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UK order books are now open for a raft of new ultra-frugal petrol models in the Golf hatchback, Estate and SV. Powered by a new three-cylinder 1.0-litre 115 PS turbocharged petrol engine, the new Golf TSI BlueMotion returns 65.7 mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km. Also available for the first time with a BlueMotion engine is the option of a DSG automatic gearbox. These cars combine the economy benefits of a diesel with the upfront price benefits of a petrol, with the Golf Match TSI BlueMotion costing £19,740 RRP OTR. The first deliveries of these cars are due in September.

At the heart of the TSI BlueMotion is a 1.0-litre (999 cc) three-cylinder turbocharged TSI engine from the EA211 series. This generates 115 PS from 5,000 to 5,500 rpm; standstill to 62 mph takes 9.7 seconds while top speed is 127 mph. With 200 Nm, the TSI BlueMotion has the highest specific torque of any large-scale production series of petrol engines. This is available from 2,000 rpm, though 150 Nm is already delivered from just 1,500 rpm.

Combined economy for the Golf hatchback is 65.7 mpg with CO2 emissions of 99 g/km for both the six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG versions. Such economy is achieved through substantial engine development as well as a number of aerodynamic measures. By lowering the chassis by 15 mm, adapting the radiator grille, optimising the cooling airflow and fitting special underfloor panels and a rear spoiler, the Golf TSI BlueMotion’s Cd value has been reduced to 0.28 (from 0.29 in the standard Golf). The car also features super low rolling resistance tyres. While this improvement may sound modest, it should be noted that in developing the seventh generation Golf, engineers made a 10 per cent improvement in aerodynamics.

Inside the engine, an ultra-rigid crankcase made of lightweight die-cast aluminium and its compact construction with three cylinders mean the 1.0-litre TSI is around 15 kg lighter than a comparable four-cylinder engine. The exhaust manifold has been fully integrated into the cylinder head and fitted with a cooling jacket to make the best possible use of exhaust gas energy during the warm-up phase and to cool the exhaust gases even more effectively at high loads. The TSI BlueMotion is also fitted with a toothed belt, which compared to a chain drive, reduces friction by around 30 per cent, while the maximum injection pressure of the 1.0-litre TSI is high for a petrol at 250 bar, while advanced five-hole solenoid injectors ensure precise fuel injections and results in faster energy conversion.

Unlike the diesel BlueMotion model which is based on the entry-level S, the Golf TSI BlueMotion comes as standard in Match trim. As such it benefits from equipment highlights including ESC, XDS and seven airbags, an Automatic Post Collision Braking System, a PreCrash system, cruise control, stop/start with battery regeneration and driver alert (NB ACC and Front Assist are not standard). The Golf Match TSI BlueMotion has 16-inch ‘Dover’ alloy wheels.

This new 1.0-litre BlueMotion engine will also be available in the Golf Estate and Golf SV, with predicted fuel economy figures of 65.7 mpg and 99 g/km (103 for DSG) for the Estate, and 62.8 mpg / 105 g/km (61.4/105 for DSG) for the SV.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen is preparing to delight automotive fans at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed on 26-28 June by showcasing four new cars, all of which are making their UK debuts. These are the Sport Coupé GTE Concept, the XL Sport and the Golf R400, as well as the 2015 Polo R WRC rally car.

The Sport Coupé GTE Concept made its international debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. Combining an exclusive sports car design with a four-door body and a glass roof extending into the tailgate, it marks the beginning of a new design era for Volkswagen. Under the bonnet the Sport Coupé GTE utilises a plug-in hybrid drive, combining a TSI petrol engine with two electric motors.

The XL Sport turned heads when it was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 2014. Developed from the Volkswagen XL1, the world’s most energy efficient production car, the XL Sport is a super-efficient concept sports car powered by a Ducati Superleggera engine. The two-cylinder Ducati V2 engine produces 200 PS and the XL Sport has a top speed of 168 mph.

