2006 Volkswagen Gti Base Hatchback 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen Caddy gets the Alltrack treatment for Frankfurt

We've seen Alltrack versions of the VW Golf and Passat. The German automaker's commercial vehicles division has even done a concept version of the Multivan with a similar treatment. And now it's taking that same rugged off-road approach with the Caddy van. The new Caddy Alltrack starts off with the latest, fourth-generation city van revealed earlier this year in Geneva, and beefs it up to replace the previous Cross Caddy. That comes down principally to black trim on the wheel arches, side sills, bumpers, and underbody protection with metallic accents. It also packs unique 17-inch alloys, fog lights, chrome trim on the grille, silver roof rails, a new optional beige metallic paint (pictured), and Alltrack logos galore. The interior has similarly been worked over with unique trim. Though no mention has been made of any suspension upgrades, the Caddy Alltrack can be specified with 4Motion all-wheel drive. Prospective buyers (in markets where VW offers its commercial vehicles line) will also have to choose between passenger and panel van body-styles, and between four diesel and three gasoline engine options. They range in output from 74 to 123 horsepower and come mated to manual or dual-clutch transmissions with five, six, or seven gears. Look for the new Caddy Alltrack to highlight the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles display at the Frankfurt Motor Show opening later this week. Related Video: The new Caddy – now available as Alltrack version with off-road styling - World premiere of Cross Caddy successor at IAA 2015 - Fourth generation of the Volkswagen best-seller once again available in rugged off-road style - Passenger car and panel van Alltrack variants optionally available with 4MOTION Hannover/Frankfurt, 10 September 2015 – Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be showcasing the latest off-road style version of its best-selling Caddy at the IAA (International Automobile Show) from 15 to 27 September, 2015. The successor to the Cross Caddy is called the Caddy Alltrack. Like its predecessor, it is available both in passenger car and panel van formats. The latest version of the urban delivery van and family MPV is clearly distinct from the other Caddy models with its exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels 'Quito', new Mojave Beige metallic paintwork and optional 4MOTION all-wheel drive technology.

Toyota holds onto crown of World's Largest Automaker

Although there were hints and allegations that the Volkswagen Group might have taken the global sales crown for 2014, the final tally puts Toyota at the top with 10.23 million sales in 2014. We should really say it keeps Toyota at the top, since that makes three years in a row the Japanese company has been No. 1. Volkswagen Group came in second with 10.14 million units sold, General Motors in third with 9.92 million units sold. This the first time for both Toyota and Volkswagen to pass 10 million sales in a single year. Toyota, including its Hino and Daihatsu divisions, did it with a three-percent increase in company-wide sales on the back of strong demand in Japan and the US. Its strength in developed markets might be the reason it loses the title this year, though; Toyota forecasts a two-percent gain in sales outside of Japan, but a nine-percent drop in its home market because of a new consumption tax that encouraged buyers to purchase before the end of last year. On top of that, turmoil in Southeast Asian economies like Thailand and Indonesia depressed sales in 2014 and they're facing more headwinds. The company envisions 10.15 million sales in 2015. Volkswagen, on the other hand, "has a jet engine strapped to its back called 'China,'" where Toyota is out-of-sorts. Volkswagen Group sales fell 2.9 percent in the US last year, while Toyota gained 6.2 percent here. But Volkswagen roped in 3.7 million sales in China, a 12-percent increase. Toyota enjoyed a huge bump of 12.5 percent in China, but that only got it to 1.03 million units, missing its yearly target and leading to trouble with its Chinese dealers over unsold inventory. With Toyota on the Chinese sidelines while Volkswagen guns for No. 1 status and pledges more production capacity in China – sales there are expected to top 25 million units this year – it looks like this could be the year the VW Group takes over the lead. That would be three years ahead of its original target of 2018. An analyst in Japan said Toyota is more focused on "keeping profitability than chasing numbers" – profitability is an issue for VW right now – so Toyota might not be back at the top "for [the] coming years." News Source: Bloomberg, Automotive News - sub. req. Earnings/Financials GM Toyota Volkswagen Car Buying Daihatsu sales volkswagen group

Volkswagen Group's Vision 2030 strategy could bring revolution to the brands

One would expect a corporate plan called "Vision 2030," looking 11 years ahead through wildly tumultuous times, to involve great change and numerous forks in numerous roads. According to Automobile's breakdown of Volkswagen's path forward, though, the plans contain some lurid potential surprises. The ultimate aim is return on investment, and that means ruthless reorganization of a conglomerate with eight primary car brands, two car sub-brands, and Ducati motorcycles. The first two Vision 2030 cornerstones Automobile mentions are near boilerplate: Production network restructuring, and "streamlining of key technologies." The latter two are the ones that could upend what we know as the Volkswagen Group: focusing on the Group's core brands — meaning Audi, Porsche, and VW — and transitioning to EVs, autonomy, and other mobility solutions. Based on the report, a quote from Audi's CTO referring to the Audi brand could cover how the Group plans to handle all of its brands: "We need to find a sustainable solution for the indefinite transition period until EVs eventually take over." The boutique divisions adjacent to carmaking, Ducati and Italdesign, look likely to be spun off. For the halo car brands — Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini — apparently shareholders want double-digit returns on investment, and the trio doesn't have long to hit the target. One eyebrow raiser is when the report states, "Bugatti is tipped to be gifted to [ex-VW Group Chairman] Ferdinand Piech." Piech fathered the Veyron during his tenure at VW, and it was thought he commissioned the La Voiture Noire, but he's lately stepped so far back from VW that he sold all his shares in the Group. Automobile quoted a senior strategist as saying of money-losing Bentley, "Why invest on a backward-looking enterprise when you can support a trendsetter? A proud history and excellent craftmanship alone don't cut it anymore." We guess no one at Ferrari, McLaren, or even Porsche got that memo. Bentley is reportedly close to being put in time out, and if brand CEO Adrian Hallmark can't right the Crewe ship, the hush-hush Plan B is to prop the Flying B up enough to lure a buyer. As for Lamborghini, caught between two masters at Audi and Porsche, even record-breaking numbers at the Italian supercar maker barely staved off sacrilege. It's said that VW brand CEO Herbert Diess considered putting a 5.0-liter Porsche V8 into the Aventador successor.