Volkswagen Golf GTD, 2014

 

 

 

 Volkswagen Golf GTD, 2014

GTD. They stand for "Gran Turismo Diesel" - the long-distance express car of the Golf range. Now there is a new Volkswagen Golf GTD. With 135 kW / 184 PS, up to 380 Nm torque, a combined fuel consumption of just 4.2 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of just 109 g/km, this sporty and sharply designed GTD is more powerful, fuel-efficient and lower-emitting than ever. Compared to the previous model, it offers 14 more PS, 30 Nm more torque, 0.9 l/100 km less fuel consumption and a 25 g/km improvement in CO2 emissions. As an option, Volkswagen offers the GTD with an automatic dual-clutch gearbox (DSG); here too, a low fuel consumption value of 4.5 l/100 km (CO2: 119 g/km) shows the diesel to be a highly efficient car. In both gearbox versions, the new Golf GTD conforms to the Euro-6 emissions standard that takes effect in 2014.

Stop/start system and 7.5 seconds
This Golf is the first GTD to have a stop/start system on board as standard, and in battery regeneration mode it utilises deceleration phases to charge the battery. The 2.0-litre common rail turbo-diesel of the EA288 engine series was not only networked with these "BlueMotion Technologies"; it was also completely redesigned. The results: pure efficiency. The Volkswagen Golf GTD accelerates to 100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds. In fourth gear, this Volkswagen handles the classic overtaking manoeuvre (80 to 120 km/h) in a safe 6.0 seconds. Its top speed of 230 km/h (DSG: 228 km/h) demonstrates that it is a genuine sports car as well. The same applies to its noted maximum torque of 380 Nm, which is available at a constant value from 1,750 to 3,250 rpm.
 

The superior handling properties
Attributes of its special position as a sporty car also include standard features such as the further advanced XDS+ vehicle dynamics function, progressive steering that is as direct as it is comfortable, sport suspension (15 mm lower) and 17-inch ("Curitiba") wheels with size 225 tyres. This combination produces handling properties that advance into the range of high-class and high-priced sports cars.

Sound actuator and driving profile selector
An optional sound actuator exclusively developed for the VW Golf GTD can add acoustic emphasis to the work of the TDI. Based on the engine speed and mode of the selected driver profile selector? an option that is automatically paired with the sound actuator ? is controlled via CAN bus and generates either a comfort-oriented sound ("Normal" and "Eco" modes) or a powerful and sonorous timbre ("Sport" mode). The engine noise is routed over the actuator integrated in the engine compartment and into the interior via the windscreen, and from there it is experienced as a sound generated from the outside via the exhaust system. However, it is actually inaudible outside of the car. The faster the GTD drives, the quieter the sound, so that long-distance comfort is unaffected.

Cornering lights in front spoiler
Like the new Golf GTI, the Golf GTD also leaves the factory in Wolfsburg with bi-xenon headlights including cornering lights as standard. While the front end of the Golf GTI sports a red painted trim strip, the GTD glistens with a trim strip in understated and elegant chrome. This chrome trim strip extends into the headlights and divides the front end into an upper area with LED daytime running lights and bi-xenon elements and a lower section with the turn indicators. Beneath this is the bumper designed specifically for the GT models with (optional) LED fog lights integrated on the right and left as well as air guide elements painted in gloss black and the lower radiator grille insert with its black honeycomb structure.

Privacy glass for rear seating area
At the rear, the smoked LED rear lights with integrated white trim strips at the height of the tornado line for the reversing lights, dual chrome tailpipes mounted on the left, GT-specific roof edge spoiler with lateral aerodynamic elements on the rear windscreen and GTD badge all make this car out as the sportiest Golf ever with a TDI engine. For the first time on the "GT models", it is also possible to order rear windows with factory-installed rear glass that has 90 per cent instead of 65 per cent tinting. As for the Golf GTI, the selection of standard body colours for the new GTD includes the three classic GT body colours "Tornado red", "Black" and "Pure White".

Sport seats with style
Passengers enter the passenger compartment over standard white illuminated stainless steel sill plates. The driver and front passenger sit down on sport seats upholstered with a classic GT tartan pattern fabric - which is called "Clark" in the GTD (and GTI). The seats of the GTI and GTD are identical in concept. In front, they are both equipped with height adjustment, a manual lumbar support and a pocket on the seatback. Their ergonomic properties are ideal. Visually, instead of the red coloured elements of the GTI, the GTD elements feature a melange of black, grey and white colour hues as well as chrome parts. A leather interior ("Vienna") may be ordered as an option. A black roofliner rounds out the sporty ambience in an upward direction.

