New Tiguan Allspace is open for order: more space gives greater practicality

January 9, 2018, 1:09 am

≫ Next: Enhanced value from Volkswagen's updated Passat

≪ Previous: New record: Volkswagen produces six million vehicles throughout the world by year-end

The new Tiguan Allspace is now available to order across Volkswagen’s UK Retailer network. Based on the successful Tiguan sports utility vehicle, the Tiguan Allspace has a longer wheelbase and a greater overall length than its sibling.

To be precise, the Tiguan Allspace is 4,701 mm long (Tiguan: 4,486 mm) and has a wheelbase of 2,787 mm (Tiguan: 2,681 mm). A third row of fold-flat occasional seats means the Tiguan Allspace can carry up to seven people and still boast a luggage capacity of 230 litres. Or, with five people in the car, the luggage capacity is 700 litres, and increase of 85 litres over the ‘regular’ Tiguan (615 litres).

Further emphasising its enhanced flexibility, the Tiguan Allspace’s middle row of seats can be slid fore and aft by 180 mm, and can also fold flat. With both the middle row and the third row of seats folded down, the luggage capacity of the Tiguan Allspace is a cavernous 1,775 litres.

Three high specification trim levels make up the Tiguan Allspace range. Beginning with the generously equipped SE Navigation models, it continues with the luxurious SEL and sporty R-Line.

Equipment levels are high across the board in the Tiguan Allspace. As well as the third row of fold-flat seats every model has at least 18-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors and 3Zone climate control. All have Volkswagen’s Discover Navigation infotainment system with an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen, satellite navigation, DAB radio and a CD player, as well as Bluetooth smartphone connectivity.

Driver assistance systems fitted across the board come in the form of Adaptive Cruise Control, which tracks the speed of the car ahead and automatically accelerates and brakes the Tiguan Allspace while keeping a safe gap ahead, as well as Lane Assist, Front Assist and City emergency braking.

SEL spec’ adds Active Info Display, Volkswagen’s 12.3-inch TFT screen mounted in the instrument binnacle. It offers customisable menus that display a range of different information about the car such as speed, gear, fuel consumption, navigation instructions or map, and much more. SEL trim also includes 19-inch alloy wheels, front sports seats with 14-way adjustment, hands-free boot opening, and a panoramic sunroof.

R-Line brings a variety of sporty styling cues to the Tiguan Allspace, including 20-inch ‘Suzuka’ alloy wheels, sports suspension (lowered by approx. 15 mm), a body-coloured rear spoiler, and black interior rooflining.

Engine options are broadly similar to the Tiguan. The 1.4-litre TSI ACT engine has a peak power output figure of 150 PS (5,000 to 6,000 rpm) and benefits from Active Cylinder Technology, which means two of the four cylinders shut down when the car is cruising to save fuel. A second petrol option is the 2.0-litre 180 PS TSI unit, available exclusively with 4MOTION all-wheel drive and a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

The diesel range includes three 2.0-litre turbocharged engines, with peak power outputs of 150 PS, 190 PS and 240 PS. The 150 PS unit is particularly versatile, with the choice of front-wheel drive or 4MOTION all-wheel drive and six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearboxes.

In 190 PS diesel-engined form the Tiguan Allspace has a top speed, where legal, of 130 mph and completes the 0-62 mph sprint in 8.6 seconds. When equipped with the 240 PS BiTDI engine the top speed is 142 mph and 0-62 mph takes 6.7 seconds.

Fuel economy on the combined cycle ranges from 46.3 mpg for the 150 PS TSI to 43.5 mpg in the 240 PS TDI diesel engine. CO₂ measurements range from 131 g/km for the 2.0-litre 150 PS TDI with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive to 175 g/km for the 2.0-litre 180 PS TSI engine with 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

As well as being a strong performer on the road, the Tiguan Allspace is a capable off-road SUV. To that end, the optional off-road pack offers an alternative front bumper design to increase the approach angle from 16.9 degrees to 24 degrees. It also adds additional underbody protection and chrome door sill protectors.

All Tiguan Allspace models equipped with 4MOTION all-wheel drive include 4MOTION Active Control. This is an intuitively operated rotary/push-button switch that allows the driver to activate one of four driving modes: ‘Onroad’, ‘Snow’, ‘Offroad’ and ‘Offroad Individual’. It tunes the transmission of the car to meet the conditions the driver is facing.

The versatility of the Tiguan Allspace continues via the model’s towing capacity of 1,800 kg to 2,500 kg (braked), depending on the engine and gearbox combination. Volkswagen’s clever Trailer Assist system combines the optional Park Assist and rear-view camera to make reversing and parking with a trailer easy and accurate. The optical display visualises actual and possible steering angles and reverse steering is automatic, with the driver side door mirror adjustment switch acting as a joystick. The driver controls the pedals and keeps a good look out.

From its UK launch in June 2016 to the end of 2017 more than 40,000 second generation Tiguans have been sold here, cementing the car’s position as a top three model for Volkswagen UK. The Tiguan Allspace aims to further strengthen that sales performance as a standalone car. It has been designed to echo the sharp styling of the regular Tiguan despite its larger proportions, and boasts various styling amends including a new front grille and a higher bonnet with different accent lines.

Larger rear doors enable good access to the third row of seats, while the contours around the C-pillar are also new. The roof section is finished with a striking structural design that pays homage to classic SUVs.

Volkswagen’s SUV range continues to expand. Below Touareg, Tiguan Allspace and Tiguan is the all-new Volkswagen T-Roc, which blends the dominance of an SUV with the dynamism of a compact hatchback.

For more details on the new Tiguan Allspace – together with brochures and pricing – and to use Volkswagen’s online configurator, please visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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Enhanced value from Volkswagen's updated Passat

January 16, 2018, 12:20 am

≫ Next: Volkswagen launches pre-series stage of next Golf

≪ Previous: New Tiguan Allspace is open for order: more space gives greater practicality

Volkswagen is enhancing the specification of the award-winning Passat. Available to order in its updated guise from today, Friday 5 January, each of the five Passat trim levels gain new standard features inside and out.

LED headlights are now standard on the SE Business, GT and Alltrack trims and the Passat R-Line now features Premium LED headlights. LED headlights replace the previous halogen units, and include 12 separate LED daytime running lights that also perform the indicator function.

On the Passat R-Line, the Premium LED headlights feature dual ‘U-shaped’ LED daytime running lights and dynamic curve lighting. Here, the lights swivel as the steering wheel is turned giving greater visibility of approaching corners and an early warning of potential hazards.

Every new Passat now comes with Volkswagen’s App-Connect system as standard. App-Connect enables the driver or a passenger to link their smartphone to the car via a USB cable. The screen of the phone is then ‘mirrored’ onto the Passat’s infotainment touchscreen.

This enables the user to play music and playlists on the move. The car will also read out text messages and allow the user to dictate a reply. A wide variety of other apps are available, too, including Spotify and Skype. App-Connect works with Apple CarPlay™, Android Auto™ and MirrorLink™ which means it is compatible with the vast majority of mobile smartphones.

From today the upgraded Passat SE Business, R-Line and Alltrack models will feature heated front seats as standard. Already on the Passat GT’s extensive equipment list, this means nearly every new Passat from now on will include this welcome addition.

SE Business models now feature 3Zone climate control. This means the driver and front passenger can set the temperature for their area of the car. There are separate controls for the rear passengers, too, and so the temperature of these three ‘zones’ of the Passat can be individually controlled. 3Zone climate control was already standard on the Passat GT, R-Line and Alltrack models.

Another update for the Passat SE Business is the addition of a colour multi-function display. The multi-function computer gives the driver a variety of information about the status of their Passat.

The Passat SE Business gains the most enhancements and, in comparison to the previous model, has £1,955 worth of extra equipment. This contrasts to a small price increase to this trim of £550 RRP OTR, so the customer saving is £1,405.

R-Line models have a similarly high total customer benefit of £1,315, and on Passat Alltrack models the specification adjusted saving is £1,000. The Passat GT enhancements, including a small £200 increase in the OTR RRP, result in a customer saving of £705.

