Displaying items by tag: Volkswagen

VW's celebrating 50 years of the Golf, but this is all the celebration we'll get

Volkswagen revealed the updated Golf to the world late Tuesday, marking the nameplate's 50th anniversary with an overhauled (but not all-new) lineup that will come to our shores in the form of the 2025 GTI. Sadly, it'll be packing light this year, as there's no need to bring the manual gearbox along. Like the Golf itself in America, the manual GTI is but a memory. While its dual-clutch gearbox may be a downgrade in engagement from a real-deal manual, it's still an excellent transmission that is equally at home on the street or track, so let's not write off the GTI's enthusiast credentials just yet. And there's good news from a daily driving standpoint too, as VW has heard the criticisms of its touch-based infotainment system and not only updated the underlying tech, but brought back some key physical controls to boot.

As the great philosopher John Dorian once said, little victories count for a lot around here, and if you can look past the departure of the manual transmission, the Mk8.5 GTI is littered with them. Power is up from 241 horses to 262 (VW says this spec is for European models, but we don't expect much to change); that's six horsepower less than the plug-in hybrid (and not-for-America) GTE, which continues to strike us as deliberate. No torque figure was available at publication time, but with power still coming from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, it's unlikely we'll see much increase from the 273 pound-feet offered in the outgoing GTI.

Then there's the cabin. We've bemoaned the current (above left) GTI's over-reliance on touch tech since release, and while the return of physical wheel controls (above right) is certainly fantastic to see, perhaps the biggest news here is that we're getting a new version of the software suite underpinning it all. It would be easier to live with VW's tech if it worked as intended, but the existing infotainment system has a reputation for simply not booting up at times (or crashing with uncommon frequency even if it does).

And due to its integration with the rest of the car's computers, issues with a modern infotainment system can rapidly escalate to show-stoppers. VW says it's MIB4 infotainment system should address the complaints leveled at the previous tech and offer more features to boot. As an added bonus, with the new floating infotainment screen, we get a redesigned center stack featuring illuminated climate controls that VW says should be more ergonomically friendly. Those are small wins, sure, but surely they'll improve the GTI's day-to-day livability.

Apart from the updated cabin and tweaked powertrain, there's not a ton more to the Mk 8.5 GTI. VW's release detailed the rest of its European-market variants less three — the GTI Clubsport, Golf R and Golf R wagon. Those three will be revealed later in 2024 and will likely hit European showrooms in time for 2025. Of the models revealed Tuesday, only the GTI is due to come stateside; it and the Golf R were the only models not discontinued in the U.S. after 2021. Look for more on the R when it launches in Europe, at which point we should learn about VW's plans to bring it here.

Source: autoblog.com

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The German brand has informed dealers in Germany that conventionally powered cars will rise in price by 4.4 percent, citing inflation as the reason.

In a letter to dealers, Volkswagen announced that "significant price increases in the field of raw materials, energy sources and equipment" are actually the reason for this price increase. This price increase applies exclusively to models with an internal combustion engine, such as the Golf, Tiguan, Passat wagon, Polo and T-Roc.

All gasoline and diesel Volkswagens will have new prices from February 23. "Even Volkswagen cannot avoid high inflation." "While we are doing our best with long-term contracts, tactical investments and efficiency gains, the impact on price cannot be fully compensated," Volkswagen said in a letter.

Dealers, already worried about poor sales, criticized this decision by the Wolfsburg-based company. "I am shocked. Our sales are falling, and they are raising prices," said a Volkswagen salesperson who wished to remain anonymous.

Many dealers feel that prices should actually be lowered, due to the uncertainty of buyers in this economic environment. However, Volkswagen is not the only one raising prices, as the average price of a new car in Germany increased by as much as 5,000 euros last year.

Published in Blog/News
Thursday, 16 February 2023 05:47

The electric Golf is coming

After 14 years at the top of Europe's best-selling car list, the Volkswagen Golf lost its throne to the Peugeot 208 in 2022.

