VW Wants to Hit the Big Time in the US Market
Like so many other second tier brands today, Volkswagen is talking publicly about big goals in the US. True, Volkswagen is a huge player in many world markets, particularly Europe, China, and Latin America. Here in America, however, Volkswagen is definitely something of a niche player, despite its enviable brand image. Apparently, Volkswagen wants to become a mainstream player in the US as it is in the rest of the world, rather than a marque that appeals primarily to fashionable hipsters as it does now. By about the middle of the next decade, Volkswagen wants to be selling 800,000 vehicles in the US, up from about 230,000 last year.

With that in mind, what could possibly be more mainstream than a Chrysler minivan? It’s the ultimate symbol of traditional family values, a paragon of responsible and sensible thinking. And, despite the fact that minivan popularity is declining, the segment still represented over 800,000 sales in 2007. So, Volkswagen has partnered with Chrysler to create a German remix of the Town & Country minivan, dubbed Routan. It will be built in the US by Chrysler alongside the Town & Country and Caravan.

Continue reading "Volkswagen Routan – Chrysler Minivan Roots Mean Function, Not Fun" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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High-Style 4-Door Aims to Show That VW’s Styling Mojo is Alive and Well
Volkswagen unveiled the Passat CC at NAIAS today, and it really is a looker. Long, low, and sleek, it aims to be a statement of cutting edge design: an artistic blending of cutting edge product design and everyday practicality. When it goes on sale later in the year, it will supplement the standard issue Passat sedan, giving the Passat lineup three unique bodystyles – sedan, wagon, and this third variant. In keeping with the car’s high-design message, VW’s product intro video showed it parked at the gorgeously minimalist Marmol Radziner modern pre-fab house near Palm Springs, a strong statement of practical yet avant-garde design.

Volkswagen refers to the car as a coupe, despite its four sedan doors. Does this all sound a bit familiar? It should, as Mercedes-Benz captivated hearts and minds just a few short years ago with a similar idea, the beautiful CLS.

Continue reading "Volkswagen Passat CC: A 4-Door Coupe, Or a Very Pretty Sedan?" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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Whether you’re tired of fuel prices creeping up to $4 dollars a gallon, uncomfortable with the idea that your money is making it’s way over to the Middle East or simply want the feel good endorphins to pump through your body as you are seen as a socially responsible human being, a hybrid may be the answer. They have become the American answer to slow all personal transportation energy woes and Volkswagen, no stranger to fuel efficiency, wants a piece of the action. The VW space up! blue plans to provide just that…

Continue reading "LA Auto Show - Volkswagen space up! Blue – Deutschland In Da House Y’all" »

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I spent two days crisscrossing the massive Frankfurt auto show, and the focus on reducing emissions and improving fuel economy and "green" solutions could not be missed. Very few manufacturers were not talking about fuel economy gains in their powertrain lineup and many announced hybrid plans or showed hybrid concepts. What we're seeing here is the culmination of years of research, rather than fiberglass what-if models. Many of these hybrids or other technology-based solutions will be on the roads later this decade.

Mercedes-Benz will, during the 2009CY, offer a hybrid powertrain in the S-Class and the M-Class, while a smart fortwo mild hybrid system goes on sale in October. Porsche gave updated the Cayenne's diesel for more power but also promises a parallel series hybrid using the existing 3.6L V6 by the end of 2010CY. General Motors took the system shown under the Chevrolet Volt in January, replaced the gasoline engine with a diesel one, and created the Opel Flextreme as well as showing off an Opel Corsa Hybrid. Volvo put a plug-in hybrid into the C30 to create the Recharge concept. Land Rover is adding stop-start systems in 2009CY, and Audi will bring a hybrid to the Q7.

Small cars are more prevalent on international roads and therefore more prevalent at auto shows outside the United States. Toyota brought us the iQ, Volkswagen the up!, and Ford the Verve. Renault's latest Twingo was on the show floor as well, though this was not its debut.

Notable exceptions to the small and green game were Ferrari and the 430 Scuderia (introduced by Michael Schumacher himself), the Aston Martin DBS (officially introduced at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance), the Bentley Continental GTS Speed, the Lamborghini Reventon (of which only twenty will be made, with a price tag around $1.4 million), and Maserati.