Touchscreen and ambience lighting
Along with the automatic climate control system (Climatronic), Driver Alert System and Composition Touch radio system (including SD cart slot and AUX-IN interface), ambience lighting is also a standard feature. The pedal caps and foot rest made of brushed stainless steel, the three-spoke, multifunction leather-trimmed, flat-bottomed sport steering wheel (with aluminium accents), a GTD gear shift grip and the instrument cluster with extended adjustment options of the "Premium" multifunction display are all indicative of the exclusive-sporty flair aboard the new Volkswagen Golf GTD.

Navigation with Google Earth
The sporty long-distance icon is the first VW Golf GTD to launch with technologies - in addition to such systems as XDS+ and progressive steering -that include the Driver Alert System and Post-Collision Braking System as standard. Meanwhile, optional high-tech features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), the surroundings monitoring system Front Assist plus City Emergency Braking, Lane Assist lane-keeping assistant and the latest generation of DCC dynamic chassis control (including driver profile selector). Also new on-board is a 400 Watt sound system from Dynaudio that was customised for the model series. Another new option in the programme: Car Net for transmitting online information such as the Google Earth map

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Volkswagen e-Up, 2014

 

 

 

 

 Volkswagen e-Up, 2014

In a dual world premiere, Volkswagen will be presenting two new and extremely efficient electric cars at the 2013 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt: the e-up! and e-Golf. This means that Europe's most successful carmaker is transitioning two high-volume production models to the age of electric mobility. Both zero-emissions cars offer unlimited everyday practicality, each has four doors, and they are attractively equipped. Standard features: automatic climate control with parking heater and ventilation, radio-navigation system, windscreen heating, LED daytime running lights and, in the e-Golf, the Volkswagen brand's first use of LED headlights. The two newcomers are also leaders in energy efficiency: the e-up! consumes just 11.7 kWh of electricity per 100 km - this makes it the new world champion in efficiency. The e-Golf, positioned two classes higher, attains an excellent value of 12.7 kWh. Given an electricity price of €0.258 per kWh (Germany, as of 31st July 2013), driving 100 km with the e-up! costs just €3.02, and with the e-Golf it is around €3.30.

Made in Germany
Innovative drive technologies are core competencies at Volkswagen. Therefore, the e-motors, gearboxes and lithium-ion batteries of the e-up! and e-Golf are developed in-house, and they are manufactured in large Volkswagen component plants in Germany.

Typical Volkswagen
All Volkswagen are intuitive to operate, extremely practical in everyday use and sophisticated, and these traits have been fully transferred to the brand's new e-vehicles. The zero-emission cars from Volkswagen are manufactured with the same high-volume production systems as their counterparts with combustion engines.

e-up!
Also making its debut in a world premiere at the IAA is the four-seat e-up!. Its electric motor produces 60 kW / 82 PS. This motor transmits 210 Nm of torque to the driven front axle from a standstill. It completes the sprint to 100 km/h in 12.4 seconds. Top speed: 130 km/h.

e-Golf
The e-Golf, which is being presented in a world premiere in Frankfurt, is driven by a 85 kW / 115 PS electric motor. The motor produces its maximum drive torque of 270 Nm as soon as it starts off. The results: the front-wheel drive e-Golf reaches 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds. On a motorway, the speed of the five-seat front-wheel drive car is electronically limited to 140 km/h.

Driving ranges
The e-up! can drive 160 km on one battery charge (18.7 kWh), while the e-Golf with its larger battery (24.2 kWh) has a range of 190 km. In both models, two very efficient driving modes ("Eco", "Eco+") and four just as easy to activate regenerative braking modes ("D1", "D2", "D3" and "B") help to extend maximum ranges. And they are driving ranges that make sense. In Germany, for example, studies by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development found that around 80 per cent of all car drivers in Germany drive fewer than 50 km daily.

Quick charging
The fastest CCS charging stations (direct current) shorten the time needed to charge the battery of an e-up! or an e-Golf to 80 per cent capacity to just around half an hour.
 

ThePowertrain and fuel strategy
Over the past decade, Volkswagen has already systematically sketched out a schedule for the future in its powertrain and fuel strategy, which included starting points for electric vehicles like the e-up! and e-Golf. This strategy sets up a timeline with realistic time windows for the introduction of alternative drive systems such as the hybrid, electric and hydrogen-based systems. In this scenario, the all-electric drive system - which will be demonstrated by the new e-up! and e-Golf - represents an indispensable and sensible supplemental drive system. That is because electric cars utilise renewable energy sources and enable zero-emissions mobility in metropolitan areas. Nonetheless, well into the future Volkswagen will continue to promote an intelligent mix of the most efficient drive systems.

