Million-Selling Golf Continues Success Story - VWVortex

Wolfsburg, GERMANY – The Volkswagen brand sold roughly 1.16 million vehicles from the Golf family comprising the Golf hatchback, Golf Variant, Golf Plus and Jetta, to customers all over the world in 2007, representing a year-on-year rise of 8.2 percent. The classic hatchback version of the Golf remained the Volkswagen brand’s best-selling model with 586,100 units delivered to customers, a rise of 5.5 percent."The Golf is classless and offers top quality – so it is ideally suited to every target group. Moreover, its value stability remains a very attractive factor," Detlef Wittig, Executive Vice President, Group Sales and Marketing, commented. There was a very sharp rise of 45.8 percent in deliveries to the USA, the largest overseas market, with sales of the Golf hatchback version totaling 41,800 units. High rises were also achieved in Canada (+ 66.3 percent to 15,800 units) and Brazil (+55.6 percent to 13,400 units). Respectable growth was also reported on the large European markets of France (+ 11.8 percent to 32,700 units), United Kingdom (+ 7.7 percent to 67,100 units) and Italy (+ 7.5 percent to 48,500 units). As a result, the Volkswagen classic again made a crucial contribution to the brand’s record-breaking sales of 3.66 million vehicles worldwide (+ 7.8 percent).Despite very difficult conditions, Germany remained the undisputed top market for the Golf, where the hatchback version braved the general trend in vehicle deliveries on the German market (-9.1 percent) with sales totaling some 123,200 units (-5.9 percent). In Europe, Volkswagen delivered 420,000 units to customers, 2.8 percent up on the previous year. This was in part attributable to high growth on Central and East European markets such as Romania (+67.4 percent to 5,400 vehicles), Russia (+76.5 percent to 4,500 units) and Poland (+45.1 percent to 4,500 vehicles).


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Volkswagen Supports Budding Screen Stars - VWVortex

Wolfsburg/Berlin, GERMANY - As a principle partner of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival, Volkswagen has once more pledged its support to the promotion of aspiring young talents. The company is sponsoring presentation of the European Shooting Stars award at the Berlinale.From February 9 to 11, nine European shooting stars will be showcased at the Berlinale film theatre. All were selected by a top-class jury from among 22 national nominations received for the Best Newcomer award. Past winners have included Daniel Brühl, Heike Makatsch and Daniel Craig.German actress Hannah Herzsprung is one of the nine finalists of 2008. She is already a recipient of the 2007 Bavarian Film Prize for her first cinema role in Chris Kraus’ "Four Minutes" and also last year received the German Film Prize as Best Supporting Actress in Alain Gsponer’s "Life Actually". Hannah Herzsprung is currently on the film set of "The Reader", a motion picture based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink, in which she is cast alongside Kate Winslet.During their stay in Germany’s capital for the Berlinale, the nine nominees will be driving around town in Volkswagen’s own shooting star, the Tiguan. (The Tiguan has been sold out since it first went on sale.) Volkswagen Sound Foundation will also be supporting the European Shooting Stars closing party by providing four T5 Caravelles for the event.On 9 February, the nine aspiring young talents will meet up with two superstars from the worlds of music and photography when Volkswagen invites them to take part in an exclusive photo shooting with Seal and star photographer Jim Rakete at the historic post office building at Gleisdreieck.



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Volkswagen Supports Young Talent - VWVortex