Day two of Frankfurt's show holds most of the supplier press conferences, leaving us a chance to take photos and see some general reaction. Frankfurt's convention center has 10 halls, with at least seven of them holding the major manufacturers and others holding aftermarket and supplier stands. Walking the full show requires much time and comfortable shows and several hours. Interest was strong in the Mercedes-Benz F700 Concept (previewing the next S-Class), the Audi A4, Opel's Flextreme, Ford's Verve and Kuga, and Jaguar's XF. Peugeot and Citroen concepts, the 308RCZ and the Airscape, saw plenty of attention, as did Nissan's very odd-looking Mixim.

The Volkswagen Tiguan stand was flocked with people getting a chance to get in and crawl around the new model, with plenty also checking out the up! city car. Interestingly, every time I went through hall 6, home to Italian makes Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari, and Maserati as well as Porsche and Hyundai it was completely mobbed. On the other hand, Kia's Kee coupe concept and BMW's X6 concepts didn't seem to grab attendees as much.

While going green may be good for us, hybrid systems and new engine developments don't make for great pictures or put the enthusiasm into driving that a great-looking design can. Over the coming weeks, we'll bring you more detailed coverage of many of these. Stay tuned.

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Small City Car Concept Revives Rear-Engine Layout, Explores the Future of Interior Displays
At an event the evening before the official start of media days of this year's Frankfurt auto show, Volkswagen revealed their latest city car concept. Small outside and big inside, the up! takes a layout similar to the first Beetle, with a rear-mounted engine (though VW did not specify what engine might be packed in back there).

Cute and clever, VW may consider bringing the up! to the U.S. market in a few years. At less than 136 inches long, up! is about 30 inches longer than the smart fortwo, but about the same length shorter than the current New Beetle. Instead of a traditional center stack, up! offered a seven-inch touch screen that VW called "the way that future human-machine interface will look and operate." Not only a touch-screen-based system for controlling navigation, climate, audio, and phone, a proximity sensor reacts to hand gestures. Once the element you wanted to control shows up in the menu, a simple wave of the hand brings up the specific control screen. Glad they cleared that up for us! Instead of gauges, there is an eight-inch screen in front of the driver, displaying all the relevant information. This small concept offers seats for four, with all but the driver's seat removable and stowable. Described as similar to a self-inflating mattress, a valve allows air to be released and the seat adjusted for maximum comfort for any passenger.

Many of Volkswagen's concepts find their way into production eventually, and VW continues to explore solutions for a low-cost city car that is environmentally friendly, economical, affordable, and still profitable. Whether or not we see up! in the States, a four-door version is likely to find its way into production in a few years.

Sure does remind me of the Mitsubishi i... looks more substantial, but the concept is very similar.

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The all-new Volkswagen Eos ties as Most Ideal Sporty Car for 2007. The retractable hardtop Eos is a competitive all-rounder with its usefulness enhanced by its retractable hardtop – convertible, sporty coupe all in one package without the compromises required by a pure soft-top convertible.

No wonder Ford sells so many Mustangs! Most Ideal Sporty Car, and segment leader in 14 out of 15 categories the Mustang blows today’s competition into the weeds. New competition is coming in the next couple of years, but it looks like Ford’s designers and engineers know best what Sporty Car buyers require and deliver it in spades.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Disclaimer: VehicleVoice and AutoPacific exclusively use Macintosh computers. Beginning in 1986 and continuing through all the rough years, Mac has powered AutoPacific. Never a PC.

FACT: Steve Jobs, Chairman of Apple, Inc. and Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of Volkswagen AG met last week apparently to finalize an Apple/Volkswagen initiative to bring Apple technology to Volkswagen vehicles in the future. The announcement came from Volkswagen with very-secretive Apple refusing to comment. So, we'll have a Volkswagen "iCar" soon?

RUMOR: Several Apple-related announcements concerning Apple interfaces with cars will be made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

iPod, iPhone, SYNC Force Apple to React

We have heard vibrations about Apple beginning to move into the automotive space for years.

