Prototype 2011 Volkswagen Touareg caught

Hey there, odd looking, what you got cooking? Yes, we're pretty positive you're looking (or about to be looking) at the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg caught without its robe on. Visually speaking, not much has changed. The front clip and hood look more in line with the sixth generation Golf/GTI. From behind, you can see an awful lot of Porsche Cayenne – which is not surprising as the two SUVs are very closely related – especially these days.

We're always liked the Touareg. It's one of those special Volkswagens built almost entirely out of Ferdinand Piech's adrenal glands, akin to the Phaeton and Bugatti Veyron. All three are cars built (largely) without compromise. Don't believe us? Allow us to suggest a weekend with the twin-turbo V10 TDI model – it really will bring you around to our way of thinking. 553 lb-ft of blown diesel torque at 1,800 rpm tends to have that effect on people.

The question now is, will this new 2011 Volkswagen Touareg be anywhere near as phantasmagorical as the last one? We can't say (yet), but we're thinking VW's going to probably dial the "hell yeah!" back a bit. That's just the way of things. Of course, they may not. Either way, we just hope they figure out how to make the next one more reliable. A tip of our off roadin' flap hats to Paul!

Volkswagen's New Golf Crowned '2009 Carsguide Car of the Year' Winner

November The new Golf has taken top spot at the ‘2009 Carsguide Car of the Year’ awards, establishing itself as the benchmark in the small car segment with Australian motoring experts.

The new Golf was awarded ‘World Car of the Year 2009’ earlier this year and now uses its winning formula in Australia to continue the claim to fame. It went on sale in Australia in early 2009 and has received rave reviews since.

Anke Koeckler, Volkswagen Group Australia’s Managing Director, commented on the significance of this award. “It is a very important achievement for the Volkswagen brand in the Australian market to succeed against such an impressive range of contenders. This win demonstrates that not only the consumers but the media have embraced the new Golf as a leader in its segment and the market.”

The National Motoring Editor of Carsguide, Paul Gover, commented: “The right car won. The Golf was voted World Car Of The Year when it landed in Europe and now it has claimed the big prize in Australia”.

The judging panel on the ‘2009 Carsguide Car of the Year’ Awards consists of Motoring editors and senior writers from Sydney's The Daily Telegraph, Melbourne's Herald Sun, Brisbane's The Courier-Mail, Adelaide's The Advertiser, Hobart's Mercury, Perth's Sunday Times and carsguide.com.au. Nine judges evaluated the best new car releases of 2009 resulting in one overall winner.

Brazil Volkswagen To Invest BRL6.2 Bln Between 2010-2014

Volkswagen do Brasil said Thursday it will invest 6.2 billion Brazilian reals, or EUR2.3 billion ($3.5 billion) in Brazil between 2010 and 2014 and aims to sell 1 million cars in the country by 2014 in an attempt to overtake Fiat (F.MI) as the country's number one car and truck retailer.

Volkswagen AG's (VOW.XE) local chief executive, Thomas Schmall, said that the money would come from European headquarters as well as the subsidiary offices in Brazil.

"We will enjoy significant growth in Brazil this year and win market share. Our target is to sell one million vehicles per year in Brazil by 2014, thus making an important contribution to the success of the Group's Strategy 2018," Schmall said in a statement.

Deliveries to customers by Volkswagen do Brasil have risen 70% to 585,000 units in 2008 since 2005.

The 2010-2014 budget marks Volkswagen's largest investment ever in Brazil.

Brazil has become an important market for European car makers. While car sales have declined in Europe and the U.S., Brazil car sales continue to rise and will break a record 3 million vehicles in 2009.

Lower interest rates, tax breaks, and Volkswagen's introduction of its new Gol model helped push national sales higher despite a recession.

Volkswagen GTI

“Meet the all-new 2010 GTI” proclaimed the opening page on VW’s Web site when we were researching our recent purchase. Maybe it’s déjà vu all over again, but like our 2010 Golf, an awful lot seems familiar here.

A 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine? Check. Available DSG automated manual transmission (ours has the six-speed stick)? Check. Two- or four-door? Yep. Plaid cloth sports seats? You bet--they’re retrotastic.

Not everything is the same. The new car is lower and tauter. This time around we also opted for the four-door version. This one also has a set of wheels that look like a chopping tool from my Cuisinart food processor shod with Pirelli P-Zero all-season tires. Our GTI stickered for $27,504 with a sunroof, those 18-inch alloys, bi-xenon headlights, winter mats (safely put in the cargo area for now), and Bluetooth.

Volkswagen Amarok Will Be Official Support Vehicle for Dakar Rally

Volkswagen's stylish Amarok mid-sized truck has been crowned the official support vehicle of the famous Dakar Rally that's set to kick off next New Year's Day in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A total of 35 Amaroks are slated for duty as press and VIP shuttles, as well as officials' work trucks. Four trucks will be outfitted with extra rugged off-road packages. Their assignment to the 9000 km long Dakar Rally also means plenty of VW engineers will be on hand to test the truck in a variety of the world's most extreme environments.

VW's new truck will be built and initially sold in South America beginning in mid-to-late 2010.

The 31st running of the Dakar Rally begins and finishes in Buenos Aires and travels North through Chile before the end on January 17th. In 2008, the race was cancelled due to terrorist threats in Africa. Last year's race was moved to South American in response to further safety concerns. Organizers hope to return the race to the African continent by 2012.

Not many details are known regarding the Amarok, but we recently spotted some prototypes running around the Nurburgring wearing little disguise. Expect more images and details to arise in the coming months, so stay tuned.

2010 Volkswagen Polo

The new Polo is one of the safest cars worldwide. No other car in this class has such a mature and high-end image as the new Polo. Comfort, quality and safety have all taken a considerable leap forward.

In addition, the European version of the Polo now being presented is equipped with standard ESP electronic stabilization program with Hill Hold Control, and it has a highly effective network of airbags on board, including combined head-thorax airbags (integrated in the front seatbacks), belt tensioners and belt force limiters plus seatbelt warning indicator and head restraints that counteract the risk of whiplash injury (both front seats), three rear head restraints and Isofix child seat preparation.

2009 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE

The New Beetle Convertible has charm, iconic exterior style and a solid ride, all within a competitive price range for its class. The Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible is a cute, retro-styled and able ride, with a recognizable shape and a convertible top for added fun.

The New Beetle Convertible is equipped with a standard 2.5-liter, I5, 150-horsepower engine that achieves 20-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway with a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.