The third concept on display on the Volkswagen stand will be the Golf R 400 which debuted at the Auto China show in Beijing in April 2014. Based on the standard Golf R hatchback, the R 400 concept ups the ante considerably, with 400 PS and 450 Nm of torque – plus looks to match the performance.

The Polo R WRC is of course not a concept, but a very real car which has seen action across the globe in the World Rally Championship. This model won the WRC last year and is currently leading the manufacturer and driver championships. The car’s appearance at Goodwood comes just a couple of weeks after the manufacturer secured a 1-2-3 podium finish at the Rally of Portugal.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed, dubbed the ‘largest motoring garden party in the world’ is a unique weekend that brings together cars, stars and motor sport ‘royalty’ to create a celebration of all things automotive. It is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, Sussex, and includes a famous hillclimb event up the drive of the house.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

A big step forward in the race for the World Championship: Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) and Volkswagen made a big point with victory at the Rally Italy. Ogier and Ingrassia’s third win in a row on Sardinia allowed Volkswagen to significantly extend its leads in the Drivers’, Co-Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. After almost half the season in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Ogier/Ingrassia are now 66 points clear of their closest rivals, while Volkswagen holds a 65-point lead. The road to the Polo R WRC’s fifth win of the season at the sixth rally of the year was literally a rocky one: faced with extremely tough conditions, scorching heat and the longest day of rallying for over a decade, the World Rally Car from Wolfsburg proved to be the fastest and most reliable. 14 special stages went to Volkswagen in Italy. Despite set-backs, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) were able to fight their way back to finish sixth in Italy. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene, returning for the second time under Rally 2 regulations, finished third behind their two team-mates to claim a bonus point on the Power Stage.

Top class: TurbOgier on the podium for the 25th time with Volkswagen

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are the weekend’s biggest winners, and not only courtesy of their third victory in a row on Sardinia: they paced themselves intelligently at a rally that placed the car under enormous strain, ramping up the pressure at exactly the right time to move into the lead, and then defending that lead cleverly in the closing stages. All the top teams suffered set-backs at the Rally Italy, as the tough conditions took their toll – except Ogier and Ingrassia. Ogier/Ingrassia took their place on the podium for the 25th time with the Polo R WRC – 21 times as winners and four times as runners-up.

Sheer willpower rewarded with points: Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila

In contrast, Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) lost time on several occasions. However, they showed an exemplary attitude to score valuable World Championship points for themselves and Volkswagen. Two punctures on Friday and Saturday initially cost them about three minutes, while damage to the suspension following a collision with a rock on the racing line cost a further five. Despite this, Latvala/Anttila and a valiant mechanic – coupled with a magnificent driving display – ensured the damage was kept to an absolute minimum. In total, the Finnish duo won seven special stages – more than their team-mates. The final result: an outstanding sixth place, given the set-backs.

A courageous point on the Power Stage: strong finishing sprint from Andreas Mikkelsen

Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) also claimed a moral victory. The duo were forced to retire on Friday after unfortunately hitting a hole in the road, and also failed to complete the Saturday. However, rejoining the race under Rally 2 regulations for the second time, they took their chance on Sunday to ensure they did not leave Italy empty-handed: Mikkelsen/Fløene scored one World Championship point, courtesy of third place on the Power Stage, on which points are awarded to the fastest three cars. They were only beaten by their team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila. For Volkswagen, these marked the 53rd, 54th and 55th time that one of the duos had picked up bonus points in 31 Power Stages.

Almost 30 degrees – Rally Italy a real scorcher and a bone-shaker

The kind of high temperatures that have virtually become a tradition on Sardinia made the Rally Italy a real scorcher – with air temperatures of around 29 degrees and up to 43 degrees out on the road. Faced with an extremely rutty gravel route, including large rocks, the drivers and co-drivers had to remain fully focussed at all times. This was a particularly tough challenge on Saturday: at 212.83 kilometres, this was the longest day of rallying since the 2002 Safari Rally. The long days meant the team was also pushed to its limit. The mechanics were working until shortly before midnight – the alarm then woke them again at five in the morning. However, the team provided the perfect backing for Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen and guaranteed three perfectly-prepared Polo R WRCs every morning.