Driving at the pace of the big city
The fact is that the target group for electric cars is growing, because a paradigm shift has begun. Sustainable mobility is having an increasing impact on people's actions. The products for implementing this environmental awareness must be practical and fun as well - such as the e-up! and e-Golf which accelerate to big city pace in just a few seconds. The new zero-emission Volkswagen cars therefore have the potential for irreversibly charging up the electric car segment with innovative technology, a high level of everyday practicality and a dynamic driving feeling.

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Volkswagen CrossPolo, 2014

 

 Volkswagen CrossPolo, 2014

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the world's best-selling super mini cars with nearly 14 million units produced. Super mini car? At least that is the official name of the Polo class in Germany - in the international jargon of the automotive industry it is the B segment. Whatever the segment name, and regardless of its compact dimensions, attractive prices and good fuel economy values, there is nothing small about the Polo. All the more so now, because a generation of the bestseller is now making its debut which has been significantly updated technically. The new EU-6 engines and the infotainment and assistance systems of the VW Polo, in particular, have now taken enormous strides forward. Consider the engines: the entire engine range was reconfigured. Volkswagen has realised fuel economy improvements of as much as 21 per cent. The new Polo TDI Blue Motion sets a record here; with a combined fuel consumption of 3.2 l/100 km (82 g/km CO2) it is one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the planet. The Polo TSI Blue Motion, available starting autumn 2014, also marks the first time that a Volkswagen with a petrol engine is being marketed as an independent Blue Motion model. In this car, 4.1 l/100 km and 94 g/km CO2 set top values.

Convenience and safety overcome class boundaries
The Volkswagen Polo of 2014 also increases its lead over the competition with an impressive range of new convenience and safety functions that is unique in its class. The Polo will also be one of the first compact cars to launch with distinctive LED headlights - also starting autumn 2014. Furthermore, the base model, the Polo Trendline, is equipped with K7 headlights as standard. Another redesigned feature available immediately at market launch are dual round headlights with H7 technology (standard from Polo Comfort line).

A new electro-mechanical servo steering system improves steering properties
Volkswagen also offers the new optional Sport Select suspension - which uses electronically controlled dampers - so that drivers can choose between two tuning characteristics at the press of a button. Many other assistance systems of the Golf class are also making their way into the new Volkswagen Polo. They include the standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System (automatically initiates braking after a collision), Driver Alert System, Front Assist ambient traffic monitoring system with City Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The view towards the rear can now be sharpened by the optional Rear Assist rear view camera as well.

Progressive infotainment world
The radio and radio-navigation systems were re-conceptualised; as second generation systems they reflect state-of-the-art technology in what is known as the modular infotainment system (MIB). That is, the software and hardware of these systems follow the infotainment world of the larger Golf, and - depending on the version they may offer functions such as Bluetooth audio streaming (with a smart phone, including cover display and touchscreen control), a proximity sensor (other menu details are shown when hand approaches the screen), two-finger map zooming in navigation mode (like on a smart phone) and interfacing of the mobile phone to the vehicle's exterior antenna by inductive coupling. All four systems can be equipped with digital radio reception (DAB+). In addition, special smart phone apps can be accessed on the touchscreen via Mirror Link.

Launches in spring 2014
Visually, the new Polo can be made out by sharper front and rear designs. Fresh colours, new interior materials and many other equipment details perfect the Volkswagen car. The latest generation Polo will already arrive on the market sometime in the spring o 2014. First deliveries will be in Germany - where, by the way, the car will be offered at the same selling price as the previous model, despite improved features and new technology. Most other European countries will follow immediately thereafter. In Africa and Asia, the successor to the "2010 Car of the Year" will make its debut in the second half of the year. Along with the basic versions (Trend line, Comfort line and High line), the Polo will also be offered again as a GTI, Blue GT, Cross Polo and the mentioned Blue Motion model. As in the debuts of the up! and the Beetle, at the market launch Volkswagen is also introducing an exclusively equipped launch model in Europe: the Polo "Fresh". This high-end limited edition model will be offered in five body colours, with exclusive equipment features and a two-tone interior.

Electro-mechanical steering
The newly developed electro-mechanical steering system is making its debut in the Volkswagen Polo. The compact system was integrated directly into the steering column. The new Polo steering system is distinguished by its very precise and agile response and steering properties, and it decouples roadway bumps very well. The system is operated with a steering gear (worm gear) that is driven by an electric motor.