The price of the Passat S hasn’t changed, and so it continues to start at £22,025 RRP OTR. The extra equipment on this model equates to a customer saving of £165.

The Passat won the prestigious European Car of the Year award when it was launched in 2015, and it continues to offer a high level of value for money. Every model includes, as a minimum, Volkswagen’s latest generation Composition Media infotainment system with an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen. This includes Bluetooth telephone and audio connection for two compatible smartphones, DAB digital radio, a CD player and an SD card reader.

Starting the range is the Passat S, which has 16-inch ‘Aragon’ alloy wheels and chrome radiator louvres, while anti-lock brakes, disc brakes, and electric front and rear windows add to the equipment list. The Passat S also features power-assisted steering, an electronic handbrake with hill-hold function, and a Driver Alert system to monitor driver fatigue.

SE Business adds satellite navigation via Volkswagen’s Discover Navigation infotainment system, with branded points of interest, three route options (Fast, Short and Eco), and preloaded European map data. Adaptive Cruise Control takes the strain out of longer journeys and Front Assist constantly monitors for potential collision risks. Parking sensors and electrically adjustable and foldable door mirrors further enhance the appeal.

Volkswagen Golf and Golf Estate

In 2017 Volkswagen significantly updated the Golf, it’s best-selling model to date, and the German manufacturer is starting the New Year with a further addition: the 130 PS BlueMotion version of the new 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine is now additionally available to order on Golf GT hatch and Golf Estate GT.

Focused on even better fuel economy, the 130 PS 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine features a full shut-down mode. When the car is cruising, all four cylinders can temporarily turn off. As soon as more power is needed, the engine restarts. The driver barely notices the process other than the illumination of a small light on the dash panel to show the engine is in ‘Eco’ mode.

In the Golf hatch this new BlueMotion engine takes the car from a standing start to 62 mph in 8.8 seconds, whether the six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox is selected. Top speed for each variation is also the same, at 130 mph. The 130 PS of peak power is reached between 5000 and 6000 rpm. On the Golf Estate, 0-62 mph takes 9.2 seconds and top speed is 131 mph.

This technologically advanced engine was already available in SE and SE Navigation models on both the Golf hatch and the Golf Estate. It continues to be available in its more powerful 150 PS guise on the Golf GT and R-Line hatch models, and Golf Estate GT. In the 150 PS version two of the four cylinders are able to shut down.

Volkswagen today also introduces a petrol engine to the latest Golf Alltrack for the first time. Previously available with a choice of 2.0-litre diesels with 150 PS or 184 PS, the model now features the option of a 1.8-litre TSI petrol engine with a peak power output of 180 PS.

Designed to tackle rough terrain as comfortably as the urban jungle, the Golf Alltrack is based on the Golf Estate. It has an increased ride height (approx. 30 mm higher than the Golf Estate) and off-road suspension. It also has unique styling, including anthracite wheel arch protection and matt-chrome effect side-sill and underbody protection. Inside, it is equipped with Active Info Display, a 12.3-inch TFT screen, in place of traditional instrumentation.

Equipped to tackle rugged ground, the Golf Alltrack is available as a 4MOTION all-wheel drive car. In the new 1.8-litre 180 PS petrol version the Alltrack reaches a top speed of 135 mph and sprints to 62 mph from a standstill in only 7.5 seconds. Peak power is 180 PS at 4500-6200 rpm.

For full details of the expanded range of Volkswagen cars, together with brochures and full pricing information, and to use the brand’s online configurator, please visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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Volkswagen launches pre-series stage of next Golf

January 23, 2018, 2:02 am

≫ Next: Golf, Polo and up! voted "Best Cars 2018"

≪ Previous: Enhanced value from Volkswagen's updated Passat

180 top managers from the components industry at Supplier Summit for next-generation Golf
Main plant at Wolfsburg to remain the Golf capital
Brand invests €1.8 billion in model family

Together with its suppliers, the Volkswagen brand is making intensive preparations for the next Golf generation1.
At the "Golf 8 Supplier Summit" held at the Volkswagen Arena, the Board Member for Procurement Ralf Brandstätter and Karlheinz Hell, Head of the Compact series group, underscored the importance of the new generation for the brand and for the Wolfsburg plant. At the same time, they also indicated to the "Golf Community" the opportunities and responsibilities resulting from sustained partnership.

The Wolfsburg plant currently produces more than 2,000 Golf family vehicles per day and is to remain the capital of the popular compact class in the future. In 75 weeks, the eighth generation of the bestseller in the compact segment is to roll off the production lines at Volkswagen's main plant in Wolfsburg, Europe's largest car factory. The Golf is sold in 108 countries and has convinced more than 35 million customers since 1974, the total investment of the brand in the next generation of the Golf will be about €1.8 billion.

Brandstätter explained to 180 top managers of the brand's 120 key suppliers: "Together with the I.D family, the introduction of the upcoming Golf generation will be the most strategically important product launch for the brand." Following supplier selection, the next phase of joint work with suppliers will now start with a view to ensuring a trouble-free start of production for the new Golf. "We have reached the decisive second stage of the project," Brandstätter said.

Volkswagen integrates its partners in the component supply industry intensively in the product creation process at an early stage within the framework of value sourcing. Suppliers contribute their ideas and technical solutions to vehicle projects in concept competitions.

Brandstätter explained the positive effects of the fact that 80 percent of all Golf 8 suppliers were already under contract for the current Golf: "This is a sign of considerable mutual loyalty, creates a broad basis of trust and provides greater security for planning."

The key role in the development of the next Golf is played by Karlheinz Hell, Head of the Compact series group, Volkswagen's largest series group, which reached a total global volume of 3.4 million vehicles in 2017. In the development of the next Golf, Hell will be responsible for ensuring that all departments cooperate in the optimum way and that the Golf makes its contribution to financial performance.

Like its predecessors, this model will meet customers' requirements with respect to design, economics, CO2 values, comfort and reliability. According to Hell, "The next Golf will take Volkswagen into the era of fully connected vehicles with extended autonomous driving functions. It will have more software on board than ever before. It will always be online and its digital cockpit and assistance systems will be the benchmark in terms of connectivity and safety."

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Golf, Polo and up! voted "Best Cars 2018"

January 30, 2018, 4:41 am

≫ Next: Volkswagen at the Bremen Classic Motorshow: happy birthday, Corrado!

≪ Previous: Volkswagen launches pre-series stage of next Golf

No less than three Volkswagen models come out top in the auto motor und sportreaders' poll
Tiguan and T-Roc also make it onto the podium

The readers of motoring magazine auto motor und sport have voted the Golf, the new Polo and the up! the "Best Cars 2018" in their respective categories. No less than three Volkswagen models thus secured one of the year's most important awards. They were presented this morning in Stuttgart to Dr Herbert Diess (Chairman of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management), Dr Frank Welsch (Member of the Board of Management responsible for Development) and Jürgen Stackmann (Member of the Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales).

"The Golf is the heart of our brand – and therefore we're especially delighted to win this award", said Dr Diess at the presentation event.

This is reflected too in the car's record of success in the "Best Cars" poll, as this is the sixth time in succession that the Golf has won in the "Compact Class" category and also the popular model's 32nd award in total in the 42-year history of the poll (formerly "The Best Cars").

The Golf thus continues to be a major player in the motoring world. Its story of success too is an exemplary one, beginning all of 44 years ago. With over 34 million units built across seven generations, the Golf has been setting standards in the compact class for decades and continues to this day to take on a pioneering role in the introduction of leading edge vehicle technologies.

The Polo was voted top in the "Sub-Compact Cars" category with 33 per cent of the readers' votes. It's 43-year history of success shows that the Polo too is one of the key pillars of the Volkswagen brand. With around 17 million units sold to date, the Polo is one of the world's most successful compact cars. The recently launched sixth generation has a fully new exterior design, which makes the car – now as a rule with four doors – appear sportier and more grown up. At the same time, the new Polo is now bigger than its predecessor in every dimension.