In fact, the compact car from Wolfsburg didn't even make it onto the podium as the affordable Dacia Sandero came second, while Volkswagen's T-Roc crossover took third place. The small Fiat/Abarth 500 came in fourth place "closely" ahead of the Golf, while Toyota's subcompact hatchback Yaris is not far behind, writes Klix.ba

In order to improve sales, Volkswagen is working on a refreshed version of the eighth generation Golf, which will go on sale in 2024. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that the German giant is thinking about the future and is preparing a popular name for the inevitable electric future. Autocar writes that ID. The Life concept presented at the Munich fair in 2021 is "dead", but that the new concept will be presented in March.

This concept will herald a new electric car that will be a production model for 2025, and will also become the first Volkswagen Group car to use the MEB-Plus platform developed for front-wheel drive. The platform is believed to support the two electric motors required for the four-wheel drive models. The British magazine calls the concept the ID.2 model, but insiders claim that the production car will actually carry the Golf name.

In terms of dimensions, the car will be longer than the Polo, but shorter than the conventional Golf with a length of around 4,250 mm. A dedicated platform for the electric car will result in a short overhang to maximize the wheelbase and allow for the interior space offered by the Golf. The car is expected to weigh between 1,600 and 1,700 kg and will also get a GTI version.

Autocar's source from the company revealed that the decision has been made to abandon the GTX suffix, which is currently used for the sportier versions of the ID.4 and ID.5 models. Also, the powerful hatchback ID.3 and the high-performance van ID are expected to follow. Buzz.

In May at the earliest, we could see a new electric concept that announces the electric GTI, and if that doesn't happen, then the premiere is possible in September.

Although the Golf based on the MQB platform and with conventional engines is produced in Wolfsburg, the electric model will be produced by SEAT at the Martorell plant in Spain. It is also where the Cupra Urban Rebel will be produced. Skoda will also get its version of a small electric car.

If the information is correct, it means that the eighth generation Golf will peacefully coexist with its electric "cousin" for several years. Given the arrival of a redesigned model based on the MQB platform in 2024, that means VW intends to sell it until at least 2027 or 2028. In the end, the company will be forced to consign the gasoline and diesel versions to history, as the European Union has voted to ban the sale of new vehicles with SUS engines from 2035 onwards.

Published in Blog/News
Monday, 19 December 2022 07:58

Volkswagen announced a new electric crossover

Volkswagen plans large investments in electromobility and announces a new crossover model. The German auto giant will invest 460 million euros in the modernization of the factory in Wolfsburg, which will prepare it for the production of electric models.

The production of models on the MEB mechanical platform should start already next year. This was confirmed by Thomas Schaefer, the first man of Volkswagen, who told the workers that the production of the ID.3 model will start next year, and that the factory will work at full capacity from 2024.

"Volkswagen represents electromobility for everyone. And Wolfsburg will be part of this success story," said Schaefer.

"Increasing the production capacity of the ID.3 is the first important step towards the electrification of our main plant. Along with the restyled ID.3, a new crossover is coming to the market that will use the renewed MEB platform."

The new MEB+ platform, as the biggest innovation, brings batteries with new technology, which, according to Volkswagen officials, will offer a range of up to 700 km.

Also, future models will be able to charge on 200 kW fast chargers.

"The new model will ideally complement our best-selling ID.4 and ID.5. In this way, we intend to further expand our market position and provide our customers with the high-quality vehicles they expect from us," said Šefer.

Interestingly, the MEB platform will remain in production until further notice. A total of 10 electric models have been announced until 2026, and among them is a new entry-level model with a price of 25,000 euros.

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Recently, Volkswagen's CEO and chairman of the board of Seat, Thomas Schaefer, told the UK's Autocar the following:

"We are not killing Seat. We just need to decide on its future. We are still working on plans for Seat. Everything is fine until 2028 or 2029. It is an entry-level brand for young buyers. It is really doing well in Europe, especially Spain, the UK and Austria."