Wolfsburg/Berlin, GERMANY - As a principle partner of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival, Volkswagen has once more pledged its support to the promotion of aspiring young talents. The company is sponsoring the international platform for young film talent at the Berlinale – the Berlinale Talent Campus #6.This year, as in the past (this is the sixth time), Volkswagen will once again be a partner to the Berlinale Talent Campus. The motto of this year’s campus, to be held at the Hebbel Theatre on Hallesches Ufer, is "Screening Emotions – Cinema’s finest asset" and will see 350 young filmmakers from around the globe taking part in workshops, lectures and panel discussions from 9 to 14 February 2008. Experts from over 20 countries have been enlisted for the campus, among them Sandrine Bonnaire, Stephen Daldry, Shah Rukh Khan, Gustavo Santaolalla, Maria Schrader, István Szabó, Andrzej Wajda, Mike Leigh, to name but a few.The Volkswagen Score Competition is a key element of the Berlinale Talent Campus. Young sound designers were invited to produce tracks for two particular film segments. The scores entered by the three finalists will be presented at the public campus lecture entitled "Eyes on the Music" to be held at 11am on 14 February 2008 and hosted by Peter Cowie. The winner will then be announced at the award ceremony to commence at 8pm that evening. The mentor of this year’s competition is two-times Oscar® winner Gustavo Santaolalla (Best Film Scores for "Brokeback Mountain" and "Babel").At 11am on February 13, Wolfgang Müller-Pietralla, head of future research at Volkswagen AG, will lead a panel discussion entitled "Cinema Inside the Crystal Ball – Future thoughts on filmmaking". Volkswagen is providing further support in the form of five Passat Blue Motions and four T5 Caravelles.Photo material on Volkswagen activities at the Berlin International Film Festival will be available from 6 February at www.volkswagen-media-services.com; user code: berlinale; password: volkswagen. The user code and password will remain valid until 29 February 2008.


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The Volkswagen Brand Kicks Off its Sales Year 2008 on an Impressive Note – Deliveries in January up By More Than 13 Percent - VWVortex

Wolfsburg, GERMANY - The Volkswagen brand got off to a brilliant start in the new sales year 2008, delivering 288,000 passenger cars to customers around the world in January – 13 per cent more than in the same period last year. This establishes a new sales record for the first month of a year."A perfect start that well exceeds even the impressive growth of 7.8 per cent already recorded for the year 2007 overall," comments Detlef Wittig, who, as the head of sales for the VW Group, is also in charge of Volkswagen brand sales. "The reputation of the Volkswagen brand, with its unparalleled wide range of increasingly individualised models, is continuing to gather enduring strength."The record figure for January is attributable predominantly to VW’s three main national markets. In the biggest of them, China, Volkswagen delivered 77,400 passenger cars to customers, denoting a plus of 17,300 vehicles or 28.7 per cent against the January 2007 figure. This was followed by Brazil, where 39,000 cars were sold (plus 6,600 or 20.2 per cent), and Germany, which recorded 33,800 deliveries (plus 9,300 or 37.7 per cent).Europe was once more the continent which generated the greatest sales volume for the Volkswagen brand in the first month of the year, with a total of 113,600 vehicles delivered (up 12.4 per cent). While customers in Western Europe accounted for 102,900, and thus 11.2 per cent, of those sales, deliveries in Central and Eastern Europe rose by 25.5 per cent to 10,700 vehicles."We are increasingly successful at catering to the 150 individual markets around the globe with innovative quality products and high standards on the sales and service front. Product premieres such as the Passat CC and the new Scirocco will further fuel Volkswagen’s fast-moving campaign to introduce new model choices," concludes Wittig.


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Audi R8 Wins AJAC's 2008 Best New Design Award - VWVortex

