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Volkswagen bringing new Touran minivan to Geneva

Volkswagen is bringing a wealth of new metal to the Geneva Motor Show this year. Unfortunately little if any of it is ever likely to reach American shores. There's the new Passat Alltrack, the Golf GTD Variant and a trifecta of new vans: the facelifted Caddy, the revised Sharan and this, the new Touran. Smaller than the Sharan, the Touran is Germany's top-selling minivan and boasts over 1.9 million units sold to date. It was introduced to the VW passenger van lineup in 2003 and was replaced in 2010 with an all-new model. What you're looking at here is the third-generation Touran, based on VW's ubiquitous new MQB architecture. Most obvious is the new sheet metal that makes it look sharper and more in step with the rest of the German automaker's lineup compared to the model it replaces. But there's more to the new Touran than its skin. It's also nearly five inches longer, with most of that length added in the wheelbase to give it a more commodious cabin that's also been updated with the latest equipment and offers room for up to seven passengers. Despite the larger size, it's a good 136 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, so it promises better performance in both its driving dynamics and its environmental credentials. Prospective customers (in markets where the Touran is sold) will be able to choose from a range of three gasoline and three diesel engines ranging from 108 horsepower up to 187, burning as much as 19 percent less fuel than the outgoing model's lineup thanks to features like stop/start engine management and brake force regeneration. There's even a sporty R Line package to give it a little visual aggression. For better or worse, though, the US market will almost certainly be left out: reached for comment, our source at VW USA pointed out that the Touran and Sharan aren't big enough to fill the shoes left by the Routan - but that the upcoming three-row crossover will. Volkswagen presents the new Touran - Germany's best-selling MPV completely redeveloped - More room; smart new design - New engines up to 19 per cent more economical Volkswagen presents the new Touran. The completely redesigned MPV was showcased before an audience of international media representatives at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, not far from the production site where the popular family car is made. The interior of the new model has undergone a significant increase in size and is highly configurable.

VW makes $9.2B offer for rest of truckmaker Scania

Volkswagen owns or has controlling interests in three commercial truck operations: besides its own, VW began buying shares in Sweden's Scania in 2000 and now controls 89.2 percent of its shares and 62.6 percent of its capital, then bought into Germany's Man in 2006 - in order to prevent Man from trying to take over Scania - and now owns 75 percent of it. The car company has managed to work out 200 million euros in savings, but believes it can unlock a total of 650 million euros in savings if it takes outright control of Scania and can spread more common parts among the three divisions.
It has proposed a 6.7-billion-euro ($9.2 billion) buyout, but according to a Bloomberg report, Scania's minority investors don't appear inclined to the deal. Although effectively controlled by VW, Scania is an independently-listed Swedish company, and a profitable one at that: in the January-September 2013 period its operating profit was 9.4 percent compared to Man's 0.4 percent. Some of the other shareholders believe that Scania is better off on its own and will not approve the deal, some have asked an auditor to look into the potential conflict of interest between VW and Man, while some are willing to examine the deal and "make an evaluation based on what a long-term owner finds is good," which might not be just "the stock market price plus a few percent." The buyout will only be official assuming VW can reach the 90-percent share threshold that Swedish law mandates for a squeeze-out.
Many of the arguments against boil down to investors believing that Scania's Swedishness and unique offerings are what keep it profitable, and ownership by the German car company will kill that. (Have we heard that somewhere before?) If Volkswagen can buy that additional 0.8-percent share in Scania, perhaps its buyout wrangling with Man will give it an idea of what it's in for: "dozens" of minority investors in the German truckmaker have filed cases against VW, seeking higher prices for their shares. It is likely only to delay the inevitable, though. If VW is really going to compete with Daimler and Volvo in the truck market, it has to get the size, clout and savings to do so.

Don't buy that crossover! Buy a cladded wagon instead!

If you're looking to buy a car soon, and you're like most Americans, there's a strong chance you're considering buying a crossover SUV. That's what people want nowadays. People like the tough, tall exterior that suggests adventure and preparedness, they like the high seating position, they like the all wheel drive many have and they like the practicality. Because of this, crossovers have rapidly supplanted typical cars such as sedans, wagons, and more as the most popular vehicles in the country. But they're compromised, too. They're often heavy, thirsty, and expensive compared with more conventional cars. The good news is, there's an alternative, a happy medium between the straight crossover and the traditional car. They're lifted wagons, and they're the best crossover SUVs around. And for those who may not know what we're talking about, we're talking about cars and wagons that have been given a suspension lift for more ground clearance and a higher ride height, and often have all wheel drive standard or optional. They also usually have chunky plastic body cladding to make them look tough and durable. Examples include the Subaru Crosstrek, Audi A4 Allroad, Buick Regal TourX, and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, among others. Because of the suspension and body modifications, these vehicles fit the trendy crossover mold quite well. And in the case of long-running nameplates such as the Subaru Outback and Volvo Cross Country models, they even have some heritage as outdoorsy machines. They also provide the higher driving position that crossover buyers love. And in some cases, such as with the Golf Alltrack, we've learned they offer better ride quality than their road-oriented siblings. View 9 Photos So these tall wagons offer the key things crossover buyers want, but what makes them better than traditional crossovers is that they have the advantages of the cars they're based on. For instance, the aforementioned Golf Alltrack still drives mostly like a Golf, which is to say, it's nimble, feels peppy, and is easy to maneuver because of its relatively small size. We can't really say the same for the Tiguan, which feels generally more sluggish and uninteresting than the Alltrack. And we mention Volkswagen's compact crossover because it starts at nearly the same price as the Alltrack. Some of the difference in giddy-up can be explained by weight. Normal crossovers can be fairly portly, while these lifted wagons are notably lighter.