Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: VW CEO confirms Phaeton will return to America, doesn't say when]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/report-vw-ceo-confirms-phaeton-will-return-to-america-doesnt/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/report-vw-ceo-confirms-phaeton-will-return-to-america-doesnt/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/report-vw-ceo-confirms-phaeton-will-return-to-america-doesnt/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Volkswagen Phaeton - Click above for high-res image gallery

At least as far back as March 2007, we were reporting that Volkswagen might bring back their range-topping and bank-draining Phaeton sedan to the States. Back then, it was the company's CEO Martin Winterkorn predicting the car's return to America, but in more recent times, we haven't heard much news about the luxury liner. Then spyshots of a re-designed 2011 Phaeton emerged in June of this year, but we speculated there was zero chance of the much-maligned model being sold here.

Of course, Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO of Volkswagen of America had to prove us wrong by telling The Detroit News that yes, there will again be Phaetons sold on American VW dealers' lots. He doesn't get specific about when the luxury sedan will return (or even if it will be anything like the model American consumers already shunned), but he does say it will indeed be the range's high-end flagship once again.

Jacoby also lays out the brand's U.S. strategy to pretty much have something to offer in every category save perhaps amphibious vehicles. He admits additions to the German carmaker's U.S. lineup could include a Polo-sized car below the Jetta, a compact SUV to be produced next to a new midsize sedan in Chattanooga, which will be topped by another new midsize sedan "like the Avalon for Toyota."


Gallery: VW Phaeton (facelifted)


[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: VW CEO confirms Phaeton will return to America, doesn't say when originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chattanoogaphaetonphaeton returning to usPhaetonReturningToUspolostefan jacobyStefanJacobyvolkswagenMon, 17 Aug 2009 10:31:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: New VW mid-size sedan to start at $20,000, arrive in 2012]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/report-new-vw-mid-size-sedan-to-start-at-20-000-arrive-in-201/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/report-new-vw-mid-size-sedan-to-start-at-20-000-arrive-in-201/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/report-new-vw-mid-size-sedan-to-start-at-20-000-arrive-in-201/#commentsFiled under: , ,



As part of a far-reaching interview with Stefan Jacoby, Volkswagen's North American CEO, Automotive News has fleshed out some new details about the German automaker's forthcoming Chattanooga, Tennessee-built sedan, as well as the potential viability of the Polo subcompact in the States.

In the main, Jacoby allowed that the unnamed Chattanooga-built sedan will hit the market in the spring of 2012, with a targeted price tag of "around $20,000," and the car is tipped to rely on versions of the company's 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines that are already in production. Although the design has not yet been made public, Jacoby notes that the car was finalized over the last few weeks in Wolfsburg, and a rendering of the car (above) leaked out in February.

What else will be made in VW's new Tennessee plant? At the moment, there have been no firm decisions, but up for consideration, says Jacoby, are a compact SUV, a mid-size SUV, or something from "the Polo family."

About the latter - Jacoby says they have polled the company's dealership body in the States, and their response has been that the vehicle is not large enough to succeed in America. That said, VW appears to be considering a next-generation Polo sedan and/or a larger hatchback. While stopping short of confirming a model, VW's CEO did sound quite positive about the chances for a Polo when he said: "We are investigating what model we should start with and when we should start -- in 2011 or 2012."

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req.]

REPORT: New VW mid-size sedan to start at $20,000, arrive in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ChattanoogaPassatPoloStefan JacobyStefanJacobyTennesseeTNVolkswagenVWMon, 27 Apr 2009 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Germans? Delay? VW postpones Chattanooga groundbreaking ceremony]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/05/germans-delay-vw-postpones-chattanooga-groundbreaking-ceremony/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/05/germans-delay-vw-postpones-chattanooga-groundbreaking-ceremony/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/05/germans-delay-vw-postpones-chattanooga-groundbreaking-ceremony/#commentsFiled under: ,

When building a new factory, especially one as large and complex as an auto manufacturing plant, there are plenty of elements that can throw things off schedule. Scheduling itself, however, is rarely the problem, especially for a German company. But that's the reason why Volkswagen has delayed the groundbreaking ceremony for its new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. According to VW spokespersons, the ceremony is being delayed until March due to several members of the company's management board in Wolfsburg wanting to be present, but can't make it any earlier. (And it's not even Oktoberfest yet!)

