The history of Volkswagen began in 1934 when a talented engineer named Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned by Adolph Hitler to build a small, inexpensive car. His creation was a beetle shaped sedan he called Volkswagen, German for the people’s car.
Hitler had a town built near the plant for factory workers; he named it Kraft durch Freude Stadt (derived from the Nazi party’s motto, “Joy through Strength”), and soon decided that Porsche’s creation should be named the KdF-wagen (short for the “Joy through Strength” car). This upset Porsche, who was not political. World War II delayed production as the factory was badly damaged by allied bombings. After the war, the company was renamed Volkswagen and production moved to Wolfsburg where production of the Beetle hit full stride by the late 1940′s. The 1950′s and 60′s saw Volkswagen turn out Beetle after Beetle along with a few other additions to the model line. By 1972, the Beetle had surpassed 15 million units assembled and it was now time for Volkswagen to turn their efforts towards new models and new technologies. The decade saw the introduction of the Passat, Golf and Rabbit as the Beetle was discontinued for the US market. The 80′s and 90′s were somewhat lackluster for Volkswagen. New models with better performance seemed to be the mandate however ho hum marketing and dated styling resulted in sales declines in North America. Towards the end of the decade however, the reintroduction of the new Beetle certainly helped lift Volkswagen out of their doldrums. The new millennium saw Volkswagen move into the luxury segment with the launch of the pricey Phaeton sedan and Touareg SUV. Though well-designed and engineered, the Phaeton was a disappointment sales-wise, perhaps signaling unwillingness on the part of consumers to shell out premium dollars for a brand that lacks the cachet of established upscale names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lucky for Volkswagen that it has seen success with other vehicles in its lineup, which currently includes everything from family-oriented sedans to roomy SUVs. Today, the automaker enjoys a reputation for crafting vehicles that offer refined handling and upscale accommodations.
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First Look: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Tuesday, 7 February 2012, 11:02 pm
A frugal bug.
The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is receiving a third engine choice for the 2013 model year on top of the base 2.5-liter and turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engines: a 2.0-liter turbodiesel.
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI – Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine Volkswagen |
First Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Thursday, 2 February 2012, 4:02 pm
The other fuel-sipping Jetta.
Volkswagen owns the affordable diesel market in the United States. With TDI engines available in the Jetta, Passat, Golf, and Touareg, one out of every five Volkswagens sold in 2011 was powered by a diesel engine. A fifth VW diesel, the Beetle TDI, joins the lineup for 2012, but Volkswagen isn’t content to rest on its compression-ignition laurels. Hybrids make up a far larger share of the United States market and the German automaker is keen on capturing some of those buyers. Since the $62,865 Touareg Hybrid struggles with that task, Volkswagen will target a more practical segment and a more reasonable price this fall with the Jetta Hybrid.
Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid – Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine Volkswagen |
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo Tuesday, 24 January 2012, 5:01 pm
It doesn’t take much time behind the wheel to appreciate VW’s spunky 2.0-liter turbo four.
I didn’t spend much time in the Beetle Turbo but it doesn’t take much time behind the wheel to appreciate VW’s spunky 2.0-liter turbo four. The turbo spools up quickly — all 207 lb-ft of torque are available at an insanely low 1700 rpm — but progressively so acceleration is instantaneous but easily controllable. My only criticism after driving the Beetle is that, like the Passat, the throttle requires a fair bit of concentration and a controlled touch to take off gradually from a stop.
Photo Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine
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First Look: Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept Monday, 9 January 2012, 4:01 pm
Going electric in a two-seat Beetle speedster.
Must all electric vehicles look like boring boxes? Volkswagen is answering with a resounding “no” at the Detroit auto show, by showing a new electric concept with a striking design. Based on the gasoline-powered Beetle coupe, the E-Bugster is a two-seat show car that blends the retro styling of the 2012 Beetle with the zero-emissions promise of an electric drivetrain.
Photo Gallery: First Look: Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine
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First Look: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid Monday, 9 January 2012, 4:01 pm
No diesel? No problem.
It’s no secret that Volkswagen is big into diesels. But given the ever-growing set of hybrid offerings from its competition, VW is expanding its green footprint by bringing cars like the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, currently on display at the 2012 Detroit auto show, to the market.
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid – 2012 Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine Volkswagen |
2012 Volkswagen Routan SEL Friday, 6 January 2012, 6:01 pm
The Routan is a competent minivan.
It’s easy enough to lambaste the Routan for what it’s not — a “true” Volkswagen — but let’s instead focus on what it is: a competent minivan. Although some competitors pack their vans with widescreen entertainment for the kids, super-luxurious interiors, or dress-up kits that theoretically suggest manliness, the Routan seems to play the middle the field. Its exterior styling is handsome and pleasant, albeit somewhat pedestrian.
Photo Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Routan SEL – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen Routan SEL – Editors’ Notebook – Automobile Magazine
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A Tale Of Two Time Travelers: 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI Wednesday, 28 December 2011, 8:12 am
The new Tennessee-built Passat meets an ancient Pennsylvania-built Rabbit.
“Welcome to New Stanton,” the sign cheerfully announces, but reality speaks a different language. Although the main drag is lined with many of the same franchises that were around in better days, prosperity has long since checked out and moved on to greener pastures. In the late 1970s, however, New Stanton, Pennsylvania, was a model of economic growth. A harbinger of the carefree life was Volkswagen of America, which had set up the nearby Westmoreland Assembly Plant to build the Rabbit, Golf, GTI, Jetta, and, briefly, the Rabbit pickup. Employing in its heyday some 5700 workers, VW’s first foray into the automotive holy land ended ignominiously only ten years after it began. The crisis that caused the closure was due to a mix of ill-advised product planning, persistent labor problems, and a swing in buyer preference toward Japanese brands. Two years after VW moved out of the facility, Sony took over and began manufacturing TV sets until Westmoreland was mothballed in 2010.
Photo Gallery: A Tale Of Two Time Travelers: 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: A Tale Of Two Time Travelers: 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI – Automobile Magazine
2009 Volkswagen Model Lineup
- 2009 Volkswagen GTI
- 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 2
- 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
- 2009 Volkswagen Routan
- 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
- 2009 Volkswagen R32
- 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible
- 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
- 2009 Volkswagen EOS
- 2009 Volkswagen GLI
- 2009 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
- 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
- 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
- 2009 Volkswagen Passat