In the "Mini Cars" category the readers crowned the up! the winner. While the up! is admittedly the smallest and newest Volkswagen of this trio, with more than 1 million vehicles sold (since 2011), it too can show a formidable record of success.

The small car has a very clear design, a comprehensive set of standard features and a multitude of options for personalisation. Highlights of the range include the new 85 kW / 115 PS up! GTI and the special edition up! beats with a 300-watt sound system.

Two Volkswagen SUVs also did well in the poll: in the "Compact SUV / Offroad Vehicles" category the company's top SUV, the Tiguan, took second place and the T-Roc, only launched last autumn, celebrated a surprise success in third.

The auto motor und sport international readers' poll is celebrating its 42nd anniversary this year. In addition to the German edition, 15 other European and three non-European magazines from the "auto motor und sport" group took part in the poll. In total, 378 models in eleven categories were on the nominations list to be voted the best cars of 2018.

WLTP: up! GTI (85 kW/115 PS) fuel consumption in l/100 km: combined 5.7 - 5.6; CO2 emissions (combined) in g/km: 129 - 127.
NEDC: up! GTI (85 kW/115 PS) fuel consumption in l/100 km: urban 6.0 / extra-urban 4.1 / combined 4.8; CO2 emissions (combined) in g/km: 110; efficiency class: C.

Article sourcec: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Volkswagen at the Bremen Classic Motorshow: happy birthday, Corrado!

February 6, 2018, 12:34 am

≫ Next: Leading the way - The new Volkswagen Touareg

≪ Previous: Golf, Polo and up! voted "Best Cars 2018"

Volkswagen present at the Bremen Classic Motorshow (2 to 4 February) in its own right for the first time
Corrado celebrating its 30th birthday in 2018
Two highly exclusive models on display

Congratulations, Corrado! The sporty coupé is celebrating its 30th birthday in 2018. The Volkswagen brand is presenting two very exclusive models from this series at the Bremen Classic Motorshow, which begins today.

The Bremen Classic Motorshow traditionally marks the beginning of the new classic car season. Volkswagen is attending the small but impressive classic car show in the northern German city in its own right for the first time in 2018. Its centrepiece will be a sports coupé celebrating its 30th birthday this year – the Volkswagen Corrado. The dynamic 2+2-seater was introduced in 1988 and was originally planned as the successor to the Scirocco II. But the latter continued to be manufactured alongside the Corrado until 1992, while production of the Corrado ceased in 1995.

The Golf II served as the technical basis for the Volkswagen Corrado unveiled in autumn 1988. When introduced, the coupé had a high-torque 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine which was charged by a mechanically powered G-Lader supercharger. This G60 engine boasted power output of 118 kW/160 hp. Two further engines were added to the Corrado range in 1991 – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 102 kW/136 hp and the top-of-the-range 2.9-litre VR6 engine (140 kW/190 hp) that accelerated the Corrado to up to 235 km/h. The range was extended downwards in 1993 with a 2.0-litre engine offering 85 kW/115 hp.

A specific feature of the sports car made in Osnabrück was the rear wing that was raised automatically to improve the vehicle's roadholding at high speeds. In addition to being delivered within Europe, the Corrado was exported to the USA and Canada.

Volkswagen Classic is presenting two highly exclusive Corrado models to visitors in Hall 5: a prototype with a 154 kW/210 hp 16V G60 engine which was produced by Karmann in Osnabrück in 1989 and later became part of the Volkswagen Classic collection. The second exhibit is equally fascinating: it is the last left-hand drive Corrado to be manufactured – a 140 kW/190 hp VR6 in classic green pearl-effect paintwork, which rolled off the production line on 6 July 1995.

The look of the Volkswagen Classic Parts stand is entirely in keeping with the Corrado, presenting select spare parts from among the extensive Corrado array – featuring everything from model lettering to an entire side panel.

And this isn't the only reason why the Bremen Classic Motorshow is worth a visit: it will once again feature more than 600 exhibitors spread across space of 47,000 m². The total of eight show halls can be comfortably navigated in a day – offering a major advantage over larger and more expansive shows. In addition to the manufacturers' stands, visitors can come and discover more than 100 different club stands and an extensive private spare parts market.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Leading the way - The new Volkswagen Touareg

February 13, 2018, 1:28 am

≫ Next: Volkswagen Group assumes pioneering role in rapid road safety improvement

≪ Previous: Volkswagen at the Bremen Classic Motorshow: happy birthday, Corrado!

Volkswagen is kicking off the new automotive year with the world premiere of the new Touareg. The brand's flagship is the next milestone in the largest model campaign by Volkswagen. Standing at the top of the model range, the Touareg shows all of the brand's power with its expressive design, innovative technologies and dynamic handling properties.

The world premiere of the top vehicle will take place in China, the world's strongest growing SUV market and the company’s largest individual market.

The new Touareg makes the brand’s standards clear. The highly expressive design by Klaus Bischoff, Head of Volkswagen Design, and his team give it an unmistakable appearance that is strong in character. A phalanx of innovative assistance systems gives it a maximum degree of safety and comfort. One of the largest digital cockpits in its class, the Innovision Cockpit, opens up a new type of infotainment environment. Its connectivity makes it a driving internet node. The drivetrain, air suspension, rear-wheel steering and roll stabilisation all ensure a safe and dynamic driving experience.

With the new Touareg, Volkswagen is continuing the success story of this model series into a third generation. Like its predecessors, it will satisfy the rigorous standards of the premium automotive class and its customers. The exclusive SUV C-segment is currently one of the fastest growing segments in global automotive markets and is expected to double its volume by the year 2023 in China, for example.

The Touareg has demonstrated its performance power and driving capabilities impressively in around one million units ever since the model series launched in 2002: on-road, off-road and on rally trails around the world. Highlights include wins in the Dakar Rally events in the years

2009-2011.

Volkswagen is revealing the new Touareg and the entire range of its technical capabilities and comprehensive features for the first time in a world premiere on 23 March 2018 in Beijing.

1) The new Touareg is not yet on sale and is therefore not governed by Directive 1999/94/EC

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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Volkswagen Group assumes pioneering role in rapid road safety improvement

February 20, 2018, 1:30 am

≫ Next: Volkswagen brand's first SUV cabriolet: Supervisory Board confirms cabriolet version of T-Roc

≪ Previous: Leading the way - The new Volkswagen Touareg

•Group-wide roll-out of WLANp standard in volume models from 2019 will soon create a broad-based network of information on local traffic risks

•Active and cooperative safety systems will significantly enhance road safety and improve traffic flow

•Standard equipment on new models without additional cost will lead to the fast and efficient distribution of this technology that can be used jointly

From 2019 onwards, the brands of the Volkswagen Group are to use the WLANp standard, which has already been comprehensively tested, for communications among vehicles and between vehicles and their environment. The introduction of this technology as standard equipment on volume models ranging from compact cars to commercial vehicles will significantly improve safety on the roads of Europe.

Networking among vehicles and between vehicles and their environment, irrespective of manufacturer, will be a key step in reducing road accidents. Within a few milliseconds, traffic-relevant information on the local environment about 500 m around the vehicle will be transmitted both among vehicles and between vehicles and traffic infrastructure.

The principle of platooning, with networked trucks driving in synchronized convoys, is also based on this technology. In addition to improving road safety and traffic flow, the new technology will also reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Head of Group Research and Development, says: "All the conditions for the rapid introduction of this technology have been met. With WLANp networking, which has been thoroughly tried and tested and is now ready for use, we will significantly improve road safety throughout Europe. This will take us one step closer to Vision Zero, the vision of accident-free driving."