Sport Select suspension
Volkswagen is offering electronically adjustable dampers in the Polo for the first time. They are the core technology of the new, optional Sport Select suspension. The basic tuning of this suspension is already sporty, but more comfortable than a conventional sport suspension. When the driver presses the "Sport" button (in the upper area of the centre console) this activates an electro-mechanical switching valve in the dampers which switches their tuning from this sporty yet comfort-oriented basic tuning to the stiffer characteristic of a sport suspension.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
The system utilises a radar sensor integrated at the front end. The desired vehicle speed can be specified over a range from 30 to 160 km/h. ACC works with either a manual gearbox or with DSG (dual-clutch gearbox). In all Polo cars with DSG, when the vehicle ahead comes to a stop the ACC system comfortably brakes the Polo to a full stop as well. ACC maintains the prescribed vehicle speed together with a preselected distance to the vehicle ahead, and it brakes or accelerates automatically in flowing traffic. Drivers can individually vary the system dynamics by selecting a specific driving programme. If the new Volkswagen Polo is ordered with ACC, it gets the Front Assist ambient traffic monitoring system as well as City Emergency Braking. As an alternative, a module that includes Front Assist and City Emergency Braking may be ordered separately, i.e. without ACC.

Front Assist ambient traffic monitoring system. Front Assist utilises a radar sensor integrated at the front end to continually monitor the distance traffic moving ahead. Front Assist assists the driver in critical situations by preconditioning the braking system and outputting visual and acoustic warnings to inform the driver. In a second stage, it emphasises the need to react by a short warning jolt of the brake. If the driver brakes with insufficient pressure, the system can generate a braking pressure that is necessary to avoid a collision, which may be significantly higher. If the driver does not react at all, Front Assist brakes automatically - if necessary until the Polo reaches a standstill. The system also assists the driver by warning if there is insufficient distance to the vehicle ahead. One component of Front Assist is City Emergency Braking.

City Emergency Braking
City Emergency Braking is a system extension of Front Assist. It monitors the space in front of the Volkswagen by radar sensor. The system operates at speeds below 30 km/h. If the driver does not react in a situation with an impending collision with a vehicle ahead that is moving or stationary, then the brake system is preconditioned as in Front Assist. If necessary, City Emergency Braking then automatically initiates hard braking to reduce the severity of the accident. In addition, the driver is assisted with maximum braking force if the pedal force by the driver is insufficient.

Automatic Post-Collision Braking System
A technological high-light of the new Polo is the standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. After a collision, it automatically brakes the vehicle to avoid secondary collisions or reduce their severity. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System is triggered when a primary collision has been detected. It assures controlled handling of the car by the driver, even in case of automatic braking. The driver can "override" the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System at any time. The system is deactivated, for instance, if it recognises that the driver is accelerating. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System is also deactivated if the driver initiates hard braking with greater deceleration than the system deceleration.

Driver Alert System
The Driver Alert System detects waning concentration of the driver and outputs an acoustic warning for a duration of five seconds, and a message appears in the instrument cluster recommending a break from driving. If the driver does not take a break within the next 15 minutes, the warning is repeated once.

As much as 21 per cent more fuel efficient with new engines
Volkswagen has set up a new range of efficient petrol and diesel engines. This makes the latest generation of the two-door and four-door bestseller even more economical on the road. An example: fuel consumption of the 90-PS diesel version with DSG was reduced by 21 per cent. All engines fulfil the EU-6 emissions standard; in addition, all versions are available with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode (standard from 66 kW / 90 PS).

New petrol engines
All petrol engines offered in Europe were converted to new three- and four-cylinder versions. The power levels at market launch are: 44 kW / 60 PS (indirect injection / MPI), 55 kW / 75 PS (MPI), 66 kW / 90 PS (direct injection / TSI) and 81 kW / 110 PS (TSI). Fuel consumption and emissions of the entry-level engine with 60 PS - in the version with a stop-start system and regenerative braking - were reduced from 5.5 l/100 km and 128 g/km CO2 to 4.6 l/100 km and 106 g/km CO2. Another prime example of efficiency, which will make its debut during the second half of the year, is the new 90-PS engine of the new Polo 1.0 TSI BlueMotion - the first one-litre three-cylinder turbocharged direct injection engine in this model series. It consumes just 4.1 l/100 km and emits 94 g/km CO2. The previous model with an identical power output of 90 PS consumed 4.9 l/100 km (equating to 113 g/km CO2).

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Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Volkswagen Beetle Dune Concept, 2014

The Beetle is a phenomenon, regardless of where it shows up in the world. People are always happy to see this car. Whether in wintry Detroit, sunny San Francisco or venerable Boston - the streets are more colorful with the Beetle, and life is more carefree. The same happens in Europe, in pulsing Berlin and in rocking London, as well as in Asian metropolises such as exuberant Tokyo and the eternally exotic Hong Kong, and cities in the southern hemisphere such as Sydney and Cape Town. The Beetle. As a coupé and convertible. The greater the numbers of this design icon that populate the streets, the more intense is this phenomenon of likeability. Now Volkswagen is adding a new version: with the world premiere of the Volkswagen Beetle Dune. It is has been presented at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A Beetle with a wide, cool and rugged offroad look; a car outside of the mainstream. The Beetle Dune.