Toronto, ON - The Audi R8 won the "Best New Design" award for 2008 as presented by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). The award was handed out as part of the 2008 Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) awards that opened the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.Canadian independent designer Paul Deutschman, Humber College automotive design professor Ken Cummings, and Automobile magazine's design critic Robert Cumberford were appointed by AJAC as a panel of design experts. Their task was a difficult one: create a short-list of four "Best New Design" finalists from the full-slate of fifty-nine entries in the Canadian Car of the Year awards program.They chose the Audi R8 ("A real tour de force in terms of design, materials, structure and performance" - Robert Cumberford), the Chevrolet Malibu ("If Chevy can't recapture some market share with this handsome entry, the aging population is losing their eyesight" - Ken Cummings), the Infiniti G37 Coupe ("Hats off to the Infiniti designers- they have succeeded in creating a design language that is both original and desirable" - Paul Deutschman), and the Volvo C30 ("Volvo is breaking into a new segment with a funky wagon that offers practicality and strong originality" - Paul Deutschman).AJAC journalists then selected the winner from the design expert's short-list based on a combination of aesthetics, function, and brand essence. Each parameter was rated separately for each of the design finalists. The aesthetics score reflects the sheer beauty of the design. The function score assesses the manner and degree to which it accommodates the practical requirements of the vehicle type. And brand essence considers its success in conveying the image, heritage, and values of the specific brand."The intent of the AJAC Best New Design award is to identify and reward the vehicle that exhibits the best balance of form and function", said Paul Williams, co-chair of the 2008 CCOTY awards.AJAC's annual Canadian Car of the Year awards program was created in 1985 with the purpose of providing consumers with sound, comparative information on vehicles that are new to the market.For that reason, the vote results that determined today's winners are available to consumers as a resource buying guide on the AJAC web site. Also available are the comparative test data derived from the journalists' extensive four day evaluation of over 170 new vehicles in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario in October. This annual event is known in the industry as "TestFest". Shell Canada is the official fuel supplier of the event.The rigorous TestFest evaluation program includes real world driving on public roads - exactly where consumers drive so that the test and vote results posted to the AJAC web site are directly relevant to potential car and truck buyers.Photos from today's award announcements, the December 4th category winners, and the TestFest evaluation event, are available for print and broadcast media under "Canadian Car of the Year" "Photo Gallery" on the AJAC web site.In addition, our AJAC journalists who evaluated the brand new models at TestFest are available across Canada for interviews to talk about the vote results and comparative data.This press release was distributed by the CNW Group: the official newswire of AJAC.


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ADP Dealer Services Transforming the Point of Sale Process for Audi, Volkswagen & Bentley Dealers - VWVortex

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL -- VW Credit, Inc. and VW Credit Canada, Inc. (VCI & VCCI), recently launched FinanceSource -- an alliance between VCI, VCCI and Dealer Management System (DMS) providers to build applications for faster, more accurate credit application processes for dealers. FinanceSource creates seamless integration between VCI & VCCI financing systems and the dealers' DMS systems, eliminating costly keystroke mistakes."This will help our Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley dealers improve the overall dealership finance experience by enabling them to complete the credit process entirely within their chosen dealer management system," said Hans Bremer, VCI Credit and Funding general manager.ADP is the first DMS provider to pilot the Credit Application Integration. This integration is provided through ADP's w.e.b.Credit -- a new credit management tool that facilitates faster and easier processing of credit applications, credit bureau reports, and OFAC transactions."ADP is pleased to work with VCI & VCCI," commented Paul Rindone, vice president financial services for ADP Dealer Services. Rindone also stated that "FinanceSource will provide dealers with easy and convenient access to VCI & VCCI's services, all within their existing ADP workflow."The credit application is the first to be built and launched via FinanceSource, followed by contract data validation and ultimately, the ability to receive, approve and save funding documentation electronically.About VW Credit, Inc.VW Credit, Inc. (VCI: 9.31, +0.03, +0.32%), a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) was founded in 1981 as the financial service arm of VWGoA and is affiliated with Audi of America, LLC and Bentley Motors, Inc. VCI, a captive finance company, services Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley customers, authorized automotive dealers and their affiliated stores as Volkswagen Credit, Audi Financial Services and Bentley Financial Services.About VW Credit Canada, Inc.VW Credit Canada, Inc. (VCCI), a wholly owned subsidiary of VW Credit, Inc. was founded in 1992 as the financial service arm of Volkswagen Group Canada and is affiliated with Audi Canada and Bentley Motors, Inc. VCCI, a captive finance company, services Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley customers, authorized automotive dealers and their affiliated stores as Volkswagen Finance and Audi Finance.About ADP Dealer ServicesAutomatic Data Processing, Inc., with nearly $8 billion in revenues and approximately 585,000 clients, is one of the world's largest providers of business outsourcing solutions. Leveraging more than 55 years of experience, ADP offers the widest range of HR, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source. ADP's easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to organizations of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine and recreational vehicle dealers throughout the world. For more information about ADP Dealer Services, visit the company's Web site at www.DealerSuite.com.