First, consumers have been screaming for better solutions to integrate their iPod with their car for years now. Some solutions have been successful. Some have been very crude. But this has forced Apple and the carmakers into a dialog about how to best integrate iPod with their vehicles.

Second, with the recent introduction of the iPhone, Apple has another device that makes the second step towards the holy grail of car-dom. More on that later.

Third, with Microsoft's SYNC (see the VehicleVoice video podcast of the SYNC system from the 2007 CES) system being launched on Fiats and Fords it is only logical to believe Apple will move into the same space, but probably do it better with more elegance and intuition.

Fourth, Apple's sense of design would blend perfectly with the design language of several premium brands. Apple could become an icon in automotive entertainment like Bose, Nakamichi, Levinson, Infinity, Rockford Fosgate, but with even more style and elegance.

Fifth, using Apple TV-type interfaces, the car, home computer, iPhone, iPod could be inter-connected wirelessly every time the car pulls into the garage. Steve will own the world.

The Holy Grail - Full Automotive Integration with One Portable Device

Since AutoPacific began working in "Telematics" in the late 1990s, it was apparent that the holy grail for integrating with the automobile would be some sort of portable device that would wirelessly sync with the car. Imagine the car as a receptor and the monitor in the center stack as the display monitoring the interface. A person's iPhone holding GPS data could immediately sync with the navigation system. The data would be continuously updated through the iPhone and to the car. A person's address book, music files, etc would be on the iPhone and synced with the car continuously. Since these devices would be on the "human" and not hardwired into the car they could more easily and cheaply upgraded. And, it would all look great!

Can't wait for CES. I wanna to see this stuff. Hope it's true.

Just to show the iCar idea is not new, check out this link from 1999. And, check out the 1998 story below the fold.

Continue reading "Apple - Coming to a Center Stack Near You" »

Posted by George Peterson at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Motorist Choice Award is in its second year and is a collaboration between AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com. AutoPacific, widely known for its industry expertise and research, and IntelliChoice, known for its comprehensive cost of ownership information, designed the Motorist Choice Award to help consumers identify the most satisfying cars and trucks that are also the least expensive to own.

Using data from AutoPacific's national Vehicle Satisfaction research and the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value information, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice have developed a unique tool that can be used by consumers to help them sort through the myriad of choices in today's automotive marketplace.

Here are the 2007 Winners of the 25 individual segment awards:

SEGMENT - Winner

Aspirational Luxury Car - Lexus IS
Compact Car - Mazda3
Compact Crossover SUV - Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup - Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV - Toyota Tacoma
Economy Car - Honda Fit
Image Compact Car - Volkswagen GTi
Large Car - Toyota Avalon
Large Heavy Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large Light Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility - GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV - Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car - Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility - Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Toyota 4Runner
Minivan - Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car - Lexus SC
Sports Car - Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car - Scion tC

The press release can be found below the fold.

Continue reading "2007 Motorist Choice Awards Announced" »

Posted by George Peterson at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Volkswagen Jetta Win – The Volkswagen Jetta wins the 2007 Motorist Choice Award® in the Mid-Size Car class. Owners ranked the Jetta as fun to drive while they found the flexible interior, cargo space, and interior storage compartments more than satisfactory. The interior build materials and quality of interior controls were also significant contributors to the Jetta’s win. Contributing were owner ratings for the vehicle’s image, braking and handling.

IntelliChoice take on Volkswagen Jetta win - The Volkswagen Jetta has best in class retained value, and low repair costs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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AutoPacific Take on Volkswagen GTI Win – Drivers rate the Volkswagen GTI as the winner in the Image Compact Car class for this year’s Motorist Choice Award®. Owners raved about their interiors; from interior styling, controls and seat comfort to materials and storage compartments. Clearly, GTI owners think their car is a kick to drive. GTI owner ratings for ‘fun to drive’ really left the competition in the dust. Contributing to the win were high marks for braking, handling, power and acceleration.

IntelliChoice take on Volkswagen GTI win - In a class that features a wide range of vehicles from hybrids to convertibles to wagons, the Volkswagen GTI squares off against some tough opposition. The GTI’s ownership costs alone do not make it a 2007 Motorist Choice Award winner, but when combined with stellar performance within the AutoPacific survey the GTI beats out the rest of the competition.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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During the last week of March 2007, 1,254 VehicleVoice panelists responded to an Internet survey concerning their opinion of major automakers in the USA. VehicleVoice asked these questions because the opinion of buyers and their attitudes towards various aspects of a manufacturer's image are critically important. Managing image and opinion plus understanding what is driving that opinion can influence whether a person will positively consider or reject a brand next time they are in the market.

The key question in the VehicleVoice survey was whether the respondent's opinion of a manufacturer had changed since this time last year. If their opinion had changed, the panel member was given the chance to explain why their opinion had changed. We received over 5,000 comments concerning these manufacturers. Some were as short one word. Some were as long as a page of 10-point type. Folks really had a lot to say and their comments were fascinating.

Discussion for each of the brands is below the fold.

Continue reading "VehicleVoice Panelists' Opinion of Manufacturers" »

Posted by George Peterson at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Volkwagen announced a freshened Touareg 2 at the New York Auto Show in early April, after introducing the new look to Europeans in Paris last September. The Touareg 2 has updated exterior styling, but frankly it is difficult/impossible to see the changes. It's kind of like the freshening the Acura MDX got for 2005 - couldn't tell.

Typical "Front and Rear Six" Freshening
One of the quickest and least expensive ways to update a vehicle is with a "front and rear six" freshening. This is what Volkswagen did with the Touareg 2. They updated the grille and front fascia to be more in line with other Volkswagen models. We feel that this recognizable face helps define a brand and that VW is better off with at-a-glance identification. Tallamps have been modified and the center taillamp relocated into its "redesigned aerodynamic and sporty rear spoiler".

New Instrument Cluster May Alleviate Biggest Complaint with Touareg 1
One of my biggest complaints with the "Touareg 1" was the auxiliary gauges in the instrument cluster were totally illegible. They were so small that only a German with 20/15 vision could tell what the state of the fuel was. So Touareg 2 gets a new instrument cluster with "a larger display". Right on!

Under the Skin Changes - Comprehensive Updates
There were more changes under the skin, and more features moved to the standard equipment list. This is appropriate with a vehicle that was Volkswagen's first venture into the Crossover Sport Utility Vehicle market. Vehicle dynamics improved with rollover sensors and the ability for the electronic stability control system to adjust for understeer. But we'll let you read their press release below the fold to get the grimble details of the functional upgrades.

Continue reading "2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 - New York Auto Show" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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You could tell from the smiles on the faces of the suits from Cadillac that they had just come from something special. The Cadillac Escalade had just won the Playboy 2007 Car of the Year Award. Jim Taylor, Cadillac General Manager was lugging around a golden trophy with a totally blinged-out Playboy bunny glued to it and a discreet plaque proclaiming Escalade's win.

Playboy Magazine has just named their 2007 Cars of the Year. Included in this year's list were:

Playboy 2007 Car of the Year - BMW Z4 M

Best SUV - Cadillac Escalade
Best Sports Coupe - Porsche 911 Carrera
Best Bang for the Buck - Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500
The Al Gore Special - Lexus GS450h
Best Two-Way Player - Volkswagen Eos
Best Pickup - Toyota Tundra
Best Cross Dresser - Mazda CX-7
Best Roadster - Saturn Sky Red Line

Oh yeah, about the presentations. Apparently, a hostess Playmate gave the executives a tour around the Playboy Mansion. A former Playmate, the young lady was extremely well spoken, knew her stuff and presented Playboy in a very favorable light. What I'm saying is that she wasn't the airhead blonde bimbette that may have been expected at Playboy.

Posted by George Peterson at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Order Mine Now, Please
One of my favorite drives over the past few years was the first Volkswagen Golf R32, a 2004 limited-edition version of the last Golf. With a 250HP 3.2L V6, AWD, and a six-speed manual in a small, five-door hatchback, it was a blast to drive. VW imported only 5000 units.