Concept car with near-production design
The Volkswagen Beetle Dune is a concept car. At least for now. But everything about this car is feasible ? practically a production vehicle. The car points the way to next summer in the midst of a Michigan winter. And until the sun thaws this state again, the Dune will show how even the cold season of the year has its fascinating side: winter sports. That is why designers buckled a pair of skis to the back of this Beetle, whose body was raised 50 mm. Like the legendary Beetle of days past and the air-cooled sports car from Porsche. Dune - its name, its raised body, large 19-inch tires and all-terrain look all call out for this, just like the VW buggies conquered beaches and dunes in times past. And so, in the summer, skis for sandboarding are attached to the trunk lid - securely latched by clever mechanisms on the rear body and roof spoiler - surfing on dunes such as those at the Sand Master Park in Florence, Oregon. New sandboarding hot spots are emerging wherever there are dunes in the world. In the Beetle Dune, Volkswagen is revisiting an idea that was born in January 2000 with the New Beetle Dune presented in Los Angeles. While the concept car shown in California was more science fiction, especially in its interior and roof structure, in the Dune of 2014 Volkswagen is looking much more realistically towards a production vehicle.

The side

The Dune concept harbors the potential for a new production version of the sportiest Beetle ever. Painted in "Arizona" - a yellow-orange metallic. This warm color itself is sure to elevate the mood. Meanwhile, the two-part wheel well extensions are offset in black. They are rugged elements with a matt finish like those used on Cross models of Volkswagen. The difference here: integrated on top of the main matt parts are what are known as "blades" - elements that are just 1.5 mm thick, as thin as a razor. They appear to hover above the rather massive wheel housings, because the shiny and matt parts do not contact one another directly. The wheel housings - each with a semi-hexagonal cut-out - widen the body by a considerable 24 mm on each side for a total width of 1,856 mm (gain of 48 mm). The Beetle Dune is 4,290 mm long (gain of 12 mm) and 1,536 mm tall (gain of 50 mm).

In keeping with its larger body width, the car's track width was increased by 29 mm to 1,607 mm in front and by 29 mm to 1,573 mm at the rear. As a result, and also because of its low wheel pitch of 33 mm (instead of 44 mm), the 19-inch wheels equipped with 255/45 tires (diameter: 723 mm) fill out the wheel housings very well. Visually, they are reminiscent of the design of the 18-inch "Twister" Beetle wheels - with their five aluminum spokes, black painted interior spaces and a polished aluminum ring. The VW logo at the center of each wheel is embedded in a 3D module painted in the car's exterior color.

The wheel well extensions transition into brushed aluminum sill trim panels, in which a chrome-plated underbody protection panel is placed. The sills are painted in high-gloss black where they join to the body up high. Above the side sills are the side trim strips that are typical of the Beetle which are designed in a stylized look of the legendary Beetle running boards here. They also feature a high-gloss black finish. The distinctive Dune logo, meanwhile, is placed in the area in front of the rear wing. The door mirror housings are vapor-coated in aluminum. The foot of the mirror that is integrated in the window triangle of the A-pillar is black.

The front section
The designers came up with a new layout for many of the front end components. In this process, the iconic basic design and bi-xenon round headlights were preserved. New, however, is the design of the even more charismatic engine hood. The middle of the hood is now somewhat higher. Bordered by precise edges, the upper parts of the large hood's recessed lateral surfaces each have a prominent engine vent. The black vent screens have a honeycomb look with fins; there is a chrome strip integrated at the middle of each of these screens which runs longitudinally.

Like the hood, the front apron, which has also been redesigned, also makes an extremely dynamic impression. Its styling features a large air intake in the middle with a black honeycomb screen (a typical design feature of the Volkswagen Cross models). The A-shaped screen widens in a downward direction, and this highlights the dominant and sporty look of the front end. The screen has a chrome-plated surround that also serves as underbody protection.

To the left and right of the central air intake and aluminum underbody protection, there are two inserts that extend towards the middle in a trapezoidal shape; their frames are painted in high-gloss black like the angular surfaces of the wheel flares. These inserts contain a highly innovative lighting design. The LED fog lights are integrated here in a semi-circular pattern. From inside, the LED rings have a matt finish, resulting in a uniform light band. At the center of the LED rings, a stylized nozzle emphasizes the three-dimensional look of the overall fog lamp module. Above the rings are three slender cross ribs and a narrow chrome strip, which - although it is only 9 mm high - serves as a LED turn signal indicator. When the driver activates the turn signal, an illuminating band of LED light is emitted from the chrome trim.