It is interesting that despite the drop in sales of Seat, the CEO of Volkswagen reassures British journalists and says that they do not intend to kill Seat. This becomes even more interesting when it is known that a little later in the conversation for Autocar Schaefer adds that the Cupra is the future of Seat, that it is its new version.

It is she who must first undergo electrification.

But Schaefer claims that they are still working on the direction Seat will go. He also says that it may be a "mobility brand", but it is difficult to say what is hidden behind such a phrase. Seat fans suspect that it is no good.

Cupra instead of Seat?

Cupra is certainly a success of the VW group, writes the website Automobili.ba. From a name that stands for a package of equipment, they developed a new brand from scratch that hit the wallets of customers.

Although at first it was thought that it was just a rebranded Seat, after Cupra presented the Formentor - no one was laughing anymore.

If you don't believe that this is a sales hit, just look at the numbers - 50,000 units sold in 2021, and this year will be even better, because by the end of August alone, 57,000 vehicles have already found buyers.

Meanwhile, since the Cupra made its debut as a separate brand, Seat sales have started to fall month after month. In July 2022, they sold 45% less than in July 2021, and in August that drop was 42%.

According to information from the British Autocar, Seat has the lowest priority in the VW group in terms of semiconductor procurement, and it also does not offer any electric cars.

Cupra has Born. Some may not remember, but this car was presented in concept form in 2019 as the Seat El-Born, but then suddenly disappeared from Seat and reappeared under the Cupra logo. Coincidence or not?

VW realized that the Cupra hit the target group perfectly

Young people with money buy a car with emotions, eyes, and only then with calculations. Also, there is the Spanish temperament which is visible at first glance.

If Seat does not take the job seriously, its future will not be bright, because the Volkswagen group, like any large concern, is not too sentimental.

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By returning the mileage, fraudsters can increase the value of a used car by several thousand euros per vehicle, but Volkswagen and Audi say that they have been using technology for several years that almost completely prevents this.

Adjusting the mileage is routine today and is offered from as little as 50 euros. The police assume that every third used car sold in Germany has a fixed mileage.

Fraudsters increase the value by an average of 3,000 euros per car, deceiving car buyers or leasing companies. The estimated total damage in Germany is around 6 billion euros per year.

EU Regulation 2017/1151 formally stipulates that the mileage in a car must be kept, and the law applies to new vehicle models from September 2017, and from 2018 to all new cars. However, until today, there is a lack of detailed regulation on what this protection should look like and which neutral body should check it.

The result of all this is that cheating continues, but not on all cars.

When browsing the relevant used vehicle websites, ADAC experts noticed that this no longer applies to the Audi A3 (from 2020) and VW Golf 8 (from late 2019).

These models appear to be better protected against mileage fraud than many competitors. The reason is the new computer chips with HSM (Hardware Secure Module) which are used to protect the mileage. Volkswagen announces further measures to prevent odometer reading, according to HAK magazine.

Published in Blog/News
Friday, 16 September 2022 06:32

Volkswagen is discontinuing another model

At Volkswagen, they have decided to cross paths with sedans, at least when it comes to versions that run on fossil fuels.

After deciding to withdraw the sedan Passat from the range, the giant from Wolfsburg has reportedly decided that the larger Arteon will also follow the eternal hunting ground. The good news for all fans is that it won't happen overnight, but a worthy replacement is on the way.

Namely, as Automotive News has learned, the Arteon will not be reissued, and the current generation will retire in 2024. It will be replaced by the electric ID model. Aero, which announced the concept earlier this year.

As is known, ID. The Aero uses the MEB platform, and the announced concept offered a range of 620 km combined with 77 kWh batteries. After that, a production model should appear, which will most likely see the light of day on the Chinese market for the first time.