The area-wide introduction of standardized WLANp , which has already been comprehensively tested, will also provide a reliable system for operators of traffic infrastructure (such as traffic lights), and fleets (emergency service and construction site vehicles). This way, information on traffic flow, accidents, roadworks and other relevant situations and events can be reliably made available in the local area.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Volkswagen brand's first SUV cabriolet: Supervisory Board confirms cabriolet version of T-Roc

February 27, 2018, 12:11 am

≫ Next: Volkswagen world premiere in Geneva The I.D. VIZZION – the saloon for tomorrow and beyond

≪ Previous: Volkswagen Group assumes pioneering role in rapid road safety improvement

SUV cabriolet to be produced at Osnabrück from 2020
Volkswagen to invest €80 million in production
Cabriolet success story at Osnabrück is continued
New model safeguards capacity utilization and employment

Green light for a new cabriolet based on the T-Roc: within the framework of its major model offensive, the Volkswagen brand is launching its first convertible SUV. The new model is to be produced from the first half of 2020. At its meeting held today, the Volkswagen Group Supervisory Board confirmed the investment of more than €80 million in the Osnabrück plant which is required for this purpose. With this decision, the brand will be continuing the cabriolet success story of the Osnabrück team and safeguarding employment at the plant.

Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, says: "Volkswagen is evolving into an SUV brand. The T-Roc is already setting new standards in the compact SUV segment. With the cabriolet based on the T-Roc, we will be adding a highly emotional model to the range. I am especially pleased to note that we can count on the Osnabrück team's decades of experience with convertibles. The Osnabrück plant now has bright prospects for the future."

SUVs are currently making a key contribution to the growth of the Volkswagen Group's core brand. With 720,000 Tiguan vehicles delivered, this car is among the 10 best-selling models in the world and the top three SUV's. By 2020, the brand intends to expand its SUV range throughout the world to 20 models. By then, about 40 percent of the vehicles sold by Volkswagen are to be SUV's. With the new cabriolet based on the T-Roc, Volkswagen will further reinforce its presence in the compact SUV segment, one of the fastest-growing segments in global automobile markets.

The investment of more than €80 million in the production of the new cabriolet will allow the comprehensive modernization of production technology, assembly and logistics at the Osnabrück plant. Following the run-up phase, a production volume of up to 20,000 vehicles per year is planned.

With the new cabriolet based on the T-Roc, Volkswagen is bringing this body style into the currently particularly strong growing SUV segment. This model continues Volkswagen's cabriolet tradition, which dates back almost 70 years. The original version of the T-Roc was successfully launched on European markets at the end of 2017. To date, more than 40,000 orders have been taken for the model.

Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH currently has about 2,300 employees. In 2017, the plant assembled more than 76,000 units on three production lines. Currently, Volkswagen Osnabrück assembles the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Porsche Cayman. In addition, the plant is responsible for part of the painting work needed for the ŠKODA Fabia. Since Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH was founded in 2011, more than 280,000 vehicles have rolled off the assembly lines.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Volkswagen world premiere in Geneva The I.D. VIZZION – the saloon for tomorrow and beyond

March 6, 2018, 8:43 am

≫ Next: Volkswagen shows the future flagship of the I.D. Family

≪ Previous: Volkswagen brand's first SUV cabriolet: Supervisory Board confirms cabriolet version of T-Roc

Groundbreaking: the I.D. VIZZION concept car is a saloon for the era of electric and autonomous mobility
Revolutionary: the fully-autonomous I.D. VIZZION can be controlled effortlessly via augmented reality, gestures and voice commands
The I.D. VIZZION is coming: the car will be available in 2022, initially launching with conventional controls as the top model in the I.D. Family

In a world premiere event at the Geneva Motor Show (6 to 18 March) Volkswagen is presenting the I.D. VIZZION¹ concept car – the new flagship of the electric I.D. Family. With the I.D. VIZZION, Volkswagen defines the saloon of tomorrow and beyond: autonomous driving, effortless control via augmented reality, and adaptive learning thanks to artificial intelligence. The I.D. VIZZION thus achieves a new dimension of comfort, convenience, safety, and sustainability.

Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management: "Upon first glance, the I.D. VIZZION demonstrates how the All-New Electric Architecture gives us a completely new type of freedom in designing the vehicle interior and exterior." Indeed, this concept car transfers the charismatic design DNA of the innovative I.D. models into the world of large saloon cars. In the process, the lounge-like interior was redefined as well. Thanks to its new vehicle architecture, the car offers its passengers a level of spaciousness beyond that of typical premium-class vehicles in the five-metre category. This particular feeling of spaciousness is part of the vehicle's unique comfort experience.

Operating the I.D. VIZZION is fully effortless thanks to intuitive interactions between human and machine using augmented reality, mixed-reality eyewear (HoloLens), and voice control functionality. Augmented reality entails the use of virtual control elements and displays which are projected inside the car. Passengers view these features with their HoloLens and operate them using gesture control. The car's communications technology has advanced to make it a virtual assistant which is capable of learning and responds empathically. The I.D. VIZZION offers one thing above all: greater personal space. That is because it is a smart device on wheels that does not require a driver and thereby becomes a chauffeur. Because it is so comprehensively connected that it is part of the digital world. Because it gives its passengers space to relax, communicate, or work while on the road.

The I.D. VIZZION demonstrates how Volkswagen is introducing new innovations year after year on its path to the future and is making driving more exciting than ever: while user operation via augmented reality gives an outlook on the year 2030, automated driving at the highest level is already conceivable starting in 2025. Yet the design of the I.D. VIZZION, the electric all-wheel drive system with two electric motors and 225 kW system output, and its operating range of up to 665 kilometres point towards the year 2022. This is the year when the initial version of the I.D. VIZZION with conventional controls will be launched.

With the I.D. VIZZION, Volkswagen is also demonstrating the excellent overall potential of the newly developed technological basis for the I.D. Family – the All-New Electric Architecture. Dr Frank Welsch, Board Member of the Volkswagen Brand, Technical Development Division: "The technological design principle of our I.D. Family is hard to deny: its dimensions, battery, and drive system are scalable. This allows us to occupy multiple segments and meet customer demands - up to and including a large touring saloon."

Taken in total, the I.D. Family represents the advent of the electric mobility age for the Volkswagen brand. Dr Diess: "We plan to build around one million all-electric vehicles per year already by 2025. The compact I.D.¹ and the I.D.CROZZ¹ SUV will make their debut in 2020. They will be followed in 2022 by the I.D. BUZZ¹ large capacity passenger vehicle, as well as the I.D. VIZZION already mentioned which is being presented in Geneva.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Volkswagen shows the future flagship of the I.D. Family

March 12, 2018, 8:02 am

≫ Next: Techno Classica 2018: precious convertibles from Osnabrück

≪ Previous: Volkswagen world premiere in Geneva The I.D. VIZZION – the saloon for tomorrow and beyond

With the new I.D. VIZZION1, the Volkswagen brand has today given a glimpse of the individual mobility of the future on the evening before the Geneva International Motor Show. The full electric sedan will be the future top model of the I.D. family and will reach the roads by 2022 at the latest. In addition, it is prepared for fully autonomous driving. The I.D. VIZZION is part of Volkswagen’s major product and technology offensive. By 2025, the brand intends to sell at least 1 million electric cars per year and to become the market leader in e-mobility

Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen brand said: “The I.D. VIZZION shows what our brand is capable of in terms of technology, design and quality. It is the most personal, most emotional and most individual Volkswagen of all times. And it also shows that, even in the electric, self-driving future, we will be using desirable, expressive and individual automobiles – and not just uniform tin boxes.

The I.D. VIZZION is based on the newly developed modular electrification toolkit (MEB) and underscores the technological performance capabilities of this architecture. From the outside, it is as large as a Passat, but it offers as much space in the interior as a Phaeton. The interior has the shape and materials of a lounge. In addition, the radical simplification of operation makes for effortless mobility. Passengers can opt for entertainment, information, relaxation or work, in line with their personal wishes. The pure electric range of the model is up to 650 kilometers.

“The I.D. VIZZION is our very realistic vision for a Volkswagen of the future. And we will be offering this model – by the latest in 2022 as the top sedan in the I.D. family with the innovative I.D. cockpit and a steering wheel. The model will be prepared for fully autonomous driving. Step-by-step, it will relieve the driver of tasks – if the driver so wishes. With the I.D. VIZZION we are underlining Volkswagen’s claim: we want to be among the leaders in shaping the individual mobility of the future.