The rear section
The multifunctional rear section of the VW Beetle Dune demonstrates impressively that it is even possible to reverse the design maxim "form follows function". Those living in the northern hemisphere who do not wish to spend the entire winter in the snowy slush of the big cities can simply set out for the nearest ski area in the new Volkswagen, whether - from an American perspective - one prefers sandboarding in Florence, Oregon or the ski slopes in Aspen, Colorado. The Beetle Dune with its 155 kW / 210 PS turbocharged direct injection gasoline engine (23 mpg City / 29 mpg Highway), together with a 6-speed DSG transmission, will handle the trip to either destination perfectly.

And indeed not just a trip to Florence on the West Coast or to Aspen in the middle of the country, but to any place skis need to be transported. The skis are simply mounted to the outside of the trunk lid. To do this, the outer left and right parts of the rear spoiler's black high-gloss component are swiveled out; the skis are then placed in the spoiler, then it is closed again by swiveling the black component back in place. At the top, the skis slide into a receptacle of the specially developed roof spoiler; there they are secured with a 20 mm wide belt. The roof spoiler itself - like the entire roof surface surrounding the transparent panoramic tilt/slide sunroof - is painted in high-gloss black. Viewed from the side, the roof spoiler has the appearance of a perfectly aerodynamic wing hovering in the wind. The love for detail is also reflected in the skis of the concept car: Like the add-on parts, they are painted in shiny black; meanwhile, the Dune signature and Volkswagen logo are offset in matt black. A silhouette of the Volkswagen Beetle Dune in its exterior color clearly identifies the car to which the skis belong. By the way, even with skis mounted to the car the trunk lid can be opened easily at any time.

The lower section of the bumper is styled in a sophisticated black; the surfaces around the license plate and the wrap-around extension of the upper wheel well are painted once again in high gloss black. Designed in an offsetting matt finish, on the other hand, is the lower termination around the chrome-plated underbody protection that is designed to function as a diffuser with the exhaust tailpipes integrated on the right and left.

The interior
The Dune team also customized the entire interior both visually and technically. Two aspects stand out in particular. First, there is the dashpad painted in "Arizona" car color which does not have the legendary Beetle box on the passenger's side this time - in this car it was replaced by the no less legendary grab handle of the original Beetle which consists of the rubberized material of the interior door handles and an integrated aluminum accent in car color. The Dune signature is embossed in aluminum - a haptic and visual highlight. Second, the entire infotainment system was implemented as a digital interface with a high-resolution 7.7-inch touchscreen. An AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic LED) display is used here which renders extremely fine details. A tribute to the New Beetle Dune of 2000 is the digital display of the car's pitch and roll, which was integrated in the main instrument back then.

A user interface software highlight that was implemented in the Beetle Dune of 2014 is the "Volkswagen Sideways" app - a program that proactively integrates "Points of Interest" (POI) in the navigation system. For example, the touchscreen not only displays whether there are restaurants nearby and which ones, but also whether your friends are there. Upon request, the navigation system can guide the driver and the Dune right to it. The Sideways app also integrates information such as the weather in the POI instructions - the driver would not be guided to an outdoor swimming pool in winter weather, for example. The instrument cluster is designed with classic analog instruments: tachometer (left), speedometer (middle) and fuel gauge (right). However, the scaling is not white as in the production car, rather it is in "Arizona" color. The same applies to the scaling of the auxiliary instruments above the center console with charge pressure indicator, chronometer and engine oil temperature.

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Volkswagen Golf 4Motion, 2014

 

 

 Volkswagen Golf 4Motion, 2014

Volkswagen is expanding the new Golf range: following the models with front-wheel drive launched at the end of 2012, the versions with 4MOTION all-wheel drive are now being unveiled. Volkswagen is thus continuing the long tradition of four-wheel drive Golf models - the first Golf with four driven wheels made its debut back in 1986. The new Golf's permanent four-wheel drive system is one of the most modern and efficient of its kind in the world. In this latest version of the Golf 4MOTION Volkswagen is using a four-wheel drive system with an enhanced, fifth-generation Haldex coupling. The intelligently controlled 4MOTION drive weighs 1.4 kilograms less than the previous system, requires no pressure accumulator and reacts extremely quickly to every conceivable influence exerted on it. The result is greater active safety and improved handling.

15 per cent lower fuel consumption
Volkswagen is offering the new VW Golf 4MOTION in Europe in three levels of specification (Trendline, Comfortline, Highline) and with two turbo diesel engines that provide both high torque and great fuel efficiency. The common rail four-cylinder engines deliver 77 kW / 105 PS and 110 kW / 150 PS and consume just 4.5 / 4.7 litres of fuel respectively per 100 kilometres. Just how efficiently the four-wheel drive Golf works is shown by a fuel consumption comparison between the 103 kW / 140 PS version of the old Volkswagen Golf 4MOTION and the new 150 PS model: despite being 10 PS more powerful, the 2013 Golf 4MOTION consumes 0.8 litres (15 per cent) less diesel.

