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2016 Volkswagen Golf TDI SportWagen Review

You might think that after driving a Dodge Challenger Hellcat during the week of the Woodward Dream Cruise, seven days with a diesel-powered Volkswagen Golf SportWagen would be a letdown. You know, like following a shot of Jack Daniels with a sippy cup of Metamucil. But it ended up being perfect timing. Right at the end of my Challenger loan, I signed my name what felt like 1,241 times, handed over a very, very large check, and officially bought my first home. The SportWagen arrived on moving day, and I set about putting the longroof's hauling ability to the ultimate test, schlepping everything I own to my very first house. SportWagens, like Metamucil, can often be very good for you. The wagon's cargo area isn't dramatically bigger than the standard Golf – 30.4 cubic feet versus 22.8 – unless you fold the second row down. With the seats flat, the Golf SportWagen's advantage nearly doubles, to 66.5 cubic feet. But it's not just the extra space that makes moving things a lot easier. The rear hatch is more defined and sits atop a lower bumper. The load height is just 24.8 inches, while the tailgate opens to an aperture of 40.6 inches. It also opens high enough that your six-foot, one-inch author can stand tall below it. The load height is just 24.8 inches, while the tailgate opens to an aperture of 40.6 inches. In short, loading stuff into the back was a breeze. While you might expect the Golf SportWagen to make short work of a bunch of boxes, it was easy to add larger items into the mix. I hauled nightstands, a large desk chair, and even all four pieces of a king-size IKEA bed frame with a minimal amount of fuss. That said, Volkswagen uses nice materials in the cargo compartment of the Golf, so if you frequently move a lot of stuff, expect to see visible wear sooner rather than later. If you prefer to move people instead of things, rest easy knowing the wagon mimics the Golf hatchback's 35.6 inches of rear legroom. Moving locally meant a lot of back-and-forth trips. Between the actual move itself and the subsequent running around, I put 600 miles on the Golf SportWagen during my week-long loan. But with this car, I could have done way more and wouldn't have found cause to complain. It's the little details that make the Golf feel premium. The Golf's cabin is a great place to be.

VW CEO talks up 20 new plug-in models in Frankfurt

For years now, Volkswagen has dreamed big, forming plans to become the world's largest automaker. That trajectory includes a big plug-in vehicle push, and the CEO of Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn, said that his group of companies will bring out 20 more EVs and plug-in hybrids by 2020. The list includes the next Phaeton and the Audi A8. "No commitment to electro-mobility can be any clearer than that," Winterkorn said, according to a VW press release. "Our Group already has the largest connected vehicle fleet on the road. By 2020 we will have transformed all of our new cars into smartphones on wheels." Perhaps most illustrative, Winterkorn admitted that the auto industry has turned a corner. "Technological leadership is no longer solely defined in terms of horsepower and torque," he said. "We are taking the precision, enduring value and quality of our cars into the new, digital world." The VW group is also showing off new plug-in concepts in Frankfurt this week, like the Tiguan GTE and the Porsche Mission E. Winterkorn's prepared remarks do not give out the details of these vehicles, but we'll have all the info from the show floor in short order. Stay tuned. PROF. DR. MARTIN WINTERKORN: "THE REINVENTION OF VOLKSWAGEN" 14/09/15 from Volkswagen Group 20 more electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2020 announced Group not only has broadest electric fleet, but also largest connected vehicle fleet on the road Customers should benefit from automated driving technologies as quickly as possible Volkswagen taking precision, enduring value and quality of its cars into the digital world Wolfsburg/Frankfurt am Main, September 14, 2015 – In the Volkswagen Group, there is a sense that a new era is dawning. On the eve of the 66th International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main the CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, said on Monday evening: "We are in the process of reinventing Europe's largest automaker, laying the technological, economic and structural foundations." The Group Chairman announced there would be 20 more electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2020 – from compact cars to the next Phaeton and Audi A8: "No commitment to electro-mobility can be any clearer than that." He said the Group already had the broadest electric fleet in the automobile world, and added that Volkswagen was also at the forefront when it came to the future-oriented field of digitisation: "Our Group already has the largest connected vehicle fleet on the road.

VW's Skoda says Ukraine partner making wire harnesses again

PRAGUE — Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen Group, said on Tuesday its supply partner in Ukraine had decided to restart production of wire harnesses which should allow the Czech carmaker to resume production of its electric ENYAQ iV model. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has added to supply chain problems for global automakers — which were already struggling with semiconductor shortages that have cut production — with a break in deliveries of wire harnesses from the war-torn country. While Skoda, the Czech Republic's biggest exporter, said it expects the supply of semiconductors to improve in the second half of 2022, it said the war in Ukraine and supply bottlenecks will put a significant burden on its operating business. Skoda's 2021 deliveries fell 12.6% year-on-year and earlier this month it stopped production of the ENYAQ because of harness shortages, saying that two other models were at risk because of the lack of availability of the component. "Our partner ... in Ukraine decided to restart production of wire harnesses this week, with full service and full security for workers there," Karsten Schnake, Skoda's board member for purchasing, said during its online 2021 earnings presentation. Wire harnesses form a key part of a car's electrical system, which group and guide cables inside the vehicle. "We decided to double the production in case something is going wrong, and this production will be ramped up in an alternative factory," Schnake said, adding that work there would start in three or four weeks. "Hopefully we can restart production of ENYAQ one or two weeks later when we have wire harnesses," Schnake said. Skoda delivered 878,200 cars worldwide in 2021, the first time that this had fallen below the 1 million mark since 2013. Nevertheless, the VW group brand's sales revenue rose 3.9% to 17.7 billion euros ($19.5 billion) in 2021 and operating profit rose 43.2% to 1.1 billion euros ($1 billion) as it took cost measures. Skoda did not give a financial or production outlook, saying there were still considerable uncertainties as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and the impact on its Russian operations. Skoda, like VW, has suspended production and other business activities in Russia, which was its second-largest market last year, with 90,400 vehicles delivered. ($1 = 0.9089 euros) (Reporting by Jason Hovet, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan and Alexander Smith) Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Volkswagen Skoda Electric ukraine war