Formula for success: the Rally Italy in facts and figures

The 27th victory for the Polo R WRC in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and podium number 52 since the World Rally Car made its debut in January 2013: Volkswagen added new chapters to its remarkable success story on Sardinia. The Polo R WRC now has 406 stage wins from 592 special stages, having added a further 14 in Italy. Since the project started at the Rally Monte Carlo in 2013, the Polo R WRCs have completed a total of 30,108.95 kilometres against the clock. That is the equivalent of about three quarters of the way around the earth at rally speed.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Two top Volkswagen concept cars from Germany will be among the major attractions at this year’s GTI International, Britain’s longest-running and most successful annual event for enthusiasts of the Golf GTI and other related high-performance Volkswagen Group models.

GTI International will this year again be staged at the Shakespeare County Raceway, near Stratford-upon-Avon, from 4-5 July.

Star attractions this year will be the 190 mph Golf R 400, with 400 PS and 450 Nm of torque – plus the looks to match its huge performance – as well as the XL Sport two-seater sports car, which is powered by a 200 PS Ducati Superleggera V2 engine and has a top speed of 168 mph.

Both cars will be on display in the main Show ’n’ Shine and Concours area, sponsored by Dialynx Performance, which also attracts hundreds of the best-kept Volkswagens in Britain and Europe, with entries from original and restored concours classics to highly modified and customised cars.

Another novel attraction that needs to be seen to be believed, is a 70 mph four-wheel-drive Volkswagen V6-powered fully road-legal wooden shed!

The other main focus of attention will be the quarter-mile sprint track, sponsored by Milltek Sport, where visitors to the event can test the acceleration of their cars against the clock on a real drag strip with world-class timing, watched by a crowd from the 3,000-seater grandstand.

The strip will also witness demo runs from many of the country’s top tuning companies, as well as members of the Volkswagen Drag Racing Club. Returning this year and planning to break his previous record will be Paul Jordan with his four-wheel-drive Scirocco 20VT that last year covered the quarter-mile track in 9.021 seconds at 148.78 mph.

The club display area will be crammed with all the country’s top Volkswagen clubs and there will also be a wide range of trade stands, cars for sale, an autojumble, Monster truck rides and a funfair, while overnight camping on site – with permanent toilet and shower facilities, catering, clubhouse and bar – provides cost-effective accommodation as well as great camaraderie, with Saturday evening entertainment supplied by a live band – the UB40 Experience.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen Retailers will begin taking orders for the new Sharan MPV today, ahead of first UK deliveries in October.

The seven-seat people-carrier, the first generation of which was unveiled in 1995, has been refreshed and now features improved specification as well as a range of engines which all meet EU6 standards and are up to 15 per cent more efficient than those they replace.

The current model went on sale in November 2010, and was the first Sharan to benefit from an all-new EasyFold seating concept and side sliding doors. Both of these key user-friendly features are carried over to the new model, along with a host of other changes.

Inside, the new Sharan gets a boost in the form of new upholsteries, new steering wheels and the brand new second generation colour touchscreen MIB infotainment systems across the range of S, SE and SEL models. Also standard across the range are an Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Bluetooth phone connection and three-zone Climatronic air conditioning.

SE trim gains chrome roof rails and tinted rear glass, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control among other items, while the range-topping SEL trim now features Front Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control, panoramic sunroof, Alcantara upholstery and Discover Navigation with CarNet Guide and Inform.

Four engines are available in the new Sharan: one petrol and three diesel, ranging in power from 115 to 184 PS. All are EU6 compliant, more efficient and have improved CO2 emissions. The entry-level is a 2.0-litre TDI with 115 PS which is available in S trim only. Moving up the range customers have the choice of a 1.4-litre TSI and a 2.0-litre TDI, both with 150 PS; while at the top is a 2.0-litre TDI with 184 PS. All apart from the 115 PS TDI are available with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed DSG gearboxes.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

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