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2015 VW Passat Limited Edition priced from $23,995*

Volkswagen is doing some rearranging of its lineup for the Passat sedan, ditching a pair of trims on the entry level, 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and replacing them with a new Limited Edition trim level. Gone are the Wolfsburg and SE trims from model year 2014, which rung up at $24,375 and $26,280, respectively. The new Limited Edition will start at $23,995, not including $820 in destination charging. According to VW, the new trim level packages $2,755 of extras over the base Passat S, but only demands an extra $1,555 of cash. Not a bad bargain, particularly as the Limited Edition adds some desirable features. An intelligent key with push-button start, 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear-view camera, heated leatherette seats with power controls on the driver's side and a touchscreen radio with an eight-speaker stereo, along with a few lesser options, like fog lights, chrome window trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Beyond the new list of standard equipment, this is still the same competent German sedan. The 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder is paired up with a smooth shifting six-speed automatic, as with other trim levels. Check out VW's press release on the new Passat Limited Edition, available below. VOLKSWAGEN RELEASES PRICING ON 2015 PASSAT LIMITED EDITION MODEL Mar 6, 2015 Passat Limited Edition model starts at $23,995 Fuel-efficient 1.8-liter TSI® engine and six-speed automatic transmission standard Value-laden model has a host of standard features, including KESSY® keyless access with push-button start, V-tex leatherette seating surfaces, heatable front seats,17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, touchscreen radio and rearview camera Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc., today, announced pricing on the 2015 Passat Limited Edition model. The Limited Edition model will have a starting MSRP of $23,995 (plus transportation) and supersedes the Wolfsburg and SE models from the current model year. The new Limited Edition model offers a great value: compared with the automatic transmission S model, it has $2,755 of additional equipment, but costs just $1,555 more.

2014 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible gets the R-Line treatment

Volkswagen just launched the topless Beetle Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, but we're already seeing the next step forward in the topless Bug range with this, the R-Line. We'll admit, this treatment falls under the "all show and no go" category, but it's still a pretty potent little cutie.
The R-Line starts with a standard Beetle Turbo Convertible but adds unique 19-inch aluminum wheels on lower-profile tires, LED daytime running lamps and Xenon headlamps. Naturally, there are R-Line badges aplenty both on the interior and exterior, and we must say, the whole package looks pretty darn snazzy.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but when it goes on sale later this year, the hotter convertible will join Volkswagen's growing R-Line portfolio that now includes the CC, Beetle hatch, Tiguan and Touareg.

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.