High tech as standard
Like the front-wheel drive versions the new 4MOTION models are equipped as standard with a Stop/Start system and battery regeneration. Also included as standard even on the base version (Trendline) are features such as the four-wheel EDS (electronic differential locks on both axles), the XDS front and rear axle transverse lock, the electronic stabilisation programme, an Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, seven airbags, daytime running lights, air conditioning, electric windows front and back, a multi-function display (on-board computer) and a TFT display with touchscreen operation. The premium payable for the permanent four-wheel drive system on the Volkswagen Golf 4MOTION - sold fundamentally as a four-door vehicle - is €1,800 in Germany.

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Volkswagen Golf GTI, 2014

 

Volkswagen Golf GTI, 2014

At the Volkswagen company, the letters "GTI" have stood for superior dynamic performance for over three decades now. In the tradition of previous models by the same name, Volkswagen has introduced the latest version of the Volkswagen Golf GTI at the 2013 Geneva International Motor Show. For the first time, the legendary compact sports car is available at two power levels: the standard 220 PS or the GTI Performance with 230 PS and front axle differential lock.

The new GTI is powered by a turbocharged petrol direct-injection engine (TSI) with 162 kW / 220 PS. For the first time in the history of the sports car icon, a special GTI Performance will be offered. In this version, the engine's maximum power is boosted to 169 kW / 230 PS. Both GTI versions develop a maximum torque of 350 Nm. The standard GTI accelerates to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 246 km/h. The GTI Performance reaches a top speed of 250 km/h and just 6.4 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h.

Both GTI versions are equipped with a Stop-Start system, they fulfil the EU-6 emissions standard that takes effect in 2014 and - with a 6-speed gearbox - they attain the same low DIN fuel consumption value of 6.0 l/100 km (CO2: 139 g/km). This means that the Golf GTI offers an 18 per cent improvement in fuel economy compared to the previous model. With the optional 6-speed DSG, the two GTI cars consume 6.4 and 6.5 l/100 respectively (equivalent to 148 and 150 g/km CO2).

Exterior - dimensions and design
When discussion of the new Volkswagen Golf GTI turns to its design, the car's technical layout needs to be discussed first. That is because the new VW Golf GTI is based on the new modular transverse matrix (MQB). The technocratic impression that this term - "modular", "transverse matrix" - leaves, hardly speaks to the great potential associated with the MQB. This acronym signifies a completely new design layout of the Golf (and of many other Volkswagen Group models). And this new layout is perceived as a very welcome present by Group designers, because they can now implement entirely new vehicle proportions. The seventh generation Golf GTI is a superb example of this.

More dynamic proportions
Compared to the previous model, the wheelbase was extended 53 mm to 2,631 mm, but at the same time the front overhang was shortened 12 mm. In parallel, the A-pillar "wandered" further towards the rear, which makes the bonnet longer and visually shifts the entire vehicle cabin rearwards. This "cab-backward effect" makes the GTI more of a premium class car than a compact class car. In addition, the height of the GTI was reduced 27 mm to 1,442 mm. The car's length grew 55 mm to 4,268 mm now, and the width grew 13 mm to 1,799 mm. Many values that add up to an important result: the proportions of the new Golf GTI made unmistakable gains in dynamics.

Design uses GTI insignia
The designers have systematically exploited this potential of proportions to give the Golf GTI a more impressive stance on the road than ever before. Like the very first Golf GTI, the seventh generation also sports typical GTI insignia. On the new model they include the red trim strip on the radiator grille that now extends into the headlights. Also typically GTI VII are the additional air inlet openings in the front spoiler; a honeycomb structure of the air inlet screens; vertical fog lights; xenon headlights with an unmistakable light signature; the larger rear spoiler; distinctive, large tailpipes of the exhaust system that are arranged far outboard and finally the alloy wheels that were specially designed for the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Certainly, the visual effect of the standard 17-inch alloy wheels ("Brooklyn" type) and their interplay with the GTI sport suspension (with a 15 mm lower ride height) should not be underestimated.

In the front area with its LED fog lights (optional) that were customised to the GTI, there is another strong and significant GTI element that was completely reinterpreted: the red line on the radiator grille. At one time, on the first Golf GTI, it completely surrounded the rectangular radiator grille. On the sixth generation GTI, two red stripes were used which framed the top and bottom of the grille. Now, in the seventh generation, the red stripe terminates the lower edge of the radiator grille, but then it is further extended to the left and right into the housings of the standard bi-xenon headlights. So, the red line runs across the entire width of the front end; as a horizontal element it runs parallel to the bonnet seam and the bumper.