No other brand is tackling e-mobility as uncompromisingly as Volkswagen. With the MEB, Volkswagen has developed a powerful tool that covers the entire range of individual mobility. From compact cars to SUVs and large luxury limousines, everything is possible. By 2025, the Volkswagen Group will start production of more than 15 full electric models on the basis of the MEB. The first models are to be launched in 2020.

1This vehicle is not yet offered for sale and is therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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Techno Classica 2018: precious convertibles from Osnabrück

March 22, 2018, 12:33 pm

≫ Next: Leading the way - Volkswagen presents the new Touareg

≪ Previous: Volkswagen shows the future flagship of the I.D. Family

World's largest vintage car fair takes place on 21-25 March
Volkswagen showcases its exclusive Karmann prototypes
World premiere: Volkswagen Type 3 convertible from 1961 is presented for the first time after complete restoration

Lovers of historic Volkswagen models should set aside some time from 21-25 March 2018. At Techno Classica in Essen, the world's largest vintage car fair, Volkswagen will present fascinating exhibits spanning three decades, including two exclusive convertible prototypes from the Karmann collection in Osnabrück.

Premiere after complete restoration: the Volkswagen Type 3 convertible

This true classic car from Karmann is sure to capture the imagination and is truly exclusive. At the Volkswagen stand at Techno Classica, visitors can marvel at the rare Type 3 convertible which never went into series production and which has a total of just 16 handcrafted bodies in existence. The prototype from 1961 displayed at the fair was once the company car of Johannes Beeskow, technical manager of Karmann's operations at that time. From a technical perspective, the study is based on the Volkswagen 1500 mode, the medium class (Type 3) which was launched in 1961. The designers were particularly proud of the large panoramic rear window and the fully retractable top, which gave the vehicle a certain elegance when opened. In 1965, the convertible was transferred to the Karmann collection in Osnabrück. A complete restoration was carried out on the vehicle from 2015 to 2017 and it is now presented to the public for the first time in practically new-car condition.

Sheer elegance for two plus two: the Karmann Ghia Type 34 convertible

Another fascinating exhibit which visitors to this year's Techno Classica can look forward to is the Karmann Ghia 1600 Type 34 convertible. The open 2+2 seater was presented for the first time at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in 1961, in parallel with the Volkswagen Type 3. Like the Type 3 convertible, the open version of the ‘large Karmann Ghia' is a prototype, of which there are just a dozen in existence. The top can be fully retracted also in this vehicle, preserving its timeless, elegant design. The model showcased at the fair was rebuilt in 1968. Various components were used, such as an original body from 1961 and a chassis from 1968.

Cabriolet expertise from Osnabrück: a long success story

Both exhibits come from Osnabrück, a town in Lower Saxony which boasts a long, successful history in convertible production. The first-generation Beetle convertible came off the conveyor belts of the Karmann plant in 1949. The popular and elegantly styled Karmann Ghia Type 14 convertible (1957 to 1974) as well as all Golf convertible generations also came from Osnabrück. And the success story goes on: from 2020, Volkswagen Osnabrück will produce the first SUV convertible in the company's history – the T-Roc convertible.

World's largest vintage car fair draws visitors from all over the world

Techno Classica is the world's leading fair for historic cars and motorbikes and trade relating to replacement parts and restoration. It features 120,000 m² of exhibition space spread across 21 halls and four open areas. There are also over 200 different clubs and interest groups. In 2017, the organisers recorded around 185,000 visitors from 41 countries. In addition to the two convertible prototypes, all those interested can look forward to a whole host of other exciting exhibits at the Volkswagen stand.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Leading the way - Volkswagen presents the new Touareg

March 27, 2018, 12:35 am

≫ Next: Simple and safe: Volkswagen simplifies parking

≪ Previous: Techno Classica 2018: precious convertibles from Osnabrück

Volkswagen is making a statement by staging a world premiere of a new model for the first time in China – its largest market. The new Touareg marks a milestone in the brand’s largest model and technology campaign, and it shows what engineers and designers at Volkswagen can do. The new flagship takes a top position in the premium class SUV segment with its expressive design, its innovative operating, convenience and safety systems, as well as in the high quality of its materials and craftsmanship.

Equipped with the connectivity of a new era and a pioneering fusion of assistance, comfort, lighting and infotainment systems, the Touareg points the way to the future. At the same time, the exclusive SUV charges up its market segment with pure dynamism. The largest markets for what is now the third generation of the Touareg are China, Europe and Russia. Worldwide sales of the previous two generations amount to nearly one million units. The Touareg – as comfortable as it is dynamic – has, as the most technically advanced Volkswagen of its era, the potential to enthuse technology and design savvy drivers of premium class models of all sorts, reaching new target groups as well..

Premiere of the Innovision Cockpit. Volkswagen is presenting the fully digitalised Innovision Cockpit for the first time in the new Touareg. Here the digital instruments (Digital Cockpit with 12-inch display) and the top Discover Premium infotainment system (with 15-inch display) merge to form a digital operating, information, communication and entertainment unit that hardly needs any conventional buttons or switches. Always-on, offering intuitive control and maximum personalisation – with the Innovision Cockpit, the Touareg provides the blueprint for tomorrow's digital interior today.

A focus on people. Drivers use the Innovision Cockpit to adapt the assistance, handling and comfort systems specifically to their personal tastes; the car becomes 'their' Touareg. This opens up a world in which the driver and on-board guests no longer have to adapt to the car; rather the car adapts to them. Like a new smartphone, the Volkswagen is set up and tuned to personal needs. This is made possible by a new high level of connected systems and programmes – controlled via digital interfaces and the multifunction steering wheel.

Fusion of new assistance, handling and comfort systems. The Touareg is launching with the largest range of assistance, handling and comfort systems ever to be integrated into a Volkswagen. They include technologies such as the Night Vision assistance system (detects people and animals in darkness via a thermal imaging camera), Roadwork Lane Assist (semi-automated steering and lane keeping, accelerating and braking up to 60 km/h), Front Cross Traffic Assist (reacts to cross traffic in front of the Touareg), active all-wheel steering (makes the Touareg handle like a compact car), new roll stabilisation with electromechanically controlled anti-roll bars, 'IQ.Light – LED matrix headlights' (interactive, camera-based dipped and main beam headlight control) and a 'Windshield Head-up Display' projected directly onto the windscreen.

The driver experiences these systems as a single unit in the new Touareg. They are simply there – interconnected via a new central control unit – working imperceptibly in the background and making travel safer, more convenient and more intuitive than ever.

New dimensions and reduced weight. Compared to its predecessor, the third generation Touareg is moderately wider and longer. The new dimensions have positive effects on both the vehicle's proportions and its amount of interior space. The added exterior length leads, for example, to a significant increase in luggage capacity, from 697 to 810 litres (with rear bench seat up). Cargo there is hidden from onlookers by an optional electrically extending and retracting luggage compartment cover. Despite its increased length and width, the car body is 106 kg lighter because of its mixed material construction of aluminium (48 per cent) and high-tech steels (52 per cent).

Launch with V6 engines. In Europe, Volkswagen will initially offer two V6 diesel engines for the new 2018 Touareg with outputs of 170 kW / 231 PS and 210 kW / 286 PS. In a number of markets, this will also be followed by a V6 petrol engine (250 kW / 340 PS) and a V8 turbodiesel (310 kW / 421 PS). A new plug-in hybrid drive (270 kW / 367 PS of system power) is being prepared for China; its exact launch date in Europe is still open.

Volkswagen SUV campaign. The 2018 Touareg is an important milestone in the largest product and technology campaign in the history of the Volkswagen brand. The brand's range of SUVs is also being expanded comprehensively. It currently consists of the new T-Roc, the Tiguan, the new Tiguan Allspace (Europe) and Tiguan L (China), the new Atlas (USA) and the Teramont (China), plus the now completely redesigned Touareg as Volkswagen's top SUV model. Volkswagen will also be further extending the lower end of its SUV range with the compact T-Cross. The first all-electric SUV from Volkswagen is also a sure thing: the I.D. CROZZ. It will arrive on the market in 2020.

