Autoblog

Review: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI delivers potent one-two punch of efficiency and entertainment

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Volkswagen, New Car Reviews, Diesel

2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI - click above for high-res image gallery

It's time for American consumers to stop being scared of small diesel cars. Currently, we can't think of a single automaker that isn't shelling out bags of money to research and develop new hybrid powertrains - cars that are efficient first and fun-to-drive second (or third, or fourth). Diesel vehicles, on the other hand, offer a different sort of solution. Gobs of torque delivered at low revs and impressive fuel economy work together without sacrificing too much in the way of driving pleasure. Besides, does anyone really want to live in "One Nation Under Prius?"

Volkswagen introduced us to its new Jetta TDI a little over a year ago, proving that clean diesel technology offers a way forward for anyone who gives a hoot about driver involvement. Now, the automaker has fitted its well-received 2.0-liter diesel engine in the all-new sixth-generation Golf. Can this hatch prove to America that it's possible to fuse efficiency and enthusiasm together in a high-quality package? Can you really have your cake and eat it, too? Hit the jump to find out.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

Continue reading Review: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI delivers potent one-two punch of efficiency and entertainment

Review: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI delivers potent one-two punch of efficiency and entertainment originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 VW Golf TDI starts at $21,990, rated 29/40 mpg - or maybe 30/42?

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Diesel

2010 Volkswagen Golf - Click above for high-res image gallery

For 2010, Volkswagen is again discarding the Rabbit badge in favor of the Golf name used in the rest of the world's markets. The European hatchbacks will begin arriving in the U.S. in the coming weeks, beginning with the GTI. The standard Golf will again be available with diesel power, the same 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine that arrived last year in the Jetta TDI. Although they aren't linked to from the main VW site, new GTI and Golf websites are now live and include TDI information, specs and pricing.

The base two-door, 2.5-liter gas-powered Golf starts at $17,490 and the four-door will command $19,190. Like the Jetta, TDI models come with a higher level of equipment and therefore start at $21,990 and $22,590 with a six-speed manual gearbox. The new GTI, meanwhile, starts at $23,290.

What's interesting are the fuel economy numbers for the TDI. The Volkswagen website lists both the manual and DSG versions of the new Golf TDI at 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. However, a quick check of the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov site shows that the Golf TDI rates even better at 30 mpg city and 42 highway. Similarly, the EPA also lists the 2010 Jetta TDI with DSG at the same level of improvement over the 2009 model's 29/40. Assuming the EPA numbers are correct, VW must have done some recalibration work on the DSG model. Thanks to Jay for the tip!

Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Golf

[Source: Volkswagen]

2010 VW Golf TDI starts at $21,990, rated 29/40 mpg - or maybe 30/42? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ukraine lays claim to the mother of all potholes

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Humor, Russia

Click above for a gallery of the VW Golf that was swallowed by a pothole in Ukraine

Think the roads are bad in your neck of the woods? Growing up just a bit south of Detroit before moving to the sunnier climes of Arizona, this particular blogger has always assumed that Michigan's harsh winters and heavy traffic conspire to make the frost heaved and potholed highways of the Motor City the worst in the world. Apparently, that's not the case, and it's not even close.

The dubious distinction of the world's worst pothole must go out to our friends in Ukraine. The story accompanies the set of photos seen below explains that an underground water pipe may have burst, which created a sinkhole large enough to swallow an entire Volkswagen Golf whole. Fortunately, the car's occupants were able to escape out the back window, which was just about the only portion of the hatchback that wasn't covered by a few tons of dirt and asphalt.

Gallery: Ukrainian pothole swallows VW Golf

[Source: English Russia]

Ukraine lays claim to the mother of all potholes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: VW changes Rabbit back to Golf

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf VI - Click above for high-res image gallery

Anyone itching to bring home a brand new Volkswagen Rabbit had better act fast. As expected, VeeDub has just confirmed that 2009 will be the last year that the American version of the automaker's popular hatchback will be called the Rabbit. The renamed 2010 Golf will be shown at next month's New York Auto Show in production form with an expected sale date here in the States sometime this fall.

