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The Bugs start to fly: New range of Beetle models now on sale

Entomologists in the UK are set for an exciting day, and not just because the ants are flying. There’s another kind of flying bug about: the Volkswagen Beetle with either a 2.0-litre 140 PS TDI turbodiesel engine, or a 2.0-litre 200 PS TSI turbocharged petrol engine.

The latter is enough to propel this bug from zero to 62 mph in just 7.5 seconds and on to 139 mph, while the TDI takes a far from sluggish 9.5 seconds and can reach 123 mph. Of equal interest, however, will be its 57.6 mpg combined economy, and 129 g/km of CO₂ rating.

Both new versions are available with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed DSG gearboxes. The TDI comes in either mid-level Design or top-line Sport trim. The 2.0-litre TSI 200 PS model is available in Sport or special-edition Turbo Black and Turbo Silver specification, complete with ‘Turbo’ decals in either silver or black along the side, door mirrors in silver or black, the door rubbing strip in body colour (rather than black, as it is on standard Sport models), and 19-inch ‘Tornado’ alloys.

Specification levels are high. Design trim comes with 17-inch alloy wheels in a choice of two styles, Bluetooth telephone preparation, an RCD 510 DAB CD/radio with MDI multi-device interface (for connecting an iPod or similar), front fog lights, rear Isofix preparation, an alarm, manual air conditioning, multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel and body-coloured door and dashboard panels.

The range-topping Sport specification adds 18-inch alloys in a choice of styles, tinted glass, cruise control, sports seats, parking sensors, gloss black door mirrors (silver or black on ‘Turbo’ special editions), gloss black dashboard and door panel and 2Zone electronic climate control.

The 2.0-litre TSI 200 PS Sport model uniquely comes with certain specification highlights over and above all other models. These include: four-link rear suspension, twin chromed exhaust pipes, red brake calipers and a body-coloured rear diffuser.

A wide range of optional equipment is also available on all Beetle models, including Keyless Access, satellite navigation systems, bi-xenon headlights and a selection of different alloy wheel designs.

The option that will make the biggest impact, however, is the Fender sound pack. Developed in conjunction with the eponymous electric guitar firm, this audiophile’s delight offers a 400W output and a subwoofer, along with switchable three-colour illumination surrounding the front loudspeakers, all for just £500.

The Beetle is also available with a 1.2-litre TSI 105 PS engine with seven-speed DSG gearbox and a 1.4-litre 160 PS TSI with a six-speed manual gearbox. These models were restricted by supply at launch but are all now available, many with attractive low-rate finance offers. The new 2.0-litre models are also available to order now, with some models in stock ready for delivery.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

The new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack: rugged and ready to order

With its raised ride height, 4MOTION four-wheel drive and rugged body enhancements, the new Passat Alltrack has everything you need to venture off the beaten track; but customers need venture no further than their local Volkswagen Retailer to order one, ahead of the first cars arriving in showrooms in the UK on 28 May.

Based on the popular and versatile Passat Estate, the Passat Alltrack’s 4MOTION four-wheel drive and raised ride height give it greater agility off-road, while body enhancements provide some protection from scrapes when covering rough terrain. These features endow the Passat Alltrack with the practicality of an estate car and much of the versatility of a conventional SUV, while a high standard specification level adds more than a touch of luxury.

Just one trim level is available in the UK, with a choice of two drivetrains: a 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS with six-speed manual gearbox, priced at £28,475 (RRP OTR), and a 2.0-litre TDI 170 PS with six-speed DSG transmission, priced at £31,025. Standard equipment includes Alcantara upholstery, 2Zone electronic climate control, RNS 315 touchscreen satellite navigation, DAB radio, MDI iPod connectivity, Bluetooth telephone preparation, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system and 18-inch Canyon alloy wheels. A Driver Alert System that monitors the driver’s responses to raise awareness of fatigue is also standard, as is ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme).

Options include climate seats with massage function; High Beam Assist, which automatically controls dipping of the headlights; Side Scan Lane Change Assist, which monitors the vehicle’s blind spot; Lane Assist; ACC Adaptive Chassis Control; Automatic Distance Control with City Emergency Braking function; Park Assist (second generation); an interior ambient lighting pack; a rear-view camera; and an electrically deployed towbar.

