Archive for the ‘Volkswagen’ Category

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...

The Volkswagen Passat CC (called the Volkswagen CC in the U.S.) is by nearly all accounts a great-looking car. And now the smooth four-door coupe has won a prestigious red dot design award.

The top award for vehicles, officially "red dot Design Award 2009 – Best of the Best," in the product design category for 2009, is shared with the Seat Ibiza, from Volkswagen AG's Spanish affiliate.

Other vehicles to achieve a red dot design award—but not be called Best of the Best—include the 2009 BMW Z4, 2010 Honda Insight, upcoming 2010 Volkswagen Golf, and the European-market-only Ford Fiesta and Opel Insignia, with honorable mentions going to the...

Many of Volkswagen's new vehicles continue to be rated worse-than-average by Consumer Reports in reliability, below the industry average in J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Survey (the latest just released last week), and near the bottom in post-sales service, as gauged by Power's latest annual Customer Service Index (CSI).

Yet, as the latest Total Quality Index from Strategic Vision suggests, Volkswagen owners are among the happiest with the ownership experience. VW placed at the top of the 2009 TQI rankings, along with Ford.

Across the various segments that Strategic Vision breaks models into, Volkswagen had the greatest number of...