Volkswagen Automobiles Blog

Been away from your computer this week and missed all the automotive news? We’ve gathered a few of the top stories of the past week along with the weekend racing schedule for your convenience. 2012 Automobile of the Year: Audi A7 We announced that the Audi A7 is our Automobile of ...    Read more

Volkswagen’s Dutch division recently introduced an interesting new camper van – although seeing as the vehicle is essentially a second-generation Microbus, we’re not entirely sure “new” is the appropriate word. Although the T2 “bay window” Bus was replaced in Europe by the Vanagon in late 1979, it wasn’t eradicated from ...    Read more

Been away from your computer this week and missed all the automotive news? We’ve gathered a few of the top stories of the past week along with the weekend racing schedule for your convenience. First Look: 2012 Mini Roadster Mini has added a sixth model to its range in the form ...    Read more

For those that live in Europe, Volkswagen has announced pricing and the cosmetic upgrades the R-Line packages bring for the facelifted 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. Available only for the “Sport” and “Style” trim levels, visual upgrades can be applied to ...    Read more

Volkswagen’s already shown its latest rally weapon – the Polo R WRC car – to the world, but as the 2013 World Rally Championship season grows ever closer, the automaker’s motorsports teams are hard at work testing and readying ...    Read more

Automotive design is a somewhat familial affair. And since most of Volkswagen’s portfolio now abides by the company’s new design language, it’s not too surprising to see the revised 2013 CC – which officially debuts later this month at the 2011 Los Angeles auto show – is now more stylistically ...    Read more

Well, so much for the Chevrolet Cruze’s dominance in the compact car market. After a five-month reign at the top of the pile, the two stalwarts of the segment – the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic – have regained their dominance in the numbers one and two spots, according ...    Read more

October was the first month in 2011 where four new, unconventional hatchbacks -- the Mini Coupe, Honda CR-Z, Hyundai Veloster, and Volkswagen Beetle – all competed against one another. The four take unconventional roads towards the same goal--the blend of convenience, fuel economy, and driving fun--and might attract different buyers, ...    Read more

It was a red October for Porsche, which had been on an upward climb through the end of summer and the start of fall season. Regardless, Porsche is keeping a positive attitude. "We're very pleased with our year-to-date results," said President and CEO, Detlev von Platen. "October's sales numbers are expectedly ...    Read more

The mix-up in the hotly contested midsize sedan segment seems to be over as Japanese manufacturers recover volume. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which had been in short supply in the wake of the March 11th earthquake in Japan, have regained the foothold as the leaders of the ...    Read more

Whispers of a sub-R8 mid-engined Audi sports car – theoretically dubbed the R4 – are nothing new. That said, we’re now hearing some rumors that the car could, in fact, be built with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine in tow. Rumors of the R4 first emerged after the Volkswagen BlueSport concept ...    Read more

It’s that time of the year again, and Consumer Reports has gathered data from 1.3 million subscribers to predict reliability on new models. Japanese brands still continue to dominate, while Ford has taken a nosedive with the worst results from the domestics. The new 2012 Ford Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus have ...    Read more

Cramming people into small Volkswagens has become a something of a tradition -- one that apparently continues today. A total of 16 VW employees recently stuffed themselves into the German automakers newest subcompact, the Up! Measuring 139.4 inches long, 64.6 inches wide, and 58.3 inches wide, the Up! receives a ...    Read more

No, this isn’t the high-performance Volkswagen Polo we’ve been promised, but it’s a step in the right direction. Volkswagen has launched R-Line customization packages for the European-market Polo hatchback. While there are no performance upgrades, the R-Line trim makes the Polo look sportier. The R-Line Exterior upgrade kit costs €1010 for ...    Read more

BMW and Volkswagen are each considering buying shares of carbon-fiber manufacturer SGL Carbon, in bids to control the manufacturer. Carbon fiber will be increasingly important for small electric cars planned by both BMW and Volkswagen. Volkswagen is reportedly planning on increasing its stake in SGL from 8.2 percent to 15 or ...    Read more

The saga between Volkswagen and Suzuki is nothing short of a never-ending story. As recently as this past Friday, Suzuki was getting ready to take legal action to dissolve the two companies’ partnership, but Volkswagen now says it doesn’t plan on letting go of its stake in the Japanese automaker. ...    Read more

Suzuki Motor Corporation has issued a legal notice to Volkswagen Group, claiming that the German company has breached a contract for the two automakers to work in partnership. In a statement issued last Friday, Suzuki CEO Osamu Suzuki said, “This capital alliance was intended to facilitate Suzuki's access to VW’s core ...    Read more

To help ensure simple electric car charging methods for the future, several car manufacturers -- including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche, and Volkswagen -- are working together to establish a standard protocol for rapid electric vehicle charging in both the U.S. and Europe. All ...    Read more

It’s hard to believe that almost a year has passed since Oprah teased – and then told all 275 audience members that they were the winners of – the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. For the lucky recipients, it probably feels like an eternity, but it’s ...    Read more

Been away from your computer this week and missed all the automotive news? We’ve gathered a few of the top stories of the past week along with the weekend racing schedule for your convenience. Camaro ZL1 Laps the Nurburgring as Fast as a Porsche 911 Turbo S We all knew that the ...    Read more

Get ready to live out your Beach Boys-addled fantasies, Europe: Volkswagen’s newest camper van is called the California Beach. The van is essentially a cross between the current VW California and Caravelle vans: the California is VW’s camper van, which comes with an extendable roof and a kitchenette, while the Caravelle ...    Read more

Volkswagen is recalling certain 2009-2012 VW Jetta, Golf, Jetta Sportwagen, and Audi A3 diesels for issues with fuel lines that could result in a fire. The Problem: Under certain conditions, the fuel line for injector number two can ...    Read more

Get your checkbooks ready, Volkswagen fans: the German automaker has announced the uber-hot 2012 Golf R hatchback will start at $34,160 -- including destination -- when it goes on sale stateside early next year. What does that money buy you? The most powerful Golf ever sold in America, for starters. ...    Read more

The September 2011 sales results are in. And while the top spot has been occupied by the Chevy Cruze for the past five months now, we’re still getting used to the new pecking order. The top two spots are no longer guaranteed to the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, two ...    Read more

A handful of new product launches contribute to the positive September sales numbers posted by all German brands. Volkswagen experienced the highest gains last month, which also coincides with the launch of the all-new, U.S.-built 2012 Passat. Audi also had success with the introduction of the ...    Read more