About the Volkswagen brand: “We make the future real”

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is present in more than 150 markets throughout the world and produces vehicles at over 50 locations in 14 countries. In 2017, Volkswagen produced 6.23 million vehicles including bestselling models such as the Golf, Tiguan, Jetta or Passat. Currently, 198,000 people work for Volkswagen across the globe. The brand also has 7,700 dealerships with 74,000 employees.

Volkswagen is forging ahead consistently with the further development of automobile production. E-mobility, Smart mobility and the digital transformation of the brand are the key strategic topics for the future.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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Simple and safe: Volkswagen simplifies parking

April 4, 2018, 4:46 am

≫ Next: 15 years of the Touran: one of the most successful German compact MPVs in Europe celebrates an anniversary

≪ Previous: Leading the way - Volkswagen presents the new Touareg

The parking assistant celebrates its premiere in 2006, and today it is available in numerous Volkswagen brand models
Nearly perfect parking with the help of Park Assist 3.0

The everyday search for parking places takes a toll on time and nerves. When an available parking place is sighted, Volkswagen has been assisting drivers for around 20 years by implementing a parking process that incurs the least possible stress. That is because available assistance systems have been continuously improved over the years. The acoustic warning followed visual assistance. Twelve years ago, Volkswagen was the world's first carmaker to offer a parking assistant with automatic steering. In the latest generation, a Volkswagen can be made to steer into the smallest of parking spaces, either longitudinal or perpendicular, and it automatically brakes in an emergency situation. However, today’s Park Assist is only one of many different systems which can be found in Volkswagen models for assisting drivers in parking.

In 1997, it beeped for the first time at Volkswagen – in a Golf Mk 4. Four ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper enabled the first park distance control system. In 2005, Volkswagen doubled the number of sensors in the Passat – two times four sensors. The Passat B5 then had audible park distance control at both the front and rear. Volkswagen took the next step with its Optical Parking System (OPS) in 2010. The bars shown on the display visualised the distances to obstacles around the vehicle for the driver when manoeuvring. Just two years later, a 360-degree OPS system was installed in the Golf for the first time; it could show obstacles all around the vehicle.

Twelve years ago, Volkswagen showed a pioneering spirit one more time. The brand was the first carmaker to implement park assist steering, and this represented the beginning of making the lives of Volkswagen customers safer and more convenient. The innovative system helps the driver by autonomously executing optimal steering movements to arrive at an ideal position when parking. Park Assist scans the parking space, assigns a starting position and makes the steering movements fully automatically – the driver only needs to accelerate and brake. Over the course of the years, Park Assist has continually become more intelligent based on systematic advances in its development, and it can now park in the tightest of parking spaces, which drivers could hardly steer into without the system.

Just four years after the system’s world premiere, the first fundamental “2.0” update arrived: two-stage parking manoeuvres became multi-stage. In addition, the original requirement of “vehicle length plus 1.40 metres” has been significantly reduced to a mere “90 centimetres plus vehicle length”. Just two years later, perpendicular parking was added. Thanks to increasingly more complex algorithms, it was possible to utilise a total of twelve ultrasonic sensors on the vehicle to scan the surroundings and compute the manoeuvres more precisely.

In the latest 3.0 generation introduced in 2015, practically no wishes are left unfulfilled. Park Assist only needs 80 centimetres of extra space and can park in parking spaces that most car drivers would rather skip altogether. And it is now even possible to park in a perpendicular parking space in a forward direction. Emergency braking is also available today. This nearly eliminates parking collisions within the system limits or at least minimises their damage.

At a glance – the development of systems for safe and reliable parking
1997 – First park distance control with four ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper
2005 – Park distance control, front and rear
2006 – World's first park assist steering (Park Assist)
2010 – Optical Parking System (OPS)
2010 – Park Assist 2.0
2012 – 360-degree OPS
2012 – Park Assist 2.0 with perpendicular parking
2015 – Park Assist 3.0

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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15 years of the Touran: one of the most successful German compact MPVs in Europe celebrates an anniversary

April 10, 2018, 1:15 am

≫ Next: Dual Shift Gearbox (DSG)

≪ Previous: Simple and safe: Volkswagen simplifies parking

The Touran was launched in March 2003
Around 2.3 million in sales of Volkswagen Touran over 15 years

15 years ago – in March 2003 – Volkswagen launched the first Touran on the market. Since then, over three model generations, the MPV has developed into a best-selling vehicle and a market leader in its segment in Europe. Over the past 15 years, around 2.3 million new car buyers have chosen the MPV, which is offered as a five- or seven-seater. Today's Touran can impress with intelligent flexibility, a family-friendly character and innovative features, especially in driver assistance and infotainment.

After its launch in 2003, the MPV was given a comprehensive facelift in November 2006 including the first semi-automatic assistance system (Park Assist). In 2010, Volkswagen adapted the Touran – whose sales had already reached 1.13 million units – to the brand's new design DNA and updated its technologies.

After delivering a total of 1.9 million units, Volkswagen developed a completely new generation of the Touran and introduced it in a world premiere in February 2015. This was the first time that the Touran was based on the new 'modular transverse matrix' (MQB), and it was now 130 mm longer and up to 62 kilograms lighter. An entire armada of progressive assistance systems made their way into the compact Volkswagen MPV, as did a new level of connectivity. These included the optional 'Car-Net Cam Connect', which parents could use to keep an eye on their children via camera and see on the infotainment system monitor whether everything was all right in the rear seating area. The Touran offers another sensible option: electronic voice amplification. It amplifies passengers' voices via a microphone, and their speech is output over the vehicle's loudspeakers. This can assure good listening comprehension even across three rows of seats.

The current generation also stands out with one of the largest luggage compartments in its class (up to 834 litres with five people on-board), an ISOFIX child seat system for the rear seats and a 3-zone automatic air conditioner (Climatronic; standard in Highline). So, the Touran is also an ideal choice today as one of the best thought-out family cars of its time.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Dual Shift Gearbox (DSG)

April 17, 2018, 2:04 am

≫ Next: The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak – Motorsport driving electromobility to the top

≪ Previous: 15 years of the Touran: one of the most successful German compact MPVs in Europe celebrates an anniversary

The DSG dual-clutch gearbox, available in 6-speed and 7-speed versions, is unlike a conventional automatic transmission.

Two independent gearboxes are connected under load to the engine in turn, depending on the current gear, via two drive shafts. An output shaft assigned to each gearbox applies the torque to the driven wheels via the differential gear. Clutches and gearboxes are operated hydraulically by the gearbox mechatronics (a combination of mechanics and electronics). The electronic transmission control unit, sensors and hydraulic control unit form one compact unit. The control unit uses information such as engine speed, road speed, accelerator position and driving mode to select the optimum gear and to determine the ideal shift point. The control unit then implements the shift commands in a sequence of precisely co-ordinated actions. Each change takes less than four-hundredths of a second. DSG can be used manually, via the Tiptronic gear lever or the optional paddle shifts.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak – Motorsport driving electromobility to the top

April 24, 2018, 1:04 am

≫ Next: A successful start to the year: Volkswagen brand continues upward trend

≪ Previous: Dual Shift Gearbox (DSG)

Electrically-powered super sports car unveiled:
The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak
Volkswagen sets sights on record for electric cars on Pikes Peak
Huge acceleration: Faster than Formula 1 and Formula E in a sprint

A new era for Volkswagen in motorsport: The brand unveiled its fully-electric super sports car, the I.D. R Pikes Peak, today. With 500 kW (680 hp), 650 Nm of torque and weighing less than 1,100 kg, the super sports car will take on the iconic Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado Springs, USA, on 24 June 2018. The goal: To beat the existing record of 8:57.118 minutes for electric cars at the “Race to the Clouds”. To achieve this, the I.D. R Pikes Peak will positively sprint into the future: 0 to 100 km/h in 2.25 seconds is faster than Formula 1 and Formula E cars. The I.D. R Pikes Peak was unveiled in the Alès, France, before taking to the racetrack for the first time at its roll-out.