At the very bottom of the bumper, beneath the cross panel painted in body colour, the black air inlet (with its honeycomb structure screen) is now no longer surrounded by another black area, rather by surfaces painted in body colour. In this way, the air inlet makes a stronger impression; simultaneously, the three lateral, high-gloss black aerodynamic fins beneath the headlights also terminate the front end. Another detail fitting in with the precisely contoured styling is the black splitter (lower edge of the front spoiler), which is familiar from motorsport.

Side profile in detail. In a side view, the sportiest Golf can be readily made out by the even longer look of its roof section due to the larger rear spoiler and by the alloy wheels specially designed for the GTI (17-inch standard, 18- and 19-inch optional). Even in side profile, the light contours of the optional LED daytime running lights and the standard LED rear lights stand out.

In addition, the new VW Golf GTI is marked by new dynamic proportions and styling that is more precisely formed than ever. Below the door handles, we have integrated the now clearly visible and very sharp character line. While this line is interrupted by the wheel arches, it is otherwise continuous and is stylistically reflected in the chrome bars of the radiator grille and headlights and at the back in the white lateral bars of the rear light clusters. Set deep down all the way around, this line lowers the visual centre of gravity and gives the car a more solid stance on the road. Another striking element is the new line along the side shoulder directly below the windows. This line begins at the front in the headlight, and then glides under the wing mirror, which is positioned right on the line, all the way through to the rear side window, underscoring the premium proportions of the Golf GTI.

Just as characteristic of the car's side profile is the unmistakable C-pillar, whose design also references the GTI I, and especially the Golf GTI IV, which itself developed into an icon with its clean shapes. On the previous Golf, the character line still cut through the C-pillar. This is no longer the case on the new GTI. The C-pillar runs along one homogenous surface from the start of the roof all the way to the rear wheel arch. Above the wheel arch, however, it picks up more strongly the entire width of the car - and as a result, when viewed from behind or diagonally from the rear, the new Volkswagen Golf GTI looks more solid and powerful.

For the first time, the sporty Volkswagen also has, in addition to the GTI badges at the front and rear, red plates on the front wings at the height of the character line with the same typographic interpretation of the GTI logo that has been used for decades.

Rear section in detail. Another example of the harmonious integration of GTI specific elements is the new roof spoiler design, which is considerably larger than its counterpart on Golf versions with less powerful engines; it is integrated to be flush to the boot lid and the body. The spoiler, painted in body colour, seamlessly transitions into black aerodynamic elements on the sides of the boot lid, which makes a visual reference to the use of black colour in the first generation Golf GTI. Another feature that is designed in black, along with the aerodynamic elements and the front splitter, is the diffuser at the rear. To the left and right of the diffuser are the chrome tailpipes of the exhaust system.

Interior - ergonomics and configuration
Possibly one of the most important properties of the new Golf GTI - related to the interior - is the fact that the car simply fits - as though cast to be ergonomic. The driver simply opens the door, sits down on the standard sport seat, adjusts it, adjusts the height and length of the sport steering wheel, buckles up, starts the engine, puts the hand on the gear shift lever in golf ball design (for a manual gearbox) and drives off.

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Volkswagen Cross Up, 2014

 

 Volkswagen Cross Up, 2014

Volkswagen is expanding its range of striking Cross models: from late summer 2013 the VW cross up! will become the newest addition to the company's lifestyle family.
Cross - that stands for individualised Volkswagen models with a particularly rugged design and tough, lifestyle qualities. Thanks to numerous striking exterior elements, the Volkswagen cross up! is instantly recognisable as a stand-alone model: sideways on, for example, black mouldings on the wheel arches and sills, plus full-length door protector strips topped with 'cross up!' lettering create a sporty look. Further unmistakable features of the cross up! include the silver roof rails, the wing mirrors in a light silver metallic finish and bumpers also incorporating silver elements. The robust, sporty character is defined above all by the extra ride height and the 'cross' 16-inch alloys with a high-sheen finish and 185/50 tyres.

High-quality details are also to be found in the interior of the Volkswagen cross up!: in addition to seats in a special trim (in a choice of red or anthracite), an instrument panel with high-quality dashpad (in a choice of red, black or dark silver) and fabric mats, a small set of leather features with coloured stitching (leather steering wheel with spoke and leather handbrake lever) give it a refined ambience. The quality impression is rounded off by chrome trim around the air outlets and tachometer and by door tread plates with 'cross up!' lettering.

The Volkswagen cross up! is equipped to a high specification: included as standard are remote central locking, electric front windows, fog lights, electrically adjustable heated wing mirrors, an asymmetrically split, folding rear seat with headrests, a variable cargo floor, a rev counter, a multifunction display and the ESC electronic stability programme.

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