VW Caddy PanAmericana Study - New Photos

In a world premiere at the IAA 2008 Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, VW presented the Caddy PanAmericana concept study based on the newly introduced Caddy 4MOTION. Think of the PanAmericana as something like a cross between a multipurpose minivan, a commercial van and an SUV. Sounds kinda messed up, but then again, isn’t that what crossovers are all about? Just like the new Caddy 4MOTION, the PanAmericana sports VW’s latest generation all-wheel drive system with electro-hydraulic Haldex clutch and a 105HP 1.9-liter turbo diesel engine that’s matted to a 6-speed manual gearbox. -Continued

Visually, the concept car that’s outfitted with two sliding doors is identified by the 16-inch wheels with all-terrain tires in size AT 215/70 R16, the higher road-clearance, the revised bumpers, the side skirts and protective underbody components in aluminum look as well as the PanAmericana signatures on the engine hood and two-section door-style tailgate. Other mods include the tinted taillights and black-background headlight housings.

In contrast to the PanAmericana’s ‘rugged’ exterior, the vehicle’s cabin features a series of luxury appointments such as the leather seats in natural brown tone finished with light gray stitches and the metallic accents. Additionally, the PanAmericana has been fitted with a set of matching leather pockets in the rear seating area that serve as extra storage compartments.

New VW Golf VI GTi 210HP: 31 High-Res Photos and Official Details

Behold! Following last night’s pre-reveal and as we first told you a couple of weeks ago, Volkswagen has uncovered its sixth-generation Golf GTi that gets an updated 210HP 2.0-liter turbocharged ahead of its world debut at the Paris Motor Show. At a first glance, it seems that not many things have changed in terms of styling with the outgoing GTI. And truly enough, VW dressed the body of the Golf VI that looks very similar in appearance to the previous model, with the same visual effects used in the GTI V. These include a red surrounding for the smaller in dimensions, honeycomb grille, black side skirts and oddly enough, the same set of 18-inch five-hole alloy wheels. No wonder VW believes it’ll make more money from the Golf VI… -Continued

When put aside to the standard Golf VI models, the 2009 GTI manages to stand out thanks to the new headlight clusters, a distinct front bumper with repositioned fog lights, a larger roof spoiler and a new rear bumper that integrates dual exhaust pipes that have been moved to the far corners of the car.

Inside, owners of the previous Golf GTI will feel right at home as with the exception of a few parts that were pinched from the Passat CC, the overall styling of the fifth-generation model has been retained on the new GTI. The most unique features on the car are the black-and-white checkered tweed bucket seats and the sporty, flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Under the bonnet, the new GTI gets a slightly more powerful latest generation turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI engine that delivers an output of 210HP, up from 200HP and a maximum torque figure of 280 Nm or 207-lbs/ft at 1.800 rpm (same as the previous GTI).

Hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox or optionally, a dual clutch DSG semi-auto gearbox, the 2009 Golf GTI accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62mph) in 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 239 km/h or 148 mph. For the record, the outgoing 200HP GTI features the same 0-100 km/h sprint time and a maximum speed of 235 km/h or 146 mph.

In terms of fuel consumption, the new GTI returns an average of 31.4 mpg or 7.5 lt/100km which is slightly better than the GTI V’s 29.4 mpg or 8.0 lt/100 km. Sales of the Golf GTI VI are expected to begin in Europe in spring 2009 with the rest of the world following shortly after.

2009 VW Golf GTI VI: Official Images Appear on the Web!

Update: 31 High-Resolution Images and Official Details - Click Here

The first official pictures of Volkswagen’s all-new (or, sort of all-new) sixth generation Golf GTI somehow found their way into the net ahead of the car’s scheduled debut at the Paris Show. As you can see in the photos, nothing much has changed compared to the fifth generation Golf GTI –at least in terms of styling. Even the alloy wheels appear to be the same… Compared to the standard Golf, the GTI gets a set of redesigned bumpers, side skirts, a larger roof spoiler and quad exhaust pipes that have been pushed to the corners of the car. –Continued

Inside, the photos reveal that VW maintained the tweed bucket seats as well as the flat-bottomed steering wheel of the outgoing GTI. In terms of power, we’re still short of official information, but according to our European contacts that we just talked to a few minutes ago, the new GTI will most likely get a 210 HP 2.0 TFSI engine matted to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DGS dual clutch gearbox. Stay tuned on Carscoop as we'll update the GTI story as soon as we find out more details.

VW Passat BlueTDI: Cleanest Passat Ever to make Paris Debut

Volkswagen’s super-clean 2.0 BlueTDI engine is making its debut on the Passat Sedan and Variant at next week’s Paris motorshow. The revised 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine that develops an output of 143 HP is combined with VW’s SRC catalytic converter that reduces nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions by up to 90 percent. According to VW, the new Passat BlueTDI complies with the strict Euro-6 emission standards that won’t go into effect in Europe before 2014. -Continued

Despite the 3 horsepower increase in output, Volkswagen claims that the 2.0 BlueTDI consumes up to 0.4–liters of diesel per 100 km less than the equivalent Passat models equipped with the conventional 140HP 2.0 TDI. In the case of the Passat Variant BlueTDI that means an average fuel consumption of 5.5 lt/100 km or 42.8 mpg with a CO2 figure of 144 gr/km, and in the Passat sedan, 5.2 l/100 km or 45.2 mpg and 139 g / km of CO2.

The Passat BlueTDI Sedan and Variant will be offered with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox and optionally, with a 6-speed dual clutch semi-automatic transmission. Sales are expected to begin in Europe in early 2009 with other markets following later in the year.

Volkswagen Pickup Truck Concept: Live Photos from the 2008 IAA

The most important highlight of the Hanover trade fair from VW’s perspective is its first ever presentation of the Pickup truck concept that provides an outlook on the manufacturer’s fourth model series that will be built at its Pacheco site in Argentina starting from fall 2009. According to the Stephan Schaller, CEO of VW Commercial Vehicles, the key markets for the production version of the Pickup are the countries of South America, South Africa, Australia and South East Asia. -Continued

The Pickup will also be available in Europe where it will compete against the likes of the Toyota HiLux and the Nissan Navara. For the time being, Volkswagen’s plans do not include the North American market, though this decision could change over time. The company’s overall sales projections for the new Pickup amount to around 100,000 units per year. Click here to check out more details on Volkswagen's new Pickup Truck concept.

Photos: UP / Edited by Carscoop