Auto News & New car review

No sooner did Volkswagen roll out a redesigned Golf at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show than it decided to rename the car before it arrives in showrooms this summer. Instead of getting a new Golf, Americans will find that a Rabbit has bounded into the U.S., complete with significant powertrain and interior improvements. The 2006 Rabbit is a new car to us, but has been on sale in Europe for several years, where consumer interest has begun to sway toward newer competitors. That’s why VW chief Wolfgang Bernhard is fast-tracking a major update for the Golf/Rabbit to arrive for the 2009 model year. Read the rest of this entry »

With retro rides – from the Fiat 500 to the Dodge Challenger – popping up left, right and center, it would be all to easy to forget the vehicle that started the trend: Volkswagen’s New Beetle. Now with ten years on the road since introduction in 1998, the New Beetle is getting a little long in the tooth, but VW is preparing to launch its successor. However, while the current version is available only in two versions (coupe and cabrio), the next iteration may come with a few new twists in the lineup, mirroring the steadily-evolving range of variants of the MINI. That is, if the latest reports are to be believed. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want a seven-passenger vehicle in the States, your choices are few. Those of you shopping for just such a vehicle can longingly gaze at the Subaru Exiga. It goes on sale today in Japan, but in the latest press release from Subaru, there are no plans for U.S. export mentioned. Read the rest of this entry »

If you like the concept of the original GTI and you’ve grown up a bit to appreciate some of the finer things of life you might be just the ideal customer for the R32. This limited edition funster one-ups the GTI as a fast little Golf/Rabbit with enough extra content to make me drool. Read the rest of this entry »

What do you get if you take an award-winning van, stretch it a bit and add two extra rows of seats? The answer is a Caddy Maxi Life.

Volkswagen’s second-generation Caddy was launched in 2004. It’s main new feature over the old one was that it was larger, but not content with that, the company decided that something was needed that fitted into the commercial line-up, in between the Caddy and the Transporter. Read the rest of this entry »

It doesn’t take long to realize that the new 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco is a better drive than the highly praised Golf GTI. The two might share much of their underpinnings, but the adoption of wider tracks ensures the former is more sure-footed around the Nürburgring.

And we know this because we’re driving the 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco on the Nürburgring, part of a final-check ride of VW’s newest performance vehicle before it goes on sale in Europe this summer. Read the rest of this entry »

Like a little brother wanting so much to emulate his bigger bro, Volkswagen wants its image to be more like that of its upscale sibling — Audi. It’s certainly not a bad aspiration, but when the company goes hog wild, as it did with the super nice but super expensive Phaeton luxury sedan, VW loses touch with the populace. The 2008 Volkswagen Eos, however, strikes a happy medium between being just the “people’s car” and a true luxury vehicle with a luxury price tag. Read the rest of this entry »

While we were in Virginia attending the inaugural race of the Jetta TDI cup series, Volkswagen provided us hacks with a some new Jetta Sportwagens with which to make the 45 minute morning and evening commute between the Berry Hill Inn and the race track. Like the last generation Jetta Wagon, the new Sportwagen is branded as a Jetta in North America because Jetta is Volkswagen’s top-selling model here. Read the rest of this entry »

Volkswagen famously got into a game it didn’t know how to play a few years ago when it debuted the Phaeton luxury sedan with a big price tag, putting it into a segment it didn’t have a place in. Minivans are actually a VW trademark, with the iconic Microbus and even the Eurovan in the 21st century. The Routan hopes to reclaim the minivan mantle for the company, but it looks to be not much more than a Chrysler underneath the skin. Read the rest of this entry »

For 2007, The Volkswagen GTI comes with a choice of two doors or four. Also new is Launch Control programming for the GTI’s optional DSG automatic transmission. The new software will allow the engine to rev up before the clutch engages, for controlled wheelspin as you leave the line. Other than that, the 2007 Volkswagen GTI is changed very little from the ‘06, which was launched as an all-new fifth generation of the legendary pocket rocket. Read the rest of this entry »