“Volkswagen’s goal is to reach the pinnacle of electromobility with the I.D. family. As such, Volkswagen’s involvement on Pikes Peak not only sets the trend for our future in motorsport, but is also of great symbolic significance in the truest sense,” said Volkswagen Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Development, Dr. Frank Welsch. “Customers have always benefitted from the findings made in motorsport, and we expect to take these findings and use them as a valuable impetus for the development of future I.D. models. The hill climb on Pikes Peak will definitely be a real acid test for the electric drive.”

“The car looks fantastic and has already been attracting a lot of interest from the media and on social media channels for a few weeks,” said Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand with responsibility for 'Sales, Marketing and After Sales'. “This project shows once again that Volkswagen is on the right track with its major E-mobility strategy and the introduction of the I.D. family. The I.D. R Pikes Peak and the start at the most iconic hill climb in the world offers Volkswagen the magnificent opportunity to charge the topic of E-mobility, both emotionally and from a sporting perspective.”

The top goal when developing the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak was to find the ideal balance between energy capacity and weight. The focus was not, as is usually the case with racing cars, on maximum performance. Volkswagen’s prototype for Pikes Peak justifiably bears two quality seals in its name. The “R”, which is synonymous with performance cars. And the “I.D. – the symbol of Volkswagen’s smart E-technology.

“As with the Volkswagen brand’s production vehicles, fully-electric racing cars will also play an increasingly important role for us in the future,” said Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. “The cooperation within the group really helped us, particularly given the tight schedule. For example, we received support from the Volkswagen battery plant in Braunschweig and worked together with the technical development department in Wolfsburg.”

As with the sensational twin-engine Golf that took on the Pikes Peak challenge in 1985, 1986 and 1987, the engineers have opted for a solution with two power units. The I.D. R Pikes Peak features two electric engines, generating a system capacity of 500 kW (680 hp).

As in production vehicles with electric drive, lithium-ion batteries are used as the energy storage system. There is great demand on the battery cells: Their power density is the crucial factor for the system when producing high voltage. Unlike in the manufacturing of production vehicles, the goal of the motorsport engineers was not maximum range, but the highest possible power output on the way to the Pikes Peak summit.

Roughly 20 percent of the electric energy required is generated during the 20-kilometre drive. The key here is energy recovery: When braking, the electric engines, which in this case operate as generators, convert some of the braking energy into electricity and feed this into the battery.

It is one of the peculiar challenges on Pikes Peak: Testing on the 19.99-kilometre route of the hill climb in Colorado Springs is only very limited, and only possible on certain sections. For this reason, the bulk of the testing is not done on the actual route, but at racetracks. Volkswagen’s Pikes Peak programme enters the next phase with the unveiling of the car in Alès.

World-class driver and defending Pikes Peak champion, Romain Dumas, will be at the wheel of the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak for the attempt to break the existing record for electric cars. The 39-year-old Frenchman loves this kind of challenge: As well as three victories on Pikes Peak, he has also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. Incidentally, Dumas, who names motorsport legend Jacky Ickx as his idol, was born in Alès.

Start at 2,862 metres above sea level, 1,440 vertical metres of climbing, 156 corners, 100 percent asphalt, and just one single attempt – not only must the technology and driver be on top form as they attempt to set a new record for electric cars on 24 June 2018, but the external conditions must also play ball. It is not unheard of for the 4,302-metre summit of Pikes Peak, which also represents the finish, to experience temperatures below freezing point at the end of June.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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A successful start to the year: Volkswagen brand continues upward trend

May 1, 2018, 12:32 am

≫ Next: The countdown has started: the new Golf GTI top model is set to be the highlight of this year's GTI meeting at Wörthersee

≪ Previous: The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak – Motorsport driving electromobility to the top

Deliveries, sales revenue and result once again improved in first quarter of 2018
Brand grows throughout the world; growth in Germany, too
Pace of model and innovation offensive stepped up
Forecast for 2018 as a whole confirmed
Group and brand CEO Diess: “We are making good progress, in line with our plans, on our way to making Volkswagen fit for the future of mobility.”

The Volkswagen brand continues to grow. In the first quarter of 2018, there were once again increases in deliveries, sales revenue and the result. With more than 1.5 million vehicles delivered (+5.9 percent), the brand recorded the best first quarter in its history. Sales revenue grew by 5.9 percent to €20.1 billion. Compared with the strong first quarter of the previous year, the operating result improved by 1.2 percent to €879 million. Despite considerable expenditure for the ongoing model offensive, Volkswagen recorded a return on sales of 4.4 percent (previous year: 4.6 percent).

“In the first quarter, we were able to continue the dynamic development of the previous year without any interruption,” said Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, who is now also CEO of the Volkswagen Group. “Our new models are being outstandingly well-received by customers, our efficiency measures are taking effect and we are on the way to gaining new strength in the regions. Our long-term goal is clear: we want to make Volkswagen fit for the future of mobility. We are making good progress in these efforts in line with our plans.”

Model offensive and cost discipline are the earnings drivers

The upward trend is broad-based. In the first three months of the year, Volkswagen was able to deliver significantly more vehicles than in the previous year in all regions of the world. In Brazil, deliveries rose by 4 percent, in China by 8.6 percent and in the USA by as much as 10 percent. Deliveries also grew in Germany. In its domestic market, Volkswagen boosted deliveries by 7.3 percent and regained market shares in key segments. Especially the newly introduced SUV’s are making for extremely dynamic developments throughout the world. With the T-Roc, the Tiguan Allspace, the Teramont and the Atlas, the brand now offers four new SUVs that were not available a year ago.

The growing volume of deliveries also had a positive effect on the sales revenue and operating result of the brand. In addition, Volkswagen was able to further improve product costs. Despite the ongoing model offensive, fixed costs remained largely stable in the first quarter of 2018 compared with the previous year. On the other hand, the improvement in the result was offset by growing expenditure for the upcoming electric offensive. The brand forged ahead with the implementation of this offensive in the first three months of the year.

Dr. Arno Antlitz, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Finance, said: “The Volkswagen brand started the new year with a healthy result. We are keeping costs under control and making good progress with improving productivity. We will pursue this approach consistently over the next few months. At the same time, we will continue to invest strongly in the future of the brand, especially in the major model and innovation offensive.”

Sustained positive business developments expected

Over the next few months, the brand expects positive business developments to continue. In the 2018 financial year, deliveries, sales revenue and the operating result will continue to rise, among other things as a result of the further implementation of the pact for the future and the turnaround programs in the regions. Volkswagen confirmed its return forecast unchanged. Despite significantly higher expenditure in areas including the changeover to the new WTLP consumption standard, the achievement of the CO2 fleet targets and the run-up stage of the electric offensive, an operating return in the target corridor between 4.0 and 5.0 percent is aimed for in the current financial year.

The brand continues to step up the pace of its major model and innovation offensive. With the new Tourag and the Jetta for the USA, Volkswagen has already presented two new models which are to be launched in the near future. In addition, the new mid-size sedan Virtus was launched recently in Brazil and has attracted considerable attention from customers. At the end of the year, Volkswagen will enter an entirely new segment with the T-Cross. In addition, four new SUVs especially for the Chinese market are planned this year.

In the course of its TRANSFORM 2025+ strategy, the brand will renew its entire model range by 2020 as well as expanding it in key segments. From 2020, the newly developed I.D. family will start the brand’s major electric offensive.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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The countdown has started: the new Golf GTI top model is set to be the highlight of this year's GTI meeting at Wörthersee

May 8, 2018, 1:56 am

≫ Next: World première at the GTI meeting: the new Golf GTI TCR Concept unveiled at Wörthersee

≪ Previous: A successful start to the year: Volkswagen brand continues upward trend

Strong performance: the Golf GTI TCR1delivers 213 kW / 290 PS and offers perfect traction thanks to the front axle locking differential
New addition to the series: the Golf GTI TCR is the road version of the 275 kW / 350 PS TCR race series Golf GTI
The fastest Golf GTI: the Vmax limiter in the GTI TCR to be launched at the end of 2018 can be removed as desired to increase the maximum speed from 250 to 264 km/h

Wednesday 9 May will see the largest GTI meeting in the world get underway. The location: Reifnitz am Wörthersee. Last year, 7,300 cars and around 125,000 visitors turned the Austrian town into the Mecca of the GTI world. Figures of this magnitude are expected again this year. Volkswagen will also present a special highlight to the participants and visitors: the new Golf GTI TCR, which is nearly ready for production. As a tribute to fans, the 290 PS GTI will be unveiled in a world première at Wörthersee. The future top model in the Golf GTI series, which has sold more than 2.2 million units worldwide, will be launched at the end of the year.

