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.

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

2008 IAA: VW Caddy 4MOTION PanAmericana and Caddy Life-Style Edition

Aside from the highly-anticipated Pickup truck concept, VW has readied two special variants of its Caddy minivan for the 62nd IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover (public days: 25 September to 2 October). The PanAmericana is a crossover study based on the newly introduced 4-wheel-drive Caddy 4MOTION and it features a higher ground clearance, 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in off-road tires, protective moldings on the side sills and the front and rear bumper and, a special leather trim on the inside. As with the standard Caddy 4MOTION, the PanAmericana is driven by a 105 HP 1.9-liter turbo diesel engine matted to a six-speed manual gearbox. -Continued

Visitors at the 62nd IAA will also get the chance to check out a series-production version of the Caddy Life Style Edition. This range-topping model is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheel rims, a chrome-look radiator grille, lowered running gear, a pull-out loading surface, high-quality interior leather fittings and other extras which serve to distinguish this Caddy from the rest of the range.

Volkswagen Pickup Concept Revealed, Previews 2010 Robust pickup

After many speculations and rumors, VW finally lifted the wraps off its forthcoming 1-tonne pickup truck in the form of a pre-production model simply called ‘Pickup’ at the International Automobile Exhibition in Hanover (public days: September 25 to October 02). The concept gives us a taste of the production model that we’ve become accustomed to knowing it as Robust. Production of the new Pickup will begin in fall 2009 at Volkswagen’s “Pacheco” plant in Argentina. According to VW, the production model will be initially introduced at the end of 2009 to South America, South Africa, Australia and Europe with other markets following shortly after. -Continued

At the Hannover Show, VW previewed a four-door, four-seat version of its 1-tonne pickup truck specially designed as a “Search and Rescue” version (SAR) for protecting swimmers and surfers from worst case scenarios.

Volkswagen claims that this is the first pickup of this sort from any high-volume European automotive manufacturer and that the 5.18 meter long concept vehicle with the 1.55 meter long cargo bed is not based on any familiar model series of the Group. Power comes from the German automaker's latest generation common-rail turbo-diesels (TDI) though VW did not give out any other specific details on the powertrain options.

In terms of design, the Pickup follows the new VW-DNA initially presented by the company’s passenger car division in the form of the Scirocco and the sixth generation Golf though we must say that the German automaker's design team must have taken a sneak peek at the Honda Ridgeline when they were styling pickup's rear-end.

VW Caddy Topos Sail Concept Gets its own Boat Deck

Even though the city of Dusseldorf in Germany is not what we’d call a summer resort, many automakers attending this week’s Dusseldorf Caravan Salon (30 August to 7 September), are presenting nautical themed vehicles. After Fiat and its Portofino Concept that you can check out here, Volkswagen’s commercial arm announced that it will present the Caddy Topos Sail design concept which takes its nautical theme to the extreme with the wooden boat deck. -Continued

Based on VW’s smallest commercial vehicle, the Caddy Topo Sail uses design cues from classic yachts and has its multi-functional roof covered with wooden decking surrounded by aluminum roof rails. The driver and passengers can access the wooden boat deck via four matching wooden and aluminum steps in the Caddy’s tailgate. Completing the nautical design theme are wooden inserts along the side of the vehicle and in the rear bumper.

Ahoy! VW Touareg “North Sails” Study

Just in time for summer, VW has unveiled a one-off study inspired from the world of sailing boats. Created in cooperation with North Sails, the Touareg study will be shown to the public for the first time at the “Travemünder Woche” which is the second largest annual sailboat race in Germany. “North Sails” decals aside, the one-off Touareg is distinguished on the outside by the sea-blue colored turning lights and reflectors, the 19-inch alloy wheels and the pin stripes on the lower part of the doors. -Continued

Inside, the Touareg North Sails study boasts illuminated teak wood flooring, white leather seats and door inserts with aqua color stitching, a special bike (don't ask why) and a set of binoculars in case you get carried away in sea. Fortunately, VW has no intention of putting the Touareg study into production.

Volkswagen 2028: A Glimpse into the Automotive Future

It’s the year 2028; China’s population has surpassed the 3 billion mark, man has landed on Mars, Jenna W Bush has followed in the footsteps of her sister Barbara becoming the second female President in the history of the U.S., and gas prices have dropped to $20 a gallon. But most people don’t really care (about gas prices, that is) as their cars are equipped with hybrid powetrains that utilize ultra efficient diesel engines that consuming less than half a gallon of fuel to create enough electricity to power the car for more than 100 miles.

Well, at least that’s how we envision the future. But you can also check out VW’s new interactive site called “Volkswagen2028” that attempts to give us a glimpse of the automotive world of tomorrow. Aside from the Up! that we first saw at last year’s Frankfurt Show, the German carmaker has also created three more concept cars: the sporty two seater “EGO”, the spacey and versatile “ROOM” and the three-wheeler city dweller “ONE”. -High-Res Image gallery after the jump

Link: VW2028