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  • Volkswagen teases the Polo Sedan – full details tomorrow!

    In Cars, Local News, Volkswagen / By / / 237 comments


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    It’s shaping up to be quite an exciting week for the local auto scene. With everyone in still in Preve hangover mode, Volkswagen has announced that it will launch the Polo Sedan on April 19. That’s tomorrow folks!

    No surprise here, we’ve seen the Polo Sedan in Malaysia before, and we actually spotted a trailer full of them last week (our mobile phones cameras couldn’t perform at night, though).

    The Polo Sedan is set to be the brand’s most affordable model, so don’t expect TSI and DSG as per the Polo hatchback. A proven 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine mated to a six-speed automatic is likely to be the chosen drivetrain.

    What we can expect however is “German engineered excellence” and “one of the most stylish and practical rides for our time”, according to VW’s thepeoplescar.com.my microsite.

    We will be there to bring you the details. For now, take a look at the Indian market Polo Sedan called the Vento. Ours won’t differ by much.

     

  • Volkswagen Scirocco R is here – 255 PS, 330 Nm, RM281k

    In Cars, Local News, Volkswagen / By / / 103 comments

    The Volkswagen Scirocco R is here, the third R car introduced by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia after last month’s debut of the Golf R and Passat CC R-Line. The R will be the range topping Scirocco, sitting on top of the existing 210 PS and 160 PS versions.

    Like the Golf R, the Scirocco R is powered by a 2.0 TSI engine making 255 PS and 330 Nm of torque, the latter is constant from 2,400 to 5,200 rpm.

    The direct injection unit is paired to a six-speed DSG gearbox, and the combo delivers 0-100 km/h acceleration in six seconds flat. That’s 0.3 seconds slower than the Golf R, and it’s because of the Golf’s AWD traction advantage. The Scirocco R remains front-wheel driven.

    The ‘Roc R comes with a “specially tuned sport chassis” and XDS electronic transverse differential lock on the front axle as standard. The latter refers to a functional extension of the electronic differential lock (EDS) that is integrated in the ESP system and “effectively eliminates any type of traction loss”.

    Also included is Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC) and R-specific 19-inch “Talladega” alloys with 235/35 tyres. Like the Golf R, the brakes have been upgraded to handle the extra power. Other standard kit include bi-xenons, a larger rear spoiler and glossy black finish on the diffuser and wing mirrors. The rear lights are “smoked” to match.

    Inside, you’ll find leather sports seats, dual-zone Climatronic, RNS 510 navigation system (CD, MP3, USB, AUX-in), a panoramic tilting glass roof, Dynaudio ‘Excite’ 300W eight-speaker sound system and keyless entry/start.

    Available in six colours – Candy White, Viper Green, Rising Blue, Reflex Silver, Iridium Grey, Deep Black – the Scirocco R is priced at RM281,060 on the road, excluding insurance.

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  • Volkswagen Scirocco gets minor upgrades and a price cut

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 29 comments

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    The Volkswagen Scirocco, in the UK at least, is getting a refreshing splash to the exterior as well as the interior.

    All models in the range now comes with RNS 315 touch screen sat-nav, multi-function steering wheel and 17” ‘Long Beach’ alloys while the Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) now becomes optional. The entry-level ‘Roc, which enjoys the upgrades, also will have its price cut between £420 and £600, depending on the engine.

    The Scirocco in GT trim will be decked out Nappa leather upholstery and heated front seats. Now standard with the GT trim are the ACC, 2-zone climate control, front fog lights, heat-insulating tinted glass from the B-pillars back and 18” ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels.

    A step up from the GT is the R Line, which gets a new bodykit and 19” ‘Lugano’ alloys. Inside, the car comes with Nappa leather R Line sport seats and chrome pedal covers.

    There are no changes to the engine and transmission. But hey, if it isn’t broken, why fix it?

     

  • Reports: Volkswagen planning a low-cost car brand

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 40 comments

    Well, it seems not only Nissan has the idea of drawing a line in the sand with regards to market demarcation through separate branding, with the re-emergence of Datsun, replete with reinvented logo, into its fold – Volkswagen is said to be planning a low-cost car brand for emerging markets as well.

    According to reports, Wolfsburg is looking at opening up the cards in the lower end of the price scale, aimed primarily at the Chinese and Indian markets, but surely to also include many upcoming economies once it starts chugging along, one senses.