The Passat Alltrack has a generous towing capacity of 2,000 kg (braked, 12 per cent incline), 200 kg more than an equivalent Passat Estate.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen presents latest findings of electric mobility research

Today, Volkswagen – in cooperation with six project partners and the German Ministry of the Environment – is presenting the current status of the “Fleet study in electric mobility” that was initiated in July 2008. The primary goal of the project which runs until June 2012: consistently utilise renewable energy sources for electrically powered vehicles. Within the framework of the fleet study, Volkswagen is implementing a total of 20 of the latest generation Golf Variant twïnDRIVE cars as research vehicles.

Their plug-in hybrid drives operate with zero emissions in urban operation using an electric motor. The Golf Variant twïnDRIVE enables distances of up to 57 km on pure electrical power; an additional small internal combustion engine provides for a total range of about 900 km. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn,

Chairman of the Management Board of Volkswagen AG, comments on the twïnDRIVE: “When it comes to driving with zero emissions within cities while covering far greater distances as pure electric vehicles – the twïnDRIVE system by Volkswagen sets new standards and could over the mid-term develop into the ideal form of mobility for the vast majority of car drivers.”

Fleet study encounters transition in energy production

The “Fleet study in electric mobility” is now assuming a high level of importance, in the wake of events in Japan and the German federal government’s mandatory exit from nuclear energy production. According to plans by the federal government, the number of pure electric vehicles will reach one million units in Germany alone by 2020. And these vehicles must be operated sustainably – i.e. from renewable energy sources – to attain significant progress in environmental protection.

Volkswagen counting on renewable energies

Before the transition in energy policy, Volkswagen had already appealed for the intensified use of renewable energy sources. During a workshop on electric mobility in Shanghai in mid-2010, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn emphasised that: “Future electric cars offer us tremendous opportunities for reshaping mobility to become even more sustainable. However, we must – on behalf of the environment – ensure that the energy used to operate these electric cars is also generated renewably, i.e. from renewable resources. Since carmakers do not make decisions on which types of power plants will be built, governments must assure that environmentally-friendly energy sources are utilised. Only then will we experience a genuine transition to a new era.” This new era is now within reach.

Optimising the stability of the power grid

Over 16 per cent of Germany’s electrical needs are already covered by renewable energy sources, and plans are afoot to extend this share to 30 per cent by 2020. Volkswagen, for example, has installed one of the highest performance wind power systems in the world at its German plant in Emden; it already supplies one-third of the factory’s energy requirements. In parallel, more and more electricity is being generated from solar and water power. These forms of energy must also be used for mobility. However, the amount of renewably generated energy is subject to fluctuations due to natural factors (e.g. sunshine duration, wind strength). This means that it is necessary to control intelligently electrical demand to avoid load peaks. In this context, the “Fleet study in electric mobility” is analysing the usage behaviour of drivers of cars with electrical charging, electric load control and intelligent strategies in the charging process. In addition, a scenario is being tested, in which some of the daily peak electrical demand might be buffered by the cars’ lithium-ion batteries in the future.

Plug-in hybrid will assume much greater importance

Through its “Fleet study in electric mobility”, Volkswagen is acquiring valuable knowledge on how cars with plug-in hybrid drives like the Golf Variant twïnDRIVE handle continual use. As already noted, the 20 Golf Variant twïnDRIVE cars can be driven over long distances in pure electric mode, i.e. with zero emissions. The expression “environmental zone” takes on an entirely new meaning in cities.

One of the goals of Volkswagen AG is to launch numerous plug-in hybrid cars on the market in the years 2013/2014. In the area of electric mobility, they are intended to supplement the Group’s hybrid models that are already being produced today (these models currently include cars by Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen), as well as the pure electric vehicles that will also debut from 2013. Clearly, plug-in hybrid models – i.e. cars with combustion engine, E-motor and a battery that can be charged by an external power source – will acquire special significance in the urban environment. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn comments on this: “Over the mid-term, the plug-in hybrid offers great potential here, because it unites the best of 2 worlds in one vehicle.” The plug-in hybrid, according to Winterkorn, enables precisely what many customers expect: an unlimited driving range with internal combustion engine mobility and an attractive electrical driving range in everyday driving.