However, Volkswagen insists that construction of the $1 billion plant is progressing as planned. This also includes the city's preparations for hosting the factory, refurbishing office buildings downtown, the opening of a new school for the German-speaking children of VW employees, stores and restaurants to cater to the workforce, as well as space for the vendors and suppliers who are expected to come to town to support the factory. In the words of the director of the local development organization, "We're so fortunate that, given the economy and that kind of thing, we have robust employers in downtown." Indeed.

[Source: msnbc.com]

Germans? Delay? VW postpones Chattanooga groundbreaking ceremony originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chattanoogatennesseevolkswagemvolkswagen chattanoogavolkswagen tennesseeVolkswagenChattanoogaVolkswagenTennesseevwvw chattanoogavw tenneseeVwChattanoogaVwTenneseeMon, 05 Jan 2009 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[VW could cut production, new models to weather downturn]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/vw-could-cut-production-new-models-to-weather-downturn/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/vw-could-cut-production-new-models-to-weather-downturn/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/vw-could-cut-production-new-models-to-weather-downturn/#commentsFiled under: ,

Anyone paying attention to the world economy shouldn't be surprised to hear that Volkswagen is the latest company to feel some financial discomfort. Automotive News cites Automobilwoche, which says about 2,000 VW managers will meet Thursday in Dresden with CEO Martin Winterkorn to discuss the company's future plans.

A source tells the German magazine that several things are on the agenda. Production cuts are almost a given and plans for future models are not safe. Automobilwoche specifically mentions the plant currently being built in Chattanooga as one that will be under review.

Hopefully this is not the end of the on again/off again U.S.-bound Scirocco or the Mk VI GTI we were looking forward to. But don't get your hopes up for that mid-engined roadster debuting in Detroit.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. via Automobilwoche]

VW could cut production, new models to weather downturn originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chattanoogatnvolkswagenvolkswagen economyVolkswagenEconomyvwThu, 18 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[VW discusses New Midsize Sedan to be built in Chattanooga]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/31/vw-discusses-new-midsize-sedan-to-be-built-in-chattanooga/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/31/vw-discusses-new-midsize-sedan-to-be-built-in-chattanooga/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/31/vw-discusses-new-midsize-sedan-to-be-built-in-chattanooga/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Volkswagen has so far been pretty sketchy about what will be built at its new Chattanooga plant. About all they've said is that it will be a brand new mid-size sedan model specifically for the U.S. market.

Chattanooga's NBC affiliate, WRCB, attended a VW reception last week in Berlin where they discovered a few more details about the car. A very few. First, the car is referred to by VW insiders as the NMS, an acronym for the uncreative name, "New Midsize Sedan." VW plans for the car to offer a TDI diesel as well as double clutch transmissions. Which all sounds very Jetta-like.

Also revealed in the WRCB video is that the NMS will have a "large trunk" and "spacious legroom." Thank goodness. We really can't stand sedans with tiny trunks and less legroom than economy on a domestic flight. And, despite WRCB's Web site proclaiming that the video gives "a sneak peek of what the Chattanooga car will look like," the generic outline you see at right is the closest you'll get.

Unfortunately, there was no mention during the speech of any Microbus plans for Chattanooga. So, for now, Brooke Shields will have to keep pushing re-branded Chryslers.