    VW’s head of research and development, Ulrich Hackenburg, said that in India, the company already builds the Vento and a local Polo variant, which goes for around 7,000 euros, but plans are afoot to come up with a more attractively priced offering in China, which will be the size of a Seat Toledo. No decision had yet been made whether such a car is to be manufactured with a Chinese partner.

    The car will sell for about 5,000 euros, he said. He added that the trick would be to find the right amount of content to omit from the car to price it affordably. “Here you really have to closely look at what can be done away with, but those cars would not be sold under the name Volkswagen, more as their own brand,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

     

  • Volkswagen XL1 – two-seater to go into production in 2013

    In Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 22 comments

    Volkswagen’s XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV), which premiered in concept form at the Qatar Motor Show in January last year, is set to go into small-series production in 2013, presumably as a primary field test.

    VW’s CEO Martin Winterkorn said that production will start in two years time in Germany, according to a report by Automotive News Europe. The report added that sources said the plug-in hybrid will be built either in Dresden or Wolfsburg.

    The lightweight 795 kg vehicle is an evolution of the 1-Litre car from 2002 and the L1 concept of 2009, and is capable of offering a staggering 110.9 km per litre in fuel consumption on a combined cycle.

    It’s powered by an 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common-rail diesel engine offering 47 hp and an electric motor producing 27 hp, and the hybrid powertrain works with a seven-speed DSG gearbox with an automatic clutch mounted between each unit.

    The electric motor can either work independently of the TDI engine or in tandem when accelerating – in pure electric mode the XL1 can travel up to 35 km before the diesel engine cuts in. Performance figures for the 3.97 metre-long two-seater include a 0-100 km/h time of 11.9 seconds and an electronically-limited 160 km/h top speed.

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  • Facelifted Volkswagen CC goes on sale in the UK

    In Volkswagen / By / / 45 comments

    The Volkswagen CC has officially hit UK streets, so it should be anytime now that we get the facelift car here in Malaysia. Yes, Volkswagen has dropped the Passat name from the successful Passat CC model, opting to call the facelift simply the Volkswagen CC.

    Four engines are available – a 160 PS 1.8 litre TSI, a 210 PS 2.0 litre TSI, and for the oil burners there are two different 2.0 litre TDI tunes – 140 PS and 170 PS. Prices for the car start at £24,200 (RRP OTR) for the entry-level 1.8-litre TSI 160 PS, and rise to £30,100 for the range-topping GT 2.0-litre TDI 170 PS DSG with BlueMotion Technology.

     

  • VW Passat Alltrack to make Europe market debut in May

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 2 comments

    Volkswagen’s Passat Alltrack, which made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show last November, is set to begin its entry into the market in Europe – over in the UK, the first vehicles arrive in the showrooms at the end of May.

    Based on the Passat Estate, the Alltrack features 4MOTION four-wheel drive and raised ride height to give it greater agility off-road, while body enhancements provide some protection from scrapes when covering rough terrain.

    Just one trim level is available in the UK, with a choice of two drivetrains, both 2.0 litre TDI units, a 140 PS variant with a six-speed manual gearbox, and a 170 PS version with six-speed DSG transmission. Standard equipment includes Alcantara upholstery, a RNS 315 touchscreen satellite navigation system, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system and 18-inch Canyon alloy wheels.

    A Driver Alert System that monitors the driver’s responses to raise awareness of fatigue is also standard, with options including Park Assist, Side Scan Lane Change Assist, Adaptive Chassis Control and Automatic Distance Control with City Emergency Braking function.

     

  • GALLERY: Live shots of the VW Passat CC R-Line 3.6 V6

    In Cars, Local News, Volkswagen / By / / 11 comments

    We spent our weekend in Pekan, Pahang to witness the unveiling of the CKD Volkswagen Passat, and also caught an interesting sideshow featuring VW’s R cars. Last week, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia announced the availability of the R performance range in Malaysia, starting with the Golf R and Passat CC R-Line. We gave you a live gallery of the hot Golf yesterday, so let’s look at the big engined Passat CC today.

    The Passat CC R-Line comes in with a big capacity 3.6 litre V6 engine with 300 PS and 350 Nm between 2,400 and 5,300 rpm. With six-pot firepower, the sleek sedan is actually faster than the Golf R to 100 km/h, by a tenth – 5.6 seconds versus 5.7.