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VW Introduces Jetta Wolfsburg 2.0T - VWVortex

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the Wolfsburg Edition Jetta 2.0T. Volkswagen will produce approximately 12,500 of these special edition models. This new version Jetta 2.0T follows last year’s highly successful Wolfsburg Edition Jetta 2.5 L.Staying true to the Wolfsburg Edition heritage, the Wolfsburg Jetta 2.0T will offer customers a value priced version of the sporty and spacious Jetta sedan, equipped with the highly acclaimed four-cylinder turbo-charged engine that produces 200 horsepower and 207 ft-lbs. of torque. Each special edition Jetta 2.0T includes unique “Wolfsburg Edition” badging on both front quarter panels. The Wolfsburg Edition Jetta 2.0T features 17-inch alloy wheels, leatherette seats, and is available in the following color schemes; Reflex Silver, Black, Salsa Red, and Platinum Gray.Like the rest of the Jetta model line, the Wolfsburg Edition comes standard with many safety features. Content that includes: six standard airbags, a crash optimized front end, and anti-intrusion side door beams. For additional safety, two rear side airbags are also available as an option. The Wolfsburg Edition Jetta 2.0T also comes with an array of vehicle control safety features. These features include a four-wheel ABS anti-lock braking system, Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution, Hydraulic Brake Assist, Electronic Stabilization Program, and Anti-Slip Regulation. The Wolfsburg Edition Jetta 2.0T also comes standard with an electro-mechanical power steering system for added control.The Wolfsburg Edition Jetta 2.0T is value priced at $20,875 with a six-speed manual transmission, and $21,950 with an optional six-speed DSG automatic transmission.

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Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles off to a Successful Start in 2008 - Worldwide deliveries in January 2008 increase by 16.6 percent - VWVortex

Wolfsburg, GERMANY - Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has got off to a successful start in 2008. In January, the company continued the positive trend of the previous year, delivering 36,830 passenger carriers, leisure vehicles, light commercial vehicles, heavy trucks and buses worldwide. This represents a rise of 16.6 percent.In January, sales of the Caddy, Transporter, Crafter and Saveiro light commercial vehicles series grew 15.7 percent to 32,860 units (2007: 28,400). 3,970 heavy trucks and buses, which are built in Brazil and Mexico, were sold. This represents a rise of 24.9 percent compared with January 2007. Volkswagen expects the trend in commercial vehicles business to remain positive. This also applies with regard to the participations in Scania AB and MAN AG. Against this background, Volkswagen has slightly raised its stake in Scania to 20.89 percent. This corresponds to a 37.98 percent share of the voting rights. The 29.9 percent stake in MAN remains unchanged.

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Chicago Auto Show 2008: VW Routan Gets a Dash Stroking - VWVortex