Says Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, "The Golf is an iconic nameplate for the Volkswagen Brand and it is known throughout the world. The Golf is Volkswagen's best selling global nameplate with more than 26 million units sold in over 120 countries. Making the change back to Golf is an important step in realigning with our global heritage."

We couldn't agree more, which is why we were all left scratching our heads back in 2006 when the German automaker chose to reintroduce the Rabbit name in America for the fifth-gen Golf in the first place. Oh well, that was a mistake that the automaker can easily rectify. Read the official press release after the break.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf VI

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Officially Official: VW changes Rabbit back to Golf

Officially Official: VW changes Rabbit back to Golf originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leapin' Leipzig! Volkswagen Golf GTD details and photos released

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Europe, Green, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

2010 Volkswagen Golf GTD - Click above for a high res gallery

Volkswagen is set to introduce the world to its new Volkswagen Golf GTD at the Leipzig Motor Show in Germany. What we have here is the basic GTI package, except that the wonderful gas-powered 2.0-liter turbo engine that powers VW's latest hot hatch has been yanked in favor of a new high-performance turbo diesel engine (also displacing 2.0 liters) that offers up 168 horsepower and, just as importantly, about 260 lb-ft of torque. VW says the new drivetrain package is enough to scoot the new GTD to 60 mph in about eight seconds. European combined fuel economy is rated at 44.4 mpg (U.S.) with CO₂ emissions of 139 g/km.

On the outside, the GTD features all of the exterior differentiation of the GTI, except that the red exterior accents are now done in chrome. Step inside, and you'll be greeted with VW's signature plaid seating surfaces, though the red fabrics and stitching are now done in light grey. German sales of the GTD will begin in May, with the rest of Europe likely following shortly thereafter. So far, there's no official word on whether the GTD is coming to America, but signs point to "Yes." Press release after the break.

Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTD

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Leapin' Leipzig! Volkswagen Golf GTD details and photos released

Leapin' Leipzig! Volkswagen Golf GTD details and photos released originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wassership Down: VW seen euthanizing the Rabbit. Again.

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Back in 2006, Volkswagen of America's public relations department had what they thought was a brilliant idea to rename the fifth-generation Golf as the Rabbit... again. Back when VW's first front-wheel-drive hatchback replaced the iconic Beetle in the United States, it was introduced as the Rabbit, despite the fact that the rest of the world knew it as the Golf. VeeDub apparently thought that we megalomaniacal Americans preferred our own personalized nameplate over what the rest of the world got. Not anymore.

It seems that the marketing move did little to influence actual sales of the vehicle, so it's back to the drawing board. According to Car and Driver, when the sixth-generation hatchback hits American shores, probably as a 2010 model, it will once again be christened the Golf, and hopefully for good this time.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf VI

[Source: Car and Driver]

Wassership Down: VW seen euthanizing the Rabbit. Again. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FOLLOWUP: VW's Matrix-style advertisement garners 100+ complaints

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Lifestyle

Click above to see the VW Golf commercial

So it's not just America that gets up in arms over commercials. Remember the Matrix-styled ad with the Volkswagen Golf designer fighting various versions of himself? It seems a number of British telly viewers think the commercial "is in breach of the broadcast advertising code for featuring excessive violence that could be copied by children." So they complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, and the ASA is now investigating.

The complaints could mean the spot won't be aired before the 9 p.m. watershed, which is when programs for "children" ages 15-and-up get aired. We've seen more frightening things on YouTube -- in fact, even the G-rated The Tale of Despereaux has more chilling moments than this commercial -- but maybe the parents are afraid their kids will end up fighting... their clones.

[Source: The Guardian]

Continue reading FOLLOWUP: VW's Matrix-style advertisement garners 100+ complaints

FOLLOWUP: VW's Matrix-style advertisement garners 100+ complaints originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MkVI VW Rabbit & GTI coming to America next September

Noah Joseph — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Volkswagen

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the 2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Volkswagen customers in the United States have been patiently awaiting the arrival of the new sixth-generation Rabbit and its GTI performance variant. And while it's still a little ways off, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel as the German automaker has announced that the new model will hit the U.S. market in early September 2009. European customers, meanwhile, already began taking delivery of their new Golfs last month, with the GTI due to arrive there next summer.