Fleet study brings together specialists in Germany

The large-scale introduction of plug-in hybrid cars and pure electric cars continues to be associated with great challenges. Prof. Dr. Winterkorn: “Electric mobility will be a century-long endeavour for Europe as a centre of automotive production and industry. Carmakers, suppliers, energy providers, scientists and politicians – everyone must step up to the plate.” In Germany, the “Fleet study in electric mobility” is bringing together precisely these partners.

Six project partners

The “Fleet study in electric mobility” is being conducted by six project partners from research and commerce under the leadership of Volkswagen AG. Representing the energy industry is energy provider E.ON. From the research area, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft ISIT (representation of the battery systems and development of new battery chemistry), Heidelberger Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU; creating eco-balance), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR; analysis, forecasting traffic scenarios) and the Westphalian Wilhelm University in Münster (development of methodologies, laboratory testing of battery cells) will contribute their expertise and know-how to the fleet study.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Fast, fun and very frugal: The Volkswagen Polo BlueGT

The Polo BlueGT, unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show, combines dynamic performance with extreme fuel efficiency, thanks to the use of ACT cylinder deactivation, which is being used for the first time in a production Volkswagen.

The turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine produces 140 PS, yet returns a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of just 4.7 litres per 100 km (around 60 mpg), and emits a forecasted 108 g/km of CO2. Opt for the seven-speed DSG transmission, and fuel consumption drops to a forecasted 4.5 litres per 100 km (62.8 mpg) and CO2 emissions of 105 g/km. Top speed is 210 kmh (130 mph) and zero to 62 mph takes 7.9 seconds.

At the heart of the Polo BlueGT, and responsible in large part for its combination of high performance and low fuel economy, is the first of the new EA211 series of engines, which will become commonplace in the new modular transverse matrix (MQB) that will underpin future Volkswagen models.

Under light and medium loads, the second and third cylinders are automatically shut down, producing fuel savings of up to 0.4 litres per 100 km in the EU driving cycle. At a constant 50 kmh (30 mph) the savings can be as much as one litre per 100 km, and even at 70 kmh (44 mph) in fifth gear, around 0.7 litres per 100 km can be saved.

Cylinder deactivation occurs at engine speeds of between 1,250 and 4,000 rpm, and at torque outputs of 25 to 100 Nm (18 to 74 lbs ft). If the driver presses the accelerator pedal, the two cylinders are imperceptibly reactivated. All mechanical switchovers occur within 13 to 36 milliseconds, depending on engine speed. The multifunction display in the instrument binnacle lets the driver know when cylinders are deactivated.

While the cylinder deactivation is so unobtrusive that only the driver might know about it, the Polo BlueGT itself is distinguished both inside and out by various styling cues. On the outside, there are multi-spoke 17-inch alloys and GT badges front and rear. The suspension is lowered by around 15 mm. Added to this are some features borrowed from the Polo GTI (the rear spoiler, rear bumper with diffuser, plus front bumper with LED daytime running lights) and some features borrowed from the Polo BlueMotion (side sills and front windscreen rain channels). A black-painted front grille and black door mirror caps complete the look.

Inside, as in the Polo GTI, the roof lining is in black, while the instruments are also from the GTI. Both driver and passenger sit on bespoke BlueGT sports seats, and there is a leather-trimmed steering wheel with BlueGT emblem.

The Polo BlueGT goes on sale in Europe in July. UK availability is not yet confirmed.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

The new Cross Coupé concept: Volkswagen's 157mpg SUV

Last year, Volkswagen unveiled the Cross Coupé concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, powered by a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid system.

This week, a new Cross Coupé is making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, but with an even more frugal plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The Cross Coupé Concept is powered by an alliance of a turbodiesel direct injection engine (TDI) and two electric motors. Its combined fuel consumption in the New European Driving Cycle is a sensationally low 1.8 litres per 100 km (around 157 mpg). This translates into CO2 emissions of just 46 g/km, in a powerful SUV with a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph), 225 kW / 306 PS of power and a kerb weight of 1,858 kg.

Further information about the Cross Coupé will be available when it makes its debut at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday 6 March.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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