2.0t 2.0l Cd 8 Speakers Am/fm Radio Am/fm W/in-dash Single Cd Player Mp3 Decoder on 2040-cars

Auto blog

VW exec calls US ops a 'disaster'

Today in the Tell Us How You Really Feel file we have Bernd Osterloh, head of Volkswagen AG's Group Works Councils and member of the company's supervisory board, labeling the company's US operations "a disaster." Why? Because Osterloh believes VW of America doesn't have the models it needs to be competitive here, hasn't been decisive enough about its plans and German higher-ups still don't understand the US market.
In truth, the top labor rep at the German conglomerate is echoing sentiments we've heard from VWoA executives for years, and there's been the same commentary from dealers: Germany doesn't pay enough attention to what the US market really wants. Even ex-VWoA CEO Stefan Jacoby, who preceded the recently departed Jonathan Browning, said early in his tenure that one of his tasks was to get his German bosses to start delivering what the US market demanded. New CEO Michael Horn is saying much the same thing seven years later, telling Sky News that it has to increase "the speed at which we bring new models to the market and innovation to the market."
Osterloh wants to get "more models" here, including a pickup truck, but we'd wonder if the economics have changed from when Jacoby said they'd need to sell 100,000 per year to make money. Osterloh also wants a decision on where the CrossBlue will be built. Although it looked as if the Chatanooga, TN plant would get the call, the Puebla, Mexico plant is still in the running because of lower operating costs. No matter what happens right now, Osterloh thinks the situation won't get better for another two years when revamped models arrive, but at least the company can start taking the steps for a better US future.

Volkswagen debuts MkVII-based diesel Golf GTD

As Volkswagen prepares for the launch of the seventh-generation Golf, it continues to show off some of the car's different variants. With the standard Golf and the ultra-efficient BlueMotion Concept out of the way, now we're finally starting to see some of the sportier versions planned for the hatchback. Confirmed for a debut at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen has now given us our first glimpse at the Golf GTD.
Just think of the GTD as a diesel version of the GTI with all the handling and styling upgrades, and then add a torquey engine to the equation. (We had the chance to sample the current GTD over the summer, so click here to read more.) To go with the new body style, VW also gave the GTD a new TDI engine consisting of a similar turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter inline-four layout but with an output of 184 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque - that's an increase of 14 hp and 22 lb-ft over the current GTD. That's a pretty good oomph, but the GTD won't be setting any acceleration records with VW quoting a 0-62 mile per hour time of 7.5 seconds thanks to the car's 3,036-pound curb weight.
The styling of the MkVII Golf lends itself quite well to the more aggressive body kit found on the GTD (and likely matching the GTI). The new front fascia and blacked-out grille give the GTD a sporty look up front, while 17-inch sport wheels, rocker panel extensions and smoked LED taillights finish off the visual changes. The GTD will only be offered in three exterior colors: Tornado Red, Black and Pure White. As expected, the interior gets the plaid seat inserts and flat-bottomed sport steering wheel, but the car also gets stainless steel pedals, a black headliner, ambient cabin lighting and a specific gauge cluster readout.

BMW, VW partner with ChargePoint for high-speed charging network

To promote their plug-in electric vehicles, a number of electric vehicle makers are working overtime to get a charging infrastructure set up. Tesla is famously setting up a network of Superchargers around the world, and today BMW and VW have announced they are partnering with ChargePoint to install almost 100 DC Fast Chargers up and down the US coasts. Installing additional Level 2 chargers is also part of the plan. The new DC Fast Chargers will offer the SAE Combo connectors, which is available on both the e-Golf and the i3. The fast chargers will have "up to two 50 kW DC Fast chargers, or 24 kW DC Combo Fast chargers," BMW says. They will be installed roughly 50 miles apart between Boston and Washington, DC in the east as well as Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in the west. The 24-kW DC Fast Chargers will fill up an empty i3 or e-Golf to 80 percent in a half-hour or 3.5-4 hours from the Level 2 cords. Speaking at an announcement ceremony at the Washington Auto Show today, ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano said that infrastructure investments like this will get more people to realize that they can use an electric vehicle as their only car, and Jorg Sommer, VP of product marketing and strategy for VW North America, said that it's clear that, "The EV is perfect for the daily driver." BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint Join Forces to Create Electric Vehicle Express Charging Corridors on the East and West Coasts. · A goal of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports will be installed to support long distance and metropolitan electric vehicle travel with the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf and other electric cars, along heavily trafficked corridors on both coasts, supported by Level 2 chargers. · These publicly available charging stations will be added to the existing ChargePoint network and can be easily accessed using a ChargePoint® or ChargeNow card. Washington, D.C., January 22, 2015 – At the 2015 Washington Auto Show, two of the top automakers, BMW of North America and Volkswagen of America, together with ChargePoint, the largest electric vehicle charging network, announced an initiative to create express charging corridors along heavily-traveled routes on the East and West Coasts.