American versions will initially be available with the current 2.5-liter inline-five, a new 2-liter turbodiesel in the TDI version and the GTI's 2-liter TSI. A new 1.8-liter TFSI is expected to replace the base 2.5-liter unit, with 4Motion all-wheel-drive, TwinDrive hybrid and LPG versions to follow, as well as a possible all-electric version and a replacement for the current top-of-the-line R32 performance model. North American models will also come equipped with adaptive cruise control, adaptive chassis control and 19-inch wheels as standard. Of the current (fifth-generation) Rabbit, the GTI version accounted for roughly one third of models sold, which Volkswagen expects to continue with this new generation. In the meantime, you can check out the high-resolution images in the two galleries below.

Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen GTI LIVE

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf VI

[Source: Inside Line]

MkVI VW Rabbit & GTI coming to America next September originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen Golf Collectors Edition by Walter de Silva

Noah Joseph — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Specialty

Click to view the VW Golf Collectors Edition in hi-res

Remember when the Volkswagen Golf was meant to be an economy car? Well those days may be long gone, if they weren't already, as customers in Europe have demonstrated a willingness to shell out extra for luxury options even on less-than-premium automobiles. To cash in on that demand, European automakers have been scrambling to launch luxury option packages, complete with leather and all the trimmings, like Volkswagen has done with the first special edition of the new sixth-generation Golf.

Called, quite simply, the Collectors Edition, the exclusive new Golf tops the range of trim levels. The exterior is sprayed in an especially dark shade of blue which Volkswagen calls "Moonlight blue pearl effect" with matching grille. The 18-inch "Vancouver" wheels have been given a special high-gloss finish. But it's the interior that has been given the really special treatment, swathed in "Iowa" natural leather with piano-lacquer dash inserts and aluminum kick-plates. The special edition, supervised specifically by design chief Walter de Silva - whose initials adorn the vehicle - is being launched in its German market specification; we wouldn't expect it to make it to the US market any time soon, but you can still check out the press release after the jump and the trio of images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf Collectors Edition

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen Golf Collectors Edition by Walter de Silva

Volkswagen Golf Collectors Edition by Walter de Silva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Volkswagen to unveil new GTI in Paris

Noah Joseph — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Every time Porsche re-does its core product - the 911 - we anticipate a staggered roll-out of new derivatives. Now that Porsche has Volkswagen by the reins, we can expect VW to undertake the same as it unveils new versions of its core offering, known here as the Rabbit and elsewhere as the Golf, now out in the open in its sixth iteration. Short of a new R32, enthusiasts are undoubtedly looking forward most to the new GTI. And if the latest reports are any indication, Volkswagen won't be keeping its fans waiting any longer as the MkVI GTI is tipped to be unveiled next week at the Paris show. Of course we'll be on hand to see if that's the case, so stay tuned, sports(car) fans.

[Source: CarScoop]

Report: Volkswagen to unveil new GTI in Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mk1Amino!

Dan Roth — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Truck, Etc., Volkswagen

Amino is more than just an organic compound (amine, really). It's also a favorite automotive suffix for people who've just sawed the back off of their vehicle and created a pickup bed where once there wasn't one. Short on information but holding a very intriguing picture in his hand, Dan Strohl at Hemmings has found what appears to be a very custom Rabbitamino. There was, of course, a pickup-truck Rabbit produced by Wolfsburg, but that came after the 1978 date code on the back of this particular slice of Kodachrome. Real Rabbit pickups had different doors and rear quarter panels than this one, and they also lacked the, ahem, third axle. Barring any kind of documentation, the best we can do is gaze longingly at the Chicklet-worthy orange and try to decipher yet another artifact from the halcyon days of the late 1970s when the smog ran thick and cars were weak.

[Source: Hemmings]

Mk1Amino! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 May 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Rabbit is the new top-researched car on Gaywheels.com

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Etc., Hatchback, Volkswagen, Lifestyle

This quarter, the Volkswagen Rabbit knocks the Toyota Yaris out of the top spot on Gaywheels.com's list of top-researched cars. The Yaris, which had hung on to the numero uno spot for the last twelve months, dropped to third place as the VeeDub managed to snag the second spot as well with the hardtop-convertible Eos, which is also a chick car. Making their first appearances on the list are the Volvo C30 at number nine and the Mazda 3 at the tenth spot.