[Source: WRCB via The German Car Blog]

VW discusses New Midsize Sedan to be built in Chattanooga originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chattanooganew midsize sedanNewMidsizeSedanvolkswagen chattanoogavolkswagen chattanooga tennesseeVolkswagenChattanoogaVolkswagenChattanoogaTennesseewrcbFri, 31 Oct 2008 19:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Volkswagen to build test track at Chattanooga plant]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/22/volkswagen-to-build-test-track-at-chattanooga-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/22/volkswagen-to-build-test-track-at-chattanooga-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/22/volkswagen-to-build-test-track-at-chattanooga-plant/#commentsFiled under: ,


Volkswagen Sharan undergoing testing at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal

Volkswagen is planning to open a new test track in Tennesee to accompany the $1 billion plant the automaker is opening in Chattanooga. The plant is being built to assemble a new family sedan targeted specifically towards the American market, and the test facility will be used to develop the vehicle. However it could also serve as a location for customers to pick up and try out their new vehicles in the security of a closed-track setting.

Volkswagen pointed out that the track, which will join the company's existing Gila Bend facility in Arizona, won't necessarily be a high-speed circuit, pointing towards the track at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, where vehicles never exceed 85 mph. High speed testing takes place primarily at the company's Ehra-Lessien track, with a six-mile straight that allows for Veyron-style 250-mph runs. No more details were offered on the nature of the test track, but we're sure more will become available as construction progresses in Chattanooga, so stay tuned.

[Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press via The German Car Blog]

Volkswagen to build test track at Chattanooga plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chattanoogavolkswagenvolkswagen chattanoogavolkswagen chattanooga tennesseevolkswagen tennesseevolkswagen test trackVolkswagenChattanoogaVolkswagenChattanoogaTennesseeVolkswagenTennesseeVolkswagenTestTrackvwvw chattanoogavw tennesseeVwChattanoogaVwTennesseeWed, 22 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumormill: VW Microbus back on the table?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/06/rumormill-vw-microbus-back-on-the-table/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/06/rumormill-vw-microbus-back-on-the-table/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/06/rumormill-vw-microbus-back-on-the-table/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above for a hi-res gallery of the '01 VW Microbus concept

The 2001 VW Microbus concept was really cool; so much so that it looked like it was headed for 2005 production. Then the project started getting expensive at the same time the U.S. dollar began to hit the skids. So, then-boss Bernd Pischetsrieder swung the axe, and it was curtains for the retro breadbox. Fast-forward to the present. Instead of a spiffy new Microbus, we now have the Routan, which is fake German for "Dodge Caravan." Not very exciting, to say the least.

A revival of Flower Power's official vehicle seemed hopeless -- until now. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that VW's entertaining the possibility of a 21st-century Microbus built on the same platform as the new sedan that'll pe produced at VW's Chattanooga, TN facility. An unnamed "senior Volkswagen official" told the paper that European production's basically a non-starter, and Volkswagen Group of America's Jill Bratina played it coy, saying only that a second vehicle line out of Chattanooga is "conceivable in the foreseeable future." A locally-built, car-based Microbus is an idea that certainly piques our interest. How about yours?

(Oh, and by the way, should you ever decide to move to Brazil, you can still kick it old-school down there in the meantime.)

Gallery: 2001 VW Microbus Concept


[Source: Sydney Morning Herald via Squob.com]

Rumormill: VW Microbus back on the table? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chattanoogakombimicrobusvolkswagenvwSat, 06 Sep 2008 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Audi A4, Q5 could be built Stateside]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/28/audi-a4-q5-could-be-built-stateside/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/28/audi-a4-q5-could-be-built-stateside/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/28/audi-a4-q5-could-be-built-stateside/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi Q5.

Taking a lesson from BMW, who have been successfully manufacturing cars and SUVs in Spartanburg, South Carolina for more than a decade, Audi may seek manufacturing capabilities for their A4 sedan and Q5 SUV in the States. The new Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, just announced last week, may be tasked with building upwards of 200,000 vehicles per year -- including the two Audis. Estimated to cost $973.5 million, the 1,359 acre plant is large enough to handle the domestic production for VW, Audi, and even shareholder Porsche... although the proud automaker from Stuttgart vehemently denies even considering it.

Gallery: New Audi A4


Gallery: Beijing '08: 2009 Audi Q5



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Audi A4, Q5 could be built Stateside originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 A42009 Q52009A42009Q5A4AudiBMWchattanoogaManufacturingPorscheQ5VolkswagenMon, 28 Jul 2008 19:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Volkswagen announces plans for factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/15/volkswagen-announces-plans-for-factory-in-chattanooga-tenn/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/15/volkswagen-announces-plans-for-factory-in-chattanooga-tenn/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/15/volkswagen-announces-plans-for-factory-in-chattanooga-tenn/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Volkswagen announced this morning that it would build a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. where it will build a vehicle specifically for the North American market. The plant will employ 2,000 workers from the tri-state area and is expected to invest $1 billion in the local economy.

The plant is an integral part of Volkswagen's plan for expansion in the N.A. market, with sales expected to crest 800,000 units by 2018. The 1,350-acre site will produce 150,000 vehicles annually - specifically a midsize sedan - in 2011.

Make the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Volkswagen announces plans for factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Volkswagen announces plans for factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingchattanoogaplanttennesseevolkswagenTue, 15 Jul 2008 10:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Next Volkswagen Passat could be built Stateside]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/14/next-volkswagen-passat-could-be-built-stateside/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/14/next-volkswagen-passat-could-be-built-stateside/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/14/next-volkswagen-passat-could-be-built-stateside/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Following-up on last week's announcement that Volkswagen was looking at Alabama for a new manufacturing facility, the German automaker's management board is expected to make their final recommendation today. Following that announcement, Volkswagen's supervisory board, headed by former VW group CEO Ferdinand Piech, will make its decision by tomorrow. Whether Huntsville, Alabama, or second-choice Chattanooga, Tennessee, gets the nod, the move is key for Volkswagen as they attempt to increase sales in the United States with more targeted, and lower priced, vehicles. In addition to the Volkswagen Jetta (itself being redesigned to better compete with the Honda Civic) the new facility will produce an all-new Passat-sized sedan with a base price of about $20,000. Larger, in order to compete with the Toyota Camry, the new sedan would undercut the current Volkswagen Passat's pricing by about $5,000--a significant margin. The plant would open in late 2010 with an annual production capacity of nearly 250,000 vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Next Volkswagen Passat could be built Stateside originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlabamaAssemblychattanoogaferdinand piechFerdinandPiechHuntsvilleManufacturingPlantTennesseeVolkswagenvolkswagen manufacturingvolkswagen stateside manufacturingvolkswagen united states manufacturingvolkswagen united states plantvolkswagen us plantVolkswagenManufacturingVolkswagenStatesideManufacturingVolkswagenUnitedStatesManufacturingVolkswagenUnitedStatesPlantVolkswagenUsPlantvw us factoryvw us manufacturingvw us plantVwUsFactoryVwUsManufacturingVwUsPlantMon, 14 Jul 2008 10:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota poised to build plant number eight in US]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/05/toyota-poised-to-build-plant-number-eight-in-us/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/05/toyota-poised-to-build-plant-number-eight-in-us/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/05/toyota-poised-to-build-plant-number-eight-in-us/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Toyota is in the process of scouting locations and performing feasibility studies on opening another plant in the U.S.

The addition of another manufacturing center within the States would make the total number of ToMoCo plants rise to eight, further shoring up production capacity in one of its most prosperous markets.

According to sources cited by the WSJ, Toyota has five locations in mind, all of which are in the southern U.S., and currently include Chattanooga, TN and Marion, AR. Back in mid-December, the SouthernAutoCorridor.com reported that sites in North Carolina and Southwest Virginia were being reconed as well.

There may be an announcement about Toyota's intentions later this month and according to the WSJ's sources, the plant will likely produce Highlander SUVs to the tune of about 200k per year, when the plant opens in 2009.

[Source: Drive.com.au, Wall Street Journal, SouthernAutoCorridor.com]

Toyota poised to build plant number eight in US originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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