's performance easy to tap in to. A standard EDS electronic differential lock and XDS transverse differential lock help to ensure that the power is easily transferred to the road.

Safety is every bit as much a priority as performance. As with all Golf Cabriolet models, the GTI comes with automatically deploying rollover protection, front and side head/thorax airbags and a driver's knee airbag as standard, all of which helped it to achieve a five-star (96 per cent) rating for adult occupancy in Euro NCAP crash tests.

The Golf GTI Cabriolet goes on sale in the UK in the second half of the year. Prices and further specification details will be announced closer to the on-sale date. For more details on this and the rest of Volkswagen's award-winning range of cars, please visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Rides : Volkswagen to unveil production Golf GTI Cabriolet in Geneva

If you were watching the news out of Wörthersee last year, you may recall the Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet concept pictured above. The show car debuted at the annual Volkswagen fan-fest in Austria, alongside an even hotter Golf R Cabriolet and a whole mess of other machinery from the burgeoning German auto empire. But that was the last we heard of it ... until now.

Reports coming in from across the pond indicate that Volkswagen is planning to actually build the GTI Cabrio, and that it will unveil the production version at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show next month. Although Volkswagen has offered the GTI's engine in versions of the Golf Cabriolet and Eos in some markets, this would only be the second time that a full-on GTI convertible will be offered from the factory, complete with the suspension and other bits that go along with it.

Word has it that the GTI Cabrio would be the final swan song for the current sixth-generation Golf before it's replaced next year. But if that's not enough, VW is also tipped to be preparing the hotter 268-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Golf R Cabrio for production as well.

Rides : Check Out The All New 2013 Volkswagen CC

Sleek Four-Door Coupe Noses Upmarket

Vital Stats

Engine:

3.6L V6

Power:

295 HP / 258 LB-FT

Transmission:

6-Speed DSG

0-60 Time:

5.5 Seconds (100 km/h)

Top Speed:

155 MPH

Drivetrain:

All-Wheel Drive

Seating:

2+2

MPG:

25.3 MPG (comb.)

MSRP:

$40,500 (est.)

When European deliveries of the then new Volkswagen Passat CC started back in late 2007, even in its home market, the know-it-alls received it with skepticism. There didn't seem to be any burning need for a sexed-up four-door based on a Passat chassis. Was there an audience large enough for a Mercedes-Benz CLS-inspired sedan for the coupe-loving common family?

Apparently the smug automotive intelligentsia was wrong about the CC. In four years, the image-enhancing four-door with the swoopy body has quietly sold 320,000 units worldwide. Last we checked, that's a lot for something supposedly meant to fill a niche.

For the 2013 model year, the CC is receiving a mid-life updo in the form of several small but important touches. The unfortunate news is that many of the premium upgrades happening in this freshened CC for the European market will not come out to play in North America. But enough of them will, making a First Drive the proper thing to do. Besides, it's the least we could do when VW has finally changed the name of the car worldwide from the European "Passat CC" to the simpler "CC" moniker favored Stateside.

Whereas the 2.0-liter inline TSI four-cylinder in Europe yields up to 208 horsepower (SAE rated), the United States version in the CC still rates 200 hp. As to the desirable 3.6-liter V6 engine, Europeans get 295 hp, while the U.S. remains 280 hp strong. The new exterior paint seen here, Black Oak Brown Metallic, is really a handsome shade, but sadly it won't be crossing the ocean either. Likewise, these very slick optional 18x8-inch Lakeville alloys on our VR6 4Motion will stay in Europe, the U.S. car holding onto the standard Interlagos design. And no 19x8-inch optional Lugano alloys available either. Poop.

While this is beginning to sound like VW's Grinch stole Christmas, all of the major aesthetic changes in the exterior and interior look will indeed come over on the boat from the Emden factory in northern Germany. These include an all-new front fascia, more pronounced skirts between axles, all-new bi-xenon headlights and LED taillights, a hood sans power bulge, and greater chrome accents outside and inside. Still, 'tis a shame we don't get the added beef in the engines, several Phaeton-like optional safety technologies, very upmarket optional adjustable front seats with heat and massage functions, or the wider range of exterior and interior color schemes.



Two range changes specific to the North America CC are the temporary substitution of a Sport Plus trim for the current R-Line trim and the creation of a front-wheel-drive Lux model available with the 3.6-liter V6. The racier R-Line look will make more of a splash this time around as a special edition later on. The explanation for the availability of the VR6 engine in a standard chassis with spinning front tires is that there is a temporary capacity challenge for VR6 4Motion production due to higher-than-expected demand worldwide. This new model offering should do a nice job of filling the wide price gap between the top 2.0T Lux Limited trim and 3.6 4Motion Executive trim.

For now, the freshened CC is the only Volkswagen model with the vertical chrome slats in the grille, but this will change as other models in the lineup reach their refreshening dates. The new satin-finish chromed plastic accents on the inside lend the CC a certain elegance, though the plastic is fairly common to the touch.



Volkswagen bosses at our event in the south of France were intent on urging upon us the Phaeton-like luxury effect on this mid-life CC. Whereas the European trim cars come closer to supporting this highbrow notion, North American CCs convince us of this boast primarily in the much more exclusive-feeling front fascia, the more premium-looking LED taillight units (with clever "CC" style graphics), and contained decibel levels while driving made possible with the acoustic five-layer glass in the windshield and front-side windows, as well as with the low 0.28 coefficient of drag. All the while, the comfortable four-seat confines of the CC sets it nicely apart from the mid-size four-door fray.

Our drive in the VR6 4Motion, with its newly enhanced stability control integrating VW's XDS electronic differential braking for improved cornering prowess, was decidedly vigorous on the region's sun-warmed roads. The additional punch of the European 3.6-liter V6 can be clearly felt, but our memories of the CC with this engine at 280 hp and 265 pound-feet of torque (actually greater than the 258 lb-ft in the European trim) are hardly less vivid. This V6's greatest ally is the standard six-speed dual-clutch DSG with Sport mode and steering wheel-mounted shift paddles. The paddles' response time for upshifts and downshifts in "S" mode are spot on. In fact, we'd wager to say that Mercedes-Benz and many BMW models could stand to take a lesson or two in software tweaking from this Borg Warner wet clutch setup.



The front-biased 4Motion all-wheel-drive system using its Haldex center differential is another great piece of work that lets this PQ46 chassis sing. Together with the XDS-enhanced ESP programming, the top-of-the-line CC is really sensational when pushed – beyond our expectations, in fact. The standard Continental ContiSportContact 3 all-season tires – 235/40 R18 (95W) front and rear – didn't show much sign of mushiness as the heat built up through the roads' seemingly never-ending rally-worthy tight curves, and the standard brake set actually faded minimally through all this activity over about 80 miles of twisting two-lane.

But, given the timid upgrades to the North American CCs, can this particular trim starting at around $40,500 when it arrives in March outdo the mighty beak of the slightly larger Acura TL SH-AWD at about the same price when comparably equipped? Or the nicely equipped 2013 Cadillac ATS with its 3.6 V6? We really enjoyed our drive over the French-speaking mountains, but we suspect the 2013 CC VR6 4Motion may find increasing sales a bit tougher as the competition increases.



We'll soon see. This coupe-style sedan is apparently not only here to stay, but also to conquer. Staging last December's global reveal of this latest CC at the Los Angeles Auto Show would seem to indicate that VW is intent on making the CC an even bigger player in the USA. And the buying public has warmed up to it remarkably well while we weren't looking. That'll show us.