2004 Volkswagen Passat 1.8l 30mpg!!!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen Beetle special edition concepts hit NY [w/poll]

Buying a retro hatchback or convertible like a VW Beetle is nothing if not a fashion statement, and nobody knows that better than Volkswagen itself. Which is likely why the German automaker is bringing four concept versions of the Bug to the New York Auto Show this year. Most intriguing of the quartet – to our eyes at least – is the Beetle R-Line concept, which takes a more performance-oriented approach. It's got 20-inch alloys riding on a wider track, an aero pack including a rear diffuser and spoiler, and black trim that looks great in contrast to the white pearl finish. The interior has been upgraded, as well, with sport buckets, carbon trim and yellow details, and the concept is powered by the 2.0-liter TSI engine with 217 horsepower. The R-Line concept won't be taking the stage alone, however, joined as it will be by the magenta-sprayed Pink Color Edition hatch, the beach-themed Wave and jeans-wearing Denim edition convertibles. Though all are billed strictly as showcars for the time being, VW admits it will be gauging public reaction to all four to determine potentially putting them into production for public consumption. So, that in mind, have a look at all the concepts in the gallery above, and tell us which one you like best in the poll below. VOLKSWAGEN AT THE 2015 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW - Four Beetle Special Edition concepts introduced: Beetle Convertible Denim, Beetle R-Line, Beetle Convertible Surfer, and Beetle Pink Color Edition - All-wheel-drive Golf SportWagen Alltrack announced for production in 2016 - Volkswagen celebrates 60 years of Beetle heritage New York, New York - Volkswagen of America, Inc., today announced that it will produce the all-wheel-drive Golf SportWagen Alltrack for the U.S. market beginning in 2016, and showed four unique Beetle and Beetle Convertible models that help to commemorate Volkswagen of America's 60th anniversary. Golf SportWagen Alltrack Coinciding with the arrival of the all-new Golf SportWagen, currently available in dealer showrooms, Volkswagen is pleased to announce that the all-wheel-drive Alltrack model will go on sale in 2016 as a 2017 model. "We have heard from dealers and customers that they want to see a Golf SportWagen with the all-terrain capability that comes from all-wheel drive," said Michael Horn, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

VW close to decision on selling Bugatti to Rimac

FRANKFURT — Electric hypercar maker Rimac Automobili and Volkswagen's supercar brand Bugatti are a good technological fit, Porsche's CEO told German weekly Automobilwoche, fueling hopes that a deal between the two could happen soon. British automotive magazine Car last year reported that Volkswagen was on the verge of selling Bugatti to Rimac Automobili, citing sources. In exchange, Porsche, also owned by Volkswagen, would raise the 15.5% stake it owns in Rimac, founded by Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, Car said. "At the moment there are intense deliberations on how Bugatti can be developed in the best possible way. Rimac could play a role here because the brands are a good technological fit," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said. "There are various scenarios with different structures. I believe that the issue will be decided by the group in the first half of the year," said Blume, who also sits on the management board of parent Volkswagen. Rimac has developed an electric supercar platform, which he supplies to other carmakers, including Pininfarina. Blume also confirmed higher savings targets for Porsche, saying the carmaker plans to support results by 10 billion euros ($12.1 billion) of cost cuts by 2025, up from 6 billion previously. Related Video:

How the VW diesels perform in cheat mode

Are you tired of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal? Yeah? We are, too. But here's a story that, at the very least, gives us something resembling answers about one of the most important questions surrounding the firestorm – how will the affected cars perform when they're in their emissions-cheating test mode? Consumer Reports was able to find out, tapping into what it believes is the cheat mode. By turning the car to accessory mode, flipping on the hazards, and tapping the gas pedal five times, CR was able to defeat the auto-engaged traction and stability controls, which it believes activates cheat mode. The safeties will reengage if it detects the rear wheels spinning, so the next step was what CR called "a hack." The team unplugged the rear wheel sensors, so the car's computers couldn't tell whether the wheels were spinning. By the way, don't try this at home. With that done, CR hit the road, testing both a 2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI and a 2015 Jetta TDI sedan in their normal and cheat modes. Why both cars? Well, the 2011 uses the EA188 diesel, which represents the bulk of the affected cars, while the newer Jetta uses the latest EA288, which just arrived for model year 2015. The results are, in a word, interesting. The EA188 engine lost 0.6 seconds on the way to 60 miles per hour while in emissions-compliant cheat mode, and fuel economy fell from 50 miles per gallon to 46. For the newer EA288, the 0-60 difference was negligible – just a tenth of a second – while the fuel economy dipped from 53 to 50 mpg. There are a few takeaways here. First of all, and as suspected, running in cheat mode did hurt both performance and fuel economy. But perhaps more importantly, even in emissions-compliant mode, both vehicles easily beat their EPA fuel economy estimates. According to FuelEconomy.gov, the highest rated 2011 TDI Sportwagen, the manual-trans model, was rated at 30 mpg city and 42 mpg highway, with a combined rating of 34 (the auto drops the city and combined ratings by one mpg, while the highway falls by three). The best a 2015 Jetta TDI sedan can do according to Uncle Sam, meanwhile, is 31 city, 46 highway, and 36 combined with the manual (again, the auto is worse, but only by a single highway mpg). Related Video: