A product doesn’t always succeed based on how good it is. Sometimes, it comes at the wrong time, or at the wrong price. The Volkswagen Phateon is one such vehicle. It was nearly universally-regarded as a fantastic product by the media, after it was given a highly-expensive development program. The price tag didn’t really fit [...]
It was barely a month ago, during my review of the new-for-2011 VW Jetta SEL, that I was getting antsy about Volkswagen taking too long to release the high-performance version of their mid-size sedan. Well, it’s finally here, and it rounds out the Jetta lineup pretty damn well, if you ask me. Last year, VW [...]
I am, clearly, a big believer that racing improves the breed. And as much as I love both Formula one and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as rolling R & D facilities, the WRC (the World Rally Championship) seems to be the best place to get real world results out of real world cars. [...]
The interesting thing about the VW Jetta is that it’s perceived as a base-level compact car (along with the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra, etc,) but with a premium price tag attached thanks to its German roots. It’s true – the Jetta has a more premium and solid feel than the aforementioned compacts. But [...]
The new Jetta is providing a strong tailwind for Volkswagen’s sales totals in the United States, but the brand is counting on an old-time stalwart to continue success in the future. That would be the Beetle, which is completely redesigned for 2012. VW’s strong sales recently have come despite the lack of Passat mid-size sedan [...]
Each year, Volkswagen fans gather at Lake Wörthersee in Austria for an enthusiast show car event. VW, sensing a prime opportunity to engage with its fan base, takes part in the event on an official basis. Moves by the company have been made to appeal to this base, with enthusiast-focused models like the VW Golf [...]
North American automotive customers would be largely unfamiliar with a more compact number than the Audi A3. Based on Volkswagen’s B-segment Polo, the A1 is more than 14 inches shorter in overall length than the Audi brand’s smallest North American offering. Introduced just late in 2010 to attract members of the growing compact premium car [...]
In early May, Volkswagen announced it would be using its Polo small hatchback as an entrant into the World Rally Championship (WRC). This was on the heels of an earlier announcement by MINI that it would entering the competition. VW is no stranger to rallying and competition; the company fields its Touraeg SUV for the Dakar [...]