At the 2007 Chicago auto show, Volkswagen introduced a new R32, this time using the latest Rabbit. The engine is the same 250HP 3.2L VR6, but instead of the six-speed manual it takes the six-speed DSG system, which means faster shifts than I can accomplish manually. To set it apart from regular Rabbits, the R32 takes standard eighteen-inch wheels and tires, R32 badging, a rear roof spoiler and body-color bumpers, side bump strips, door handles and mirrors. Standard equipment includes ESP, ABS, brake assist, and electronic brake distribution. The standard convenience feature list is more extensive than on regular Rabbits, including automatic climate control, heated seats, heated windshield wiper nozzles, a ten-speaker CD stereo, rain-sensing wipers, and cruise control.

On Line Order Placement
As before, VW will bring over 5000 R32s. Of those, 2000 will be brought over in 2007 and 3000 in 2008. The only sticking point is the price, which will be just over $32,000. For the performance and equipment level, it is a very reasonable price, but it still can seem like a big ticket for a Rabbit. If you want yours, you can go to an R32 microsite at www.vw.com and get in line to order one; the site will refer you to a dealer. The first 832 people to put money down on an order will get theirs in August 2007.

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Volkswagen believes that great things can come in small packages. Their 2006 GTI won Motor Trend's Car of the Year award, after all. The 2007 edition does add a five-door version to the lineup for folks who want a bit more function, but do not want much more size. Sticking with the theme, VW's new SUV Concept, the Tiguan, is another small package with big features.

No, we don't know what a Tiguan is. Neither does Dictionary.com. But that's not important right now. What is, is the fact that the L.A. Auto Show and the North American International Auto Show offered a peek at the new compact SUV sporting a 50-state-compliant 2.0-liter diesel. What does that mean? VW is promising several alternative drivetrains when the Tiguan actually hits production. Word on the show floor in Detroit was that the production model is going to be darned close to the concept.

David Barrett gives us a quick look at the Tiguan, replendent in orange, as well as the 2007 GTI, also resplendent in orange. In fact everything in the VW booth was resplendent in orange, including the light.


Show Runtime - 3:28

Posted by Cameron at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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At this time of year, everyone wants you to know about the best cars, trucks and SUVS of the year. AutoPacific has already taken a big step in that direction, but with a twist: Partnering with Intellichoice, AutoPacific shared the best vehicles of the year, as picked by you - and that's saying something! The Awards are called the Motorist's Choice Awards and this year included the Lexus LS430, The Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 4x2, the Infiniti QX56 and the Audi A6 4.2 Quattro. Where else can you go to get the best possible input from your own peers about the latest vehicles in the marketplace? Since you're here, we think you've come to the right place.
Watch the Podcast: AutoPacific & IntelliChoice Motorist's Choice Awards

My Personal Choices for Best Rides of the Year
It's part of my job to drive a new vehicle nearly every week. In some cases, more than one vehicle at week gets the once-over, not only by me, but by a number of the analysts and experts at VehicleVoice and AutoPacific. As the resident speed-guy, I might have a slightly different take on things and while I do try to avoid going to court, I do need to put my foot down. And that's part of what my list is about. The other things I'm taking into consideration are everyday drivability, cost, and return on investment. And as you know, everyone is concerned about fuel costs and gas mileage. Not me! Not yet... So, let's get to it.

Continue reading "My Favorite Rides of the Year" »

Posted by dbarrett at 06:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Which cars and trucks are planted to the dealer's floor? In other words, which vehicles take the longest to sell? Who cars? Why does it matter, anyway?

Well, while it may not seem that important to you, it's critically important to the industry s a whole... from the manufacturese, component suppliers, dealers and quite a few financial institutions. First, if you know the time it takes to sell a vehicle, you know how much it is dragging on the dealer's floorplanning costs. Floorplanning is the term for the amount it costs the dealer to finance the a vehicle in inventory waiting to be sold. If a vehicle has been hanging around for weeks, he'll be more likely to deal aggressively to get rid of it. Also, vehicles that have high days supply may be less popular. From that perspective, they may be the ones you want to stay away from.

Continue reading "Stuck to the Dealer's Floor - Inventory Numbers Tell the Story" »