Archive for the ‘CC’ Category

Volkswagen of America president Stefan Jacoby has confirmed to High Gear Media that the new sedan to be built in Tennessee will effectively replace the VW Passat in North America--and that the former Phaeton sedan will return to the U.S. market.

Speaking to journalists gathered to drive the new VW Golf, Jacoby admitted that today's Passat is too small for the duties pressed on it by American drivers. The Passat is "not the right size...for the distances Americans drive."

The Passat's replacement will be a new four-door code-named "NMS." Set for a new Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the new sedan arrives in about two years'...

Few, if any, will argue that the curvy new 2009 Volkswagen CC is a great-looking sedan—a more emotional, upmarket choice for style-conscious drivers who can't spring for the pricetag of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS, the 2009 Jaguar XF, or even the upcoming 2010 BMW 5-Series GT fastback.

The CC definitely succeeds in conjuring more design emotion; the CC has won almost universal praise for its design, and it recently earned a prestigious red dot award.

Whether it establishes the emotional connection in other ways is a more complicated question (and answer), as we pondered in a follow-up drive of the 2009 CC.

While there's a lot more...

Research and statistics firm Nielsen has released more data about U.S. shopping and buying habits, and as always, the company's findings are pretty interesting. In fact, after surveying 250,000 Americans online, Nielsen has identified a few causes for optimism in the auto industry, despite today's flailing economy.

Most importantly: Nielsen finds that people are shopping. Yes, vehicle sales are down, year-over-year--way down. Like, around 37% down. However, the number of people shopping for new cars online has dropped only 9%. In other words: although folks may not be able to afford a new auto just yet, they're still looking. That could...