When the rumor mill started to grind about VW and Chrysler’s minivan partnership, three questions echoed throughout the webosphere: Why? What will it look like? What will it feel like?The first two queries were answered quickly yet, in certain circles, debated endlessly. The marriage allowed VW to re-enter the minivan segment quickly and easily using technology and resources already in place. Pictures hit the Internet a few days before the van’s February 6 debut at the Chicago Auto Show and reaction was mostly what we expected. Although the van’s silhouette is undeniably Chrysler, all-new exterior stampings provide a distinctive look.
The front end is suitably aggressive; VW says it was designed to be “strong and dynamic, yet friendly.” A chrome and matte black grille cascade between angled, sloping headlights, draped by a crisp hood. Fog lamps and a subtle lower valence are reminiscent of the GTI. The model shown features chrome mirror caps and door handles, which draw attention back towards the chrome window sills. Unfortunately, a roof-mount antenna is nowhere to be found, yet the rear is nevertheless distinctive. Tail lamps are inspired by the shape found on VW’s other hatches; the rounded two-piece lenses are a dramatic improvement over the red and amber pillars of the Chrysler siblings. The vehicle sits low (well, for a van) on two-tone chrome wheels, and VW says the suspension was tuned for firmer ride quality and handling. The interior shares the bone structure of the organ donor, with seat frame, dash shell, shifter, and steering wheel lifted from the Chrysler parts bin. Once inside, though, warm, neutral leather tells a different story. It’s thoroughly impractical for hauling around rugrats, but serves well to showcase Routan’s features, such as heavy stitching and sporty, supportive seat bolsters. The cabin offers none of the Caravan’s thrifty charm or Town & Country’s coarsely molded elements — the Routan driver can adjust airflow and toggle switches without risk of bloodletting. The dash shell's textured plastic yields slightly to the touch (considerably softer than that of the Chryslers), overlaid with a dark gray soft pad. The contrast isn’t quite as impressive as the two-tone effect of, say, the Passat CC, but it lends depth, dimension, and interest to the vast expanses of cream surfaces.
The interior also features power Stow ‘n Go seating in the third row, with the option of flipping the seats forward or back. A move by Chrysler prevented VW from including the much-hyped proprietary Swivel ‘n Go seating system, which is a disappointment — the feature would have been a nice throwback to VW’s camper heritage. However, Routan still has the advantage in regard to driver and passenger comfort.What remains to be seen is whether or not Routan will find an audience. It’s an entry into a slowing market and seems imperative to VW’s “niche to volume” market strategy, but VW’s strong van heritage means they’ve got something special to offer. VW says Routan will appeal to the “rational and emotional needs” of the minivan buyer. Routan’s sub-$25,000 entry price is competitive for the segment, cutting below the current star of the class, the Honda Odyssey. Of course, we at VWvortex are holding out for a range of DriverGear accessories. Yes, this van clamors for enthusiast attention. A set of tinted tails and a deeper upper hatch spoiler would easily make Routan the best-looking family hauler around.

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Volkswagen Unveils Routan at Chicago Auto Show - VWVortex

CHICAGO - Volkswagen of America today unveiled the Routan, an all new seven-passenger minivan. It delivers the best of both worlds: a vehicle that combines European sensibilities in design, fit and finish, and handling characteristics with market relevant features and outstanding value.
The Routan is instantly recognizable as a member of the Volkswagen family, with its stylized front grille and exterior treatments. The interior enhancements create an environment that is visually pleasing, modern, and meticulously detailed. The high quality materials, beautiful textures and rich luxurious colors are combined with exacting tolerances and superb fit and finish. While pleasing and contemporary, the interior also follows the traditional Volkswagen design philosophy that form follows function.
Second row captain’s chairs offer an increased level of luxury and comfort while still providing the convenience of a traditional minivan, with over 32.7 cubic feet available behind the third row seats and a full 83 cubic feet is available behind the second row.
The Routan will come standard with a 3.8L V6, offering 197 hp and 230 lb. ft. of torque when combined with the standard six-speed automatic transmission. A 4.0L V6 will be available rated at 251 hp and 259 lb. ft. of torque. Routan features European tuned suspension and steering optimized for handling and improved driving dynamics. Standard all-season traction control and ESP, brings safety and security to the Routan. The Routan comes with a host of unique features, including:-Conversation Mirror-Rear seat entertainment system with two 9 inch screens for second and third row, wireless headsets, and remote control-Dual power sliding doors with power windows-Touch screen navigation with twenty meg hard drive-Power lift gate with flood lamp-Thirteen cup holdersVolkswagen delivers a competitively priced entry into this high volume segment with prices starting below $25,000. The Routan will be built in an already existing facility in Windsor, Ontario.With Routan, Volkswagen dealers add a vehicle that will provide additional, incremental growth in the market. A distinctly designed minivan at an attractive price point will broaden the brand portfolio, while providing a roomy alternative to existing Volkswagen owners.



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