Archive for the ‘2011 Volkswagen Polo’ Category

Is it 1973 all over again? Volkswagen is amping up for a fuel-economy battle with Honda and Ford, right here in America, with a new hatchback. Only this time, some of the names have changed, and so have the rules. Come 2011 or so, it's the VW Polo readying for a fight with the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta. The fuel economy sea-changes and financial crises? Those things are reassuringly chillingly familiar.

Now, the Polo you see here--the one we drove in Germany recently--isn't the car you'll see in the U.S. in about two years' time. This Polo's a mid-lifecycle freshening of the current car, with the added spin of a three-door hatchback joining...

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'...

Volkswagen is reportedly working on both convertible and high-performance versions of its subcompact Polo. Be forewarned, the chance is relatively small that these models would come to the U.S.; but if they did they'd considerably increase excitement at the affordable end of its lineup.

According to Autocar, the go-fast Polo would use a version of the 1.4-liter twin-charge (supercharged and turbocharged) engine, with the potential for up to 280 horsepower. Front-wheel drive would be retained, but the model would use an electronic limited-slip differential employing the individual brakes to control wheelspin and torque steer.

Another model...