Preview: 2009 Volkswagen Polo MPV
In 1996 Volkswagen introduced the Typ 9K Caddy light van based on the existing Polo small car platform. The van was designed by VW’s Seat subsidiary, manufactured in Spain, and built right up until 2005 when it was replaced by the Golf-based Typ 2K Caddy. VW is expected to release a new version of the Caddy aimed at private buyers based on the new-generation Polo due early next year. The new car will be targeted at the MPV segment and will feature the same powertrain lineup as the regular hatchback...

Preview: Volkswagen Golf Mark VI
Volkswagen’s sixth-generation Golf hatch is less than a year away and this new rendering gives us an early look at the final design of the car. It shows VW designers are keeping with the current model’s stylish yet conservative shape but are going with a more chiseled and edgy look. There could be a shakeup of the current lineup with the possibility of the two-door version being dropped in favor of the all-new Scirocco and the Golf being limited to a four-door hatch and Variant wagon only. There...

Spy Shots: 2010 Volkswagen Robust pickup
In its quest to overtake Toyota in the sales race, especially in the lucrative U.S. market, Volkswagen is developing a new pickup truck to expand its line-up. These latest spy shots, depicting the new pickup, shows that VW will be targeting the midsize truck market. This particular variant features a short tray and quad-cab chassis. VW is keen to strengthen its image in the U.S., where sales of pickups are still high compared to the rest of the world. However, VW’s plan may be a little late as rising...

Spy Shots: Partially disguised Volkswagen Golf Plus
While everyone is gearing up for the reveal of the all new sixth-generation Golf hatchback later this year, the new Golf Plus, which will share the same face as the Mark VI Golf, was spotted recently as it conducted several towing capacity tests. The new Golf Plus retains the body of the current model but its front end will be completely restyled to match the new Mark VI. This means that it will feature the same generous proportions of the current model, with a 1,580mm roof and a slightly longer...

U.S. Volkswagen Phaeton sales could start next year
By all accounts, the Phaeton limo has been a major flop for Volkswagen and nowhere has it performed more badly than in the U.S. where the decision to drop the car came just two years after its launch. However, VW execs in the U.S. have expressed interest in seeing the flagship return on several occasions in the past six months and new reports from Germany claim the car could return as early as next year. With the introduction of the facelifted model last year sales of the Phaeton in Europe have actually...

Video: Volkswagen promos show new Scirocco in action
Hotly anticipated since the first Iroc concept broke cover back in 2006, Volkswagen’s newest take on the Scirocco made its production-form debut at this year’s Geneva motor show. Now VW has released a pair of promo videos that show the new car in action, inside and out. The first is a computer-generated scene set to a heavy electronic track, but it shows some excellent interior and exterior close-ups of the forthcoming car. The second is a live-action scene depicting a rather mild chase that...

Volkswagen and Sanyo form lithium-ion battery JV
Volkswagen is the latest carmaker to announce a co-operation with an electronics company over the joint-development of advanced lithium-ion battery technology for future hybrid vehicles. The German giant, together with Sanyo will work on a new and extremely efficient electric power storage system based on lithium-ion technology. Emissions-free travel in an all-electric operating mode is already possible today, though only at limited speeds and over short distances. To extend the range, carmakers need...

Volkswagen Golf GTI Pirelli Edition
If you’re the type that can’t get enough of special UK-edition Volkswagens, the Golf GTI Pirelli is just the fix you’re looking for. Bringing back the GTI Pirelli edition 25 years after it first hit the UK, the new model gets almost all of the features of the 1,500 unit limited-run Golf GTI Edition 30 from early 2007, plus the goodness of Pirelli branding inside and out. Zero to sixty times squeeze down to just 6.8 seconds from 7.2 seconds thanks to a 30hp bump from stock, bringing the...

Volkswagen reveals production BlueTDI for U.S. market
Today marks the unveiling of the production version of Volkswagen’s U.S.-targeted diesel powertrain. First debuted in Volkswagen’s Tiguan BlueTDI early in March at the Geneva Motor Show, the BlueTDI technology has been developed specifically for the North American market. With its clean emissions, smooth power and good fuel economy, VW hopes the BlueTDI will help sway the average U.S. buyer toward diesel power. The BlueTDI’s focus may be on efficiency and low emissions, but it still...

Volkswagen’s four door pseudo-coupe to be called ‘CC’
Volkswagen’s premium four door pseudo-coupe model will simply be called CC when it goes on sale next quarter, and not the full Passat CC as previously thought. The original name came about because the CC rides on the same platform as the regular Passat sedan, although it sits some 5cm lower and stretches more than 3cm. The new name appeared on the official Volkswagen site for the car along with several new images and interior details. Some of the new features include an electrically actuated panoramic...