Interestingly, Joe LaMuraglia from Gaywheels.com points out, "60% of the vehicles on the most-researched list are hatchbacks and four of those six have a MSRP starting at under $16K." You'll also see that the entire list, which is available after the jump, is populated with gas-sippers.

Note too that each vehicle on the Most-Researched list is offered by a gay-friendly brand -- based on corporate policies for offering domestic-partner benefits to employees in the U.S.

Comments, as always, are welcome. Please remember to keep 'em clean.

[Source: Gaywheels.com]

Continue reading VW Rabbit is the new top-researched car on Gaywheels.com

VW Rabbit is the new top-researched car on Gaywheels.com originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Rabbit hops on back of Playboy

John Neff — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Volkswagen is really playing up the promiscuity of its small car's namesake, so much so that a promotional tie-in with that bastion of bachelorhood, Playboy, was inevitable. The September issue of the magazine features a back cover with a reverse angle shot of the front cover showing the backsides of three Playboy bunnies. The bunny in the middle, Holly Madison (who is also the queen bunny of Hugh Hefner's triplet of girlfriends), sports a tattoo on her lower back of a red VW Rabbit logo with copy that reads "The Volkswagen Rabbit. It's Back."

Volkswagen originally wanted to replace the traditional hidden Playboy bunny logo on the magazine's front cover with the Rabbit's logo. Playboy, however, nixed that idea, so VW's agency, MDC Partners' Crispin Porter + Bogusky, came up with the idea of hijacking the adult magazines back cover.

[Source: Adweek]

VW Rabbit hops on back of Playboy originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Polo GTI goes on sale in Britain

Chris Paukert — Mon, 15 May 2006 15:04:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Volkswagen's baby GTI, based on the Polo supermini has just gone on sale in the UK. Boasting a force-fed 1.8-liter 20-valve four cylinder and a full compliment of creature comforts and safety features, the top-rung Polo rings up at £14,810 out-the-door (a stout $28,000 USD), but bearing in mind Britain's higher vehicle prices and taxes, the price is competitive. The plain-jane Polo has been on sale in Blightly since February.

With the arrival of a slew of new or revamped subcompacts with Asian bloodlines (Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Aveo, etc.) in American showrooms, can a small VW be far behind? If the Polo GTI is any indication of what's in the offing, we hope the company fast-tracks the whole works.

[Source: MotorTorque at AskAPrice.com]

VW Polo GTI goes on sale in Britain originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 May 2006 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru Impreza to go hatch hunting in 2008?

Erin Mays — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Performance, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Subaru

In an effort to move the Impreza to appeal more to family types, Subaru is taking its Impreza and turning it into a 'daring' hatchback. Or at least UK pub Auto Express says so, which doesn't completely rule out a sedan model for the U.S. market. Of course, with the sudden bumper crop of foreign-badged three-and-five doors available in North America (Volkswagen GTI, Audi A3, MINI Cooper, the soon-to-be Volvo S40, etc.), we wouldn't count on it.

According to AE, the next Impreza is expected to debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, with lower-rung Imprezas looking to convert buyers of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit (which we thought was the M.O. all along, no?).

For diehard Subie fans, rest assured that the automaker still plans on an STi putting out over 300 horsepower to balance the enthusiast's books.

(Thanks to ebm14 for the tip!)

[Source: Auto Express]

Subaru Impreza to go hatch hunting in 2008? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rabbit Redux - Volkswagen revives '70s badge

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:50:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen

No, really. Volkswagen announced Tuesday that the U.S.- and Canadian-market Golf will be renamed the Rabbit. The bunny's first official debut will be at the New York International Auto Show Wednesday (just in time for Easter!), although the 2006 Rabbit debuted as the fifth-generation Golf at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year.

Volkswagen's Director of Brand Innovation, Kerri Martin, said, "The reintroduction of the Rabbit represents Volkswagen's commitment to this market and is a nod to the passionate North American enthusiasts who have an emotional connection with the Rabbit name."

Maybe we'll see the Thing return, too.

[Source: Volkswagen] Thanks to Peter and Josh for the tip!

Rabbit Redux - Volkswagen revives '70s badge originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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