The special edition is the road version of the two-time overall winner of the international TCR race series: the Golf GTI TCR of the same name. The touring racing car’s specs make the new top model a dominating presence: design, power and performance are intrinsic to the pure sports car doctrine. The turbo engine of the new Golf GTI TCR delivers the 290 PS (213 kW) mentioned above at between 5,000 and 6,800 rpm. The TSI balances its maximum torque of 370 Nm towards the front axle in a speed range of 1,600 rpm; this value remains consistently high up to 4,300 rpm. A 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) and a front axle differential lock (both standard) are responsible for power transmission and excellent traction.

The maximum speed is 250 km/h, but can be increased to 264 km/h as stated above by opting to remove the electronic Vmax limiter. This makes the new GTI TCR the fastest Golf GTI of the current model range. Thanks to its drive performance, the production car achieves similar ranges as the 275 kW / 350 PS Golf GTI TCR racing car.

With more than 2.2 million units sold, the Golf GTI2-5 has become one of the world's most successful compact sports cars. It all started life in 1976 as a 110 PS front-wheel drive car, which made high driving dynamics affordable. Originally, only 5,000 cars of the original GTI were to be built – 4,400 times as many have now been produced.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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World première at the GTI meeting: the new Golf GTI TCR Concept unveiled at Wörthersee

May 14, 2018, 11:27 pm

≫ Next: Volkswagen showcases new digital technologies from Group IT

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Speed of 264 km/h: from now on, the Golf GTI TCR, which is derived from motor racing, will be the fastest GTI of the model range
290 PS strong: the future series version is expected to start at the end of 2018 with 7-speed-DSG, locking differential and individual design

A new chapter of Golf GTI history has begun: With the world première of the 213 kW / 290 PS1 strong Golf GTI TCR Concept, Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen Board Member for Sales, has unveiled the road version of the racing car of the international TCR series of the same name. The première took place today at the legendary GTI meeting at Reifnitz am Wörthersee, Austria. Jürgen Stackmann: "At the moment, the Golf GTI TCR Concept – an athlete derived from racing sport – is a study. But at the end of the year, we want to make this GTI vision come true."

The design, power and performance of the Golf GTI TCR Concept follow pure sports car doctrine. The power of the 370 Nm strong turbocharged engine is already transmitted to the front wheels from 1,600 rpm as standard via a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) and a locking differential. The top speed of the standard version will be 250 km/h, but this can be increased to 264 km/h by opting to remove the electronic Vmax limiter, making this Golf the fastest GTI of the current model range.

Numerous individual features contribute to the particularly sporty character of the new Volkswagen. The future standard version will leave the Wolfsburg plant with 18-inch “Belvedere” forged wheels; 19-inch alloy wheels will also be available as an option. Behind the large wheels there is a high performance braking system with perforated discs that decelerate the production car just as effortlessly as the TCR racing car. The top Golf GTI model features two extra radiators to ensure sufficient cooling for high engine performance.

If desired, particularly enthusiastic drivers can order a package that pushes the performance even further towards the racetrack: besides removal of the Vmax limit and the new 19-inch wheels, it includes an even more dynamic sports chassis and the adaptive chassis control (DCC). It adapts to the characteristics of the electrically adjustable shock absorbers at the touch of a button.

The Golf GTI TCR Concept shows that the future standard version will also prove its outstanding position in terms of looks: at the front, a newly designed bumper with sharply contoured splitter (front spoiler) identifies the Golf GTI as a TCR version. Also new: the newly designed panel attachment on the side, which is continued to the rear. Here, they join a diffuser and the exhaust system tailpipes. In the silhouette, the "TCR" lettering above the sills also attracts attention and is optionally customised with an additional decoration in the typical GTI honeycomb design. The Golf has a particularly inviting effect when opening the front doors: the TCR logo is then projected on to the asphalt. The stainless steel sill panel trim is personalised by means of a red illuminated element.

On the inside, the premium sport seats are finished with newly designed microfibre/fabric covers. The door inserts and gear stick cover have also been finished in microfibre. The seat centre sections are in the contrasting colour “Flash Red”, which is the bridge to the red contrasting stitching on the sports steering wheel. That is - just like racing - provided with a red 12 o’clock stripe.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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Volkswagen showcases new digital technologies from Group IT

May 21, 2018, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: Into thin air - Volkswagen motorsport breaking new technological ground with the aerodynamics of the I.D. R Pikes Peak

≪ Previous: World première at the GTI meeting: the new Golf GTI TCR Concept unveiled at Wörthersee

Digitalization in production, self-learning systems (bots) and “IT for all” initiative were among the topics of this year’s IT symposium held by Group IT
Finance and IT Board Member Witter: “Digital know-how is a major factor in the competitiveness of Volkswagen. Group IT plays a key role here.”

At this year’s IT symposium held in Wolfsburg today, the main focus was on digital technologies and innovative projects from all areas of Volkswagen Group IT. The event was attended by members of the Volkswagen Group and brand Boards of Management, top management representatives and the Works Council. The main emphasis of the symposium was on IT innovations to make work and processes within the company even simpler and more efficient. Specifically, the symposium dealt with further digitalization in production, self-learning programs (bots) to support employees with administrative tasks and the “IT for all” initiative.

Frank Witter, Member of the Group Board of Management responsible for Finance and IT, emphasized: “Digital know-how is a major factor in the competitiveness of Volkswagen. Group IT plays a key role here; it must safeguard all processes within Volkswagen as a global mobility group and make them fit for the future, at the same time as developing future-oriented digital topics for the company. This is why we continue to expand our IT competence, as we want to offer our customers the best possible product and service experience and to provide even better support for our team in factories and offices, with a view to further improving the efficiency of the company.”

Digitalization in production
Together, experts from Volkswagen brand production and Group IT are working on a digital platform to link all the systems and facilities at a plant in one integrated overall system. The experts expect this approach to yield significant efficiency benefits. In addition, it will be considerably easier to integrate digital best practice solutions and pilot projects in the existing architecture.

Martin Hofmann, CIO of the Volkswagen Group, emphasized: “Our most important objective continues to be to create digital solutions that make processes and project work in all areas of business even simpler, more reliable and more efficient. This is why we are forcing the pace for the modernization of our IT systems and developing even more mobile applications. At the same time, we are making advances with future-oriented topics. These include the use of artificial intelligence to provide effective support to our colleagues in the performance of certain tasks.

Artificial intelligence and corporate processes
At the symposium, representatives of Group IT presented trial projects for self-learning systems – “bots”. These systems learn through smart data analysis and can independently prepare repetitive administrative tasks (such as approvals or the award of contracts) for employees and submit them for decisions.

Bernd Osterloh, Chairman of the Group Works Council, said: “The impressive achievements of our IT colleagues demonstrate that we at Volkswagen can and should place more emphasis on in-house developments than on outsourced solutions. For this purpose, we need more IT personnel and more possibilities for the further training of employees. We can only achieve success with colleagues who have the best possible training and are highly motivated. They are the heart of IT.”

“IT for all” initiative
The “IT for all” initiative launched by the Works Council and IT is to give all employees of the Volkswagen brand access to digital media and working tools. The objective is to further improve the preparation, updating and management of time schedules and tasks, communication and cooperation within the team, further training and induction and the rapid distribution of internal messages for employees in factories and offices. A key topic is the increasing use of company or private smart phones to perform tasks.

Article source: www.volkswagen-media-services.com

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