    Like the hot hatch, the flagship Passat CC also comes with a six-speed DSG, 4MOTION AWD and Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC). From the outside, you can spot the R-Line by its 18-inch “Mallory” wheels, panoramic tilting glass roof and R badges at the base of the A pillars. Bi-xenon and bending lights are also standard. It’s all very subtle.

    Inside, the top dog CC is enhanced with aluminium front scuff plates with the R logo, sports seats finished in Nappa leather, a flat-bottomed multifunction steering wheel, brushed aluminium inserts and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

    Also on the kit list are Climatronic with dual-zone control, DYNAUDIO 600-watt “Confidence” sound system with 10 speakers, keyless entry and start, electronic parking brake with hill hold and auto hold, Park Distance Control with Rear Assist reverse camera and the RNS510 touch screen stereo with integrated sat nav.

    The Passat CC R-Line is priced at RM373,888. Choose from nine colours – Urano Grey, Candy White, Night Blue, Reflex Silver, Light Brown, Iron Grey, Deep Black, Mocca Anthracite and Icelandic Grey. Want the style but not the engine? The Passat CC 2.0 TSI (210 PS/280 Nm) is priced from RM254,888 to RM269,888.

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  • GALLERY: Live shots of the VW Golf R – AWD, 255 PS

    In Cars, Local News, Volkswagen / By / / 39 comments

    We were in Pekan, Pahang over the weekend for the launch of the CKD Volkswagen Passat by DRB-Hicom and VW, and while all the attention was on the PM and Passat, we spotted a rather appealing sideshow in a corner – Volkswagen’s R cars!

    Last week, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia announced the availability of its high performance R cars for the first time in Malaysia. To start things, they have brought in the Golf R and the Passat CC R-Line. Both cars are are performance flagships for their respective families and are fruits of Volkswagen R GmbH, VeeDub’s performance division.

    Let’s focus on the Golf R for now. This successor to the Mk5 R32 has a downsized engine. It no longer uses a V6, but a four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0 TSI that makes 255 PS and 330 Nm from 2,400 to 5,200 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox and power is channeled to the wheels via VW’s 4MOTION AWD system.

    0-100 km/h is done in just 5.7 seconds on to a limited 250 km/h top speed. Fuel consumption is 13.4% better than the R32 at 8.4 litres per 100 km.

    The RM268,888 Golf is only available as a five-door here, like the GTI. Goodies include Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC), internally ventilated discs all around with R brake calipers, ESP with delayed intervention, 19-inch Talladega alloys with 235/35 tyres, bi xenons with dynamic cornering lamps, trademark central tailpipes and the really cool looking “Motorsport Bucket Seats”.

    Golf GTI owners also won’t recognise the instrument’s blue needles, and the push start button. The latter is unusually located where the key normally goes in, which explains why it sports some scratches in the display car!

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  • DRB-Hicom boss rubbishes talk on Proton rebadging VWs

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Volkswagen / By / / 129 comments

    Last week, we picked up a report from Business Times that said Volkswagen AG had earmarked the Polo for Proton to remodel, and that Proton’s Polo will be priced below RM70,000.

    Quoting insider sources, the report even mentioned where the proposal was made (Hong Kong) and who was involved (VW’s Head of Commercial Operations China/ASEAN Soh Wei Ming and DRB-Hicom’s chief operating officer, Datuk Lukman Ibrahim).

    At yesterday’s unveiling of the CKD Volkswagen Passat in Pekan, DRB-Hicom’s Group MD Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil rubbished talks of Proton rebadging VW models. DRB-Hicom is of course the new owner of national carmaker Proton, and counts VW as partner and biggest customer of its Pekan facility.

    “The reports got me by surprise,” Khamil said. “Rebadging was never in our plans. If we want to develop the national auto industry, we got to move forward. Rebadging is taking a step backwards,” he said, adding that “short term pains, but long term gains” is needed for Proton.

    “I may have to eat my words someday, but as long as I’m in charge, I will never allow that [rebadging] to happen,” he stated firmly.

    However, no rebadging doesn’t mean that Proton, a small carmaker in the grand scheme of things, needs to do it all alone, for Khamil believes that Proton needs a reputable OEM as partner.

    So there you go, erase that RM70k “Proton Sago” from your mind!

     
 
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