Let's also say that the smaller Jet model should be withdrawn from the American market due to reduced interest. When it comes to the Golf, all options are still open.

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German car manufacturers warn that there are more and more fake auto parts on the market. It harms them, and it can be very dangerous for road users.

When Lita Silje Jeniš talks about her job, she sounds like a police detective. A story about raids, hidden production facilities, about organized crime. A story about a network of counterfeiters, about people who organize it all, about seizures. However, Jeniš does not work in the police.

She is a lawyer and works for Mercedes-Benz. It deals with brand protection and tries to detect counterfeit Mercedes parts and remove them from the market.

"Counterfeit products pose a significant risk to customers," says Jenish.

For example, brake parts with less valuable components, which in practice means a longer braking distance. Or brake discs that contain toxic substances such as lead or arsenic. Windshields made of ordinary window glass. Air filters that are not made of fire resistant material. The list is long.

More and more fakes

According to data from car manufacturers, counterfeit parts are often discovered and withdrawn from sale. Volkswagen announced that counterfeit parts worth 14 million euros were seized last year for that brand of vehicle alone. That is almost twice as much as a year earlier (eight million).

More than 1.86 million counterfeit parts were discovered at Mercedes in 2021 as part of 650 raids by the German authorities. That is six percent more than in 2020.

"There is nothing that is not there," says lawyer Jeniš. The offer includes Mercedes stars, aluminum rims, airbags, windshield wipers, and even parts for brakes and spark plugs for the engine.

Engineer Thomas Schuster from the KÜS organization, in charge of the technical inspection of vehicles, says that this trend is increasing. Some parts, he says, are of such poor quality that they can endanger traffic safety. But there are also parts that are good enough, so to speak, faithful copies of the original - this in turn causes huge economic damage to the manufacturers.

Danger for road users

Counterfeit parts are often quickly detected during a technical inspection of the vehicle, at least those that are visible at first glance. Original parts or parts that have been "copied" with the express permission of the manufacturer have a control number on them. But what about the parts that aren't visible unless the car is taken apart?

"Air filters, spark plugs or brake discs are installed so we can't see if they're counterfeit," notes Schuster. In contrast, fake rims or lights are easy to see. The latter is dangerous in traffic because bad headlights can dazzle drivers from the opposite direction.

Often the drivers themselves can suspect that they are being tricked by a fake.

"Consumers should be aware that in the case of a large price difference compared to original parts, something is simply not right," says Schuster.

The automotive industry invests great efforts in the fight against counterfeit parts. The VW concern has strengthened its cooperation with the authorities in Germany and abroad. Mercedes, as lawyer Jeniš says, collects information, cooperates with customs, digs online stores and helps investigative authorities during raids.

Porsche did not provide specific data on counterfeits, but they said that they are carefully monitoring what is happening on large platforms such as eBay, Amazon or Alibaba.

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2022 Volkswagen Golf R Review: Practical Performance — for a Price

volkswagen-golf-r-2-0t-2022-01-blue-compact-exterior-front-angleThe verdict: The redesigned 2022 Volkswagen Golf R hatchback is a refined, entertaining and versatile performance car. Its well-roundedness doesn’t come cheap, however, and some shoppers might not appreciate VW’s newfound love of touch-sensitive controls.

Versus the competition: Competitors like the Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai Veloster N and Subaru WRX STI have racier styling, but none offer the blend of refinement and performance you get with the Golf R.

Last offered in the U.S. for the 2019 model year, the 2022 Golf R is based on the redesigned, eighth-generation Golf platform, which also underpins the 2022 Golf GTI. The regular Golf hatchback is no longer offered in the U.S.

 

The Golf R is offered in one well-equipped trim level with a standard six-speed manual transmission; the lone option is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which costs $800. Our test car had the manual, and its as-tested price was $44,640 (including a $995 destination charge). In consideration of our December test drive, the car’s standard summer performance tires had been swapped for Pirelli Sottozero 3 winter tires.

