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Volkswagen’s New Mid-size Sedan (NMS), which will be called the Passat, has been unveiled on the eve of the Detroit Auto Show.  Set to be built in an all-new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and designed specifically for the North American market, the new Passat aims to set benchmarks in efficiency, comfort and value when it goes on sale later this year with an estimated starting price of $20,000 (approx. £13,000). Despite the familiar name the new Passat differs significantly from its European counterpart.  Every external panel is new, with a look drawing on the styling of the seventh generation Passat yet featuring subtle changes to the window line, rear lights, bootlid and bumper as well as restyled doors and front wings.  At 2,803 mm, the Passat’s wheelbase has been extended by 91 mm, while overall length grows to 4,868 mm (a gain of 99 mm) and the width is increased by 13 mm to total 1,833 mm when compared to the European version.

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The new Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) has been unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show.  Pioneering construction techniques, an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain and innovative packaging all play a part in allowing the XL1 to return 313 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 24 g/km of CO2to set a new benchmark for vehicle efficiency. Powering the XL1 is a compact 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 48 PS.  It’s linked to an electric motor producing 27 PS, resulting in a total of 75 PS – a modest output yet more than enough when the low kerb weight (795 kg) of the vehicle is taken into account.

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The new Jetta has been unveiled at Times Square in New York, featuring a sharp new look, greater space and the most advanced range of petrol and diesel engines yet. Drawing inspiration from the popular NCC (New Compact Coupé) concept car which made its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the new Jetta was styled under the leadership of Klaus Bischoff, head of design for the Volkswagen brand.  Every panel is new with precise, clean lines lending the Jetta an elegant appearance that marks the latest evolution of the new Volkswagen design language.

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To mark the annual Wörthersee Show in Austria, Volkswagen has honed the Golf GTI to create a new concept. The aptly named Golf GTI Excessive is formed from a series of small but effective modifications to the vehicle’s running gear to create a sharper, more focussed iteration of the iconic GTI. This comes as a result of firmer springs and dampers and a wider track, requiring the addition of a set of wheelarch extensions each measuring 30 mm. Uprated 370 mm diameter brake discs (310 mm rear) are fitted behind new 19-inch flow-formed BBS motorsport-derived alloy wheels complete with a 35 mm offset fitted with 235/35 ZR19 track-orientated tyres.

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Volkswagen has unveiled the revised Phaeton at the Beijing Motor Show. Featuring a new look and technologies, the updated Phaeton builds on what is already one of the most advanced and thoroughly engineered cars on the road today. Built in a state of the art transparent factory in Dresden, the new Phaeton features a new face, comprising a pair of bi-xenon headlight units complete with LED running lights and a new grille featuring two pronounced horizontal bars to lend the car a more imposing stance.  Elsewhere, new front wings and a reprofiled bonnet are joined by a revised front bumper, complete with chrome strips and a set of LED foglights.

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The new Milano Taxi concept has made its debut at the Hanover Trade Show. The concept, finished in the traditional green and black of Milan taxis, is presented as a study into the viability of a mass-market, emission-free taxi powered by an electric motor. The motor, which is capable of generating a peak of 115 PS, is fed through a lithium-ion battery integrated into the underside of the vehicle with a storage capacity of 45 Kilowatt-hours.  This, combined with a kerb weight of 1,500 kg, allows the Milano Taxi concept to travel at speeds of up to 74 mph and up to 186 miles between charges.

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The new Touran has been unveiled at the Leipzig Motor Show.  Featuring fresh styling, pioneering technology and a range of efficient new petrol and diesel engines, the new Touran is set to build on the strong reputation of the 1.13 million examples of the compact MPV sold across Europeto date. The new Touran features styling that takes inspiration from the design direction established by the Polo, Golf and new Touareg.  The new grille features strong horizontal lines that are replicated in the new front bumper while at the rear, revised tail-lights featuring intricate LED bulbs are fitted along with a new tailgate and bumper.  Completing the revisions are a set of new alloy wheels and chrome-edged rubbing strips running down the side of the vehicle.

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Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen of America, Inc. are proud to announce that the Polo has been honoured as the 2010 World Car of the Year. With 59 of the top automotive journalists from around the globe judging, the Polo surpassed a total of 29 other nominees. Announced this morning at the New York International Auto Show in New York City’s Jacob Javits Center, the annual World Car of the Year awards recognize the year’s most outstanding vehicles based on merit, value, safety, environmental impact, significance, and emotional appeal.

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Production of the Volkswagen Transporter van officially started in March 1950 and during the 60 years since then it has become one of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ best-selling models globally, the number one imported van in the UK as well as one of the most iconic and popular vans in the world. With over 10 million produced, the Volkswagen Transporter has evolved through five generations of functional and practical bodystyles, each representing the ultimate multi-purpose vehicle of its time and loved by business and private users alike for transporting goods or people for work or leisure.  This unique heritage is the focus of the current ‘Evolution of Van’ advertising campaign for the new Transporter which was launched in the UK in January.

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The new Polo GTI has been unveiled, promising to be the fastest, most focussed and cleanest performance Polo yet produced. The original performance variant of the Polo was unveiled in 1986 in the form of the G40 Coupé – a car that mixed a fast-revving, 113 PS, supercharged engine with a low kerbweight and sharpened responses. Fast forward 24 years and the new Polo GTI bears similarities with the G40.  At its heart is a 1.4-litre TSI engine that uses a supercharger from idle through to 3,000 rpm at which point the turbocharger cuts in to provide boost.  The result is an output of 180 PS at 6,200 rpm and 184 lbs ft of torque from 2,000 rpm which, when aligned with a 1,184 kg kerbweight, allows the Polo GTI to accelerate from rest to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 142 mph.

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