Great to Drive

Everything about the Golf R driving experience is light and slick. It steers with a light touch, the clutch pedal depresses easily, and the shifter flicks easily between gears whether you’re shifting up or down. The shifter is on the taller side for a performance car, but it works well nonetheless.

One of the Golf R’s most impressive attributes is how forgiving its standard adaptive suspension is when in the Comfort setting, especially considering its low-profile 35-series tires. Our test car’s winter tires may have helped matters a bit thanks to their soft rubber compound, but the suspension soaks up bumps well. Selecting the car’s Race mode changes the experience by offering a firmer ride, weightier steering and a louder exhaust sound.

 

 
New
 

Comfortable, Minimalist Interior

The Golf R’s cabin has a sleek, minimalist aesthetic that includes many touch-sensitive controls, though not as many as the brand’s all-electric ID.4 compact SUV. The touch controls worked surprisingly well with gloved hands even without touchscreen-compatible material on some fingertips. Still, the touch-sensitive climate-control bar is difficult to use at night because it’s not backlit, and I occasionally hit the wrong steering-wheel control by mistake.

 

 
The Golf R’s dashboard and upper portion of the front doors are finished in soft-touch material, and the front doors have large bottleholders. A large bin in front of the shifter includes a wireless charging pad, but the storage bin under the front center armrest is small. The armrest is adjustable for height and length — a nice touch.

The standard 10-inch dashboard touchscreen includes controls for the climate system and heated and ventilated front seats, as well as the navigation and multimedia systems. The screen is intuitive, and it was easy to set up wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. The multimedia system also includes wireless Android Auto.

The rear seat is a bit upright, but overall space for adult passengers is adequate. The outboard rear seats have seat heaters, and the 60/40-split backrest folds nearly flat with the cargo floor. There’s a center pass-through to the cargo area, and the Golf R has 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the backseat up and 34.5 cubic feet with it down, according to Volkswagen’s measurements. (We didn’t get the opportunity to apply Cars.com’s methods to this vehicle.)

Safety and Driver-Assist Features

As of publication, the Golf R hadn’t been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Standard active-safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane-keeping assist, rear automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights and Travel Assist, the latter of which works from 0-95 mph and uses the lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control systems to center the car in its lane and manage vehicle speed.

Should You Buy the Golf R?

If you need one car to do it all — carry people, carry stuff and take on a winding back road — the Golf R could very well be that car. It’s rewarding to drive and has a measure of practicality you won’t find in many high-performance cars. However, the R’s price premium over a Golf GTI — $14,100 over the base version and $5,650 more than the GTI’s well-equipped Autobahn trim level — is steep. This will give some shoppers pause, but those who take the plunge will be happy they did.

https://www.cars.com/articles/2022-volkswagen-golf-r-review-practical-performance-for-a-price-445788/

 

Published in Volkswagen
Tuesday, 18 January 2022 08:53

Volkswagen Lamando L

China's SAIC-Volkswagen has also officially unveiled the new Volkswagen Lamando L, which replaces the current generation Lamando introduced more than six years ago.

With a new exterior design and a more modern interior (10.0-inch digital instruments, new 12.0-inch infotainment system, head-up display), a longer list of safety and driver assistance systems is mentioned, as well as the new Lamando L based on the Volkswagen MQB Here's the platform.

The length of the vehicle is 4784 mm, width 1831 mm, height 1469 mm, while the wheelbase is 2731 mm.

Initially, only the 1.4 TSI turbo petrol with 110 kW / 150 hp and 250 Nm will be offered, with a 7-speed DSG transmission.

Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h takes 8.5 seconds, while fuel consumption is 5.92 l / 100 km.

Six colors will be available to customers, namely Cigar gray, Sky red pepper, Pepper white, Rock tea gray, Mint blue and Agave blue.

In terms of price, the Lamando L in China starts at 150,000 yuan (20,665 euros).

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