Engine of the Year Award for the Volkswagen 1.4 TSI engine |  |
- Engine of the Year Award for the Volkswagen 1.4 TSI engine
- Chinese develop their Volkswagen of the future with People’s Car Project
- Bentley Motors sets sales record for China
- The new VW Caddy BiFuel runs on Autogas (LPG)
- Volkswagen Rediscovers America
| Engine of the Year Award for the Volkswagen 1.4 TSI engine Posted: 20 May 2011 09:42 AM PDT Volkswagen has once again won the International ‘Engine of the Year Award’ for its 1.4 TSI engine in the 1.0 to 1.4 litres category. Thanks to the twincharger principle of an exhaust turbocharger and a supercharger, the 1.4 TSI is seen to have especially high pulling power and efficiency. Dr. Hermann Middendorf from Volkswagen Petrol Engine Development accepted the prize at a ceremony in Stuttgart. Volkswagen takes prestigious prize for sixth time in a row“TSI at Volkswagen stands for the route to sustainable mobility of the future. Compared to other motors, the TSI engines show an appreciably better record over their full lifecycle in terms of fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions,” explained Middendorf in his acceptance speech in Stuttgart. The judges will also have been impressed by the fact that the 1.4 TSI engine achieves excellent results not only when running on petrol, but also as the base engine for the gas-powered Eco-Fuel models. A total of 65 motoring journalists from 32 different countries assessed the engines in the test on drivability, noise levels, smooth running and fuel economy. - Volkswagen Group Related posts:
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| Chinese develop their Volkswagen of the future with People’s Car Project Posted: 20 May 2011 08:15 AM PDT Volkswagen is taking an entirely new approach to customer dialog in China: From today, Chinese internet users can post their ideas about the car of the future on the “People’s Car Project” (PCP) platform at www.zaoche.cn (Chinese version only). “Volkswagen has set out to create the most innovative dialog platform ever with the ‘People’s Car Project’. The platform is debuting in China, because that is Volkswagen’s largest and most important market. However, we also see potential for launching the project in other markets as well,” Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, explained. PCP is initially scheduled to run for a one-year period. “People’s Car Project” internet platform launchedOver 450 million people have access to the internet in China. These users are particularly interested in interactive content. The project reflects this demand. “We hope to involve people via the internet and inspire them for Volkswagen,” de Meo commented. Internet users accessing the PCP page can click their way to co-developing their Volkswagen model of the future as well as posting ideas which are then discussed and developed further by other users. They can also upload images or films. “With PCP we are listening very carefully to what our customers have to say and are building cars not only for, but also with people,” Luca de Meo explains, adding that this gives Volkswagen a valuable insight into the wishes, needs and demands of Chinese customers. - Volkswagen Group Related posts:
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| Bentley Motors sets sales record for China Posted: 20 May 2011 07:55 AM PDT Bentley Motors this week announced that it had sold a record 396 cars in Mainland China in the first four months of 2011. This shattered the previous record – which was set only last year – by a staggering 66%. In 2010, Bentley sold just under a thousand cars in China – nearly double the previous year’s performance – making it the third most important single market for Bentley. But, after the first four months of 2011, China had outsold the UK for the first time making it the second most important market after the United States. Around one in four Bentleys sold globally, is now sold in China. The result is all the more impressive considering the sales record has largely been achieved before the arrival of the new Continental GT and new Mulsanne – two new models that are already building large order books in the rest of the world. Sales expectations for the full year are therefore that this growth will accelerate as the new models land. In recognition of the importance of China to Bentley, the Company is this week hosting its Worldwide Dealer Conference in Beijing. This is the first time that Bentley has held such an important global event in Asia and it will give all its dealers the chance to see just how rapidly this vibrant country is changing. The Dealer Conference is taking place at locations across the city ranging from the spectacular Bird’s Nest stadium to the ancient Tai Miao in the Forbidden City. Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing, Alasdair Stewart said: “China is the perfect venue for Bentley’s Dealer Conference: it contains such a vibrant mix of the traditional and the modern and it is now one of our most significant markets. “Our Chinese customers, like the rest of the world, value Bentley’s history and our emphasis on the finest luxury, craftsmanship and automotive excellence. Although China has traditionally been a market for four-door cars such as the Mulsanne and the Continental Flying Spur, there is growing interest in the excitement, adrenalin and sheer fun of driving high performance sports car. This was clear from the recent Shanghai Auto Show where half of the 50 cars sold were new Continental GTs – and it is a key reason we are so confident about our future here.” Bentley expects this growth to continue and plans to expand its Chinese dealer network by one third in 2011 alone. However, the standards of service and quality that are the hallmarks of Bentley will be assured following the recent opening of a Training Academy in China – another sign of the investment and commitment being made to this exciting new market. - Bentley Motors Related posts:
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| The new VW Caddy BiFuel runs on Autogas (LPG) Posted: 20 May 2011 07:32 AM PDT The popular Caddy van model is now available with an Autogas-powered engine. Not only does the use of this alternative fuel reduce CO2 emissions by over ten percent; it also reduces fuel costs.
Currently, one litre of the liquid natural gas, which enjoys tax incentives until 2018, is about 80 euro cents. This means that the Caddy only needs 8.24 euros of fuel to travel 100 km – a strong argument for this type of drive. - Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Related posts:
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| Volkswagen Rediscovers America Posted: 20 May 2011 06:51 AM PDT Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn was losing patience with the staff at VW’s new factory in Chattanooga. It was January, and Winterkorn had just presented a U.S. version of the Passat sedan at the Detroit Auto Show. As the plant prepared for its official opening on May 24, workers were struggling with the Passat’s paint finishes, while the chrome accents in the air vents, door openings, and gear shifts didn’t all shine with the same brilliance. Winterkorn wanted to examine the chrome finishes, and the parts were hung on a wall for his inspection. Not right, said Winterkorn: He wanted them arrayed side by side in a Plexiglas case. “I have to look at the parts from above, just the way customers will in the car,” explained the VW chief. VW is spending $1 billion on a Tennessee factory to boost market share in the U.S. and eventually become the No. 1 global carmakerWinterkorn and Volkswagen have a lot riding on the $1 billion factory, which will assemble up to 150,000 Passats a year. The U.S. Passat sports more legroom, bigger control buttons, and more robust air conditioning than its European counterpart, and at around $20,000 it’s about $8,000 cheaper, thanks to simplified designs, lower U.S. wages, and local content. The plant opening marks the start of a renewed push by the German carmaker to shed its also-ran status in the U.S. and eventually overtake Toyota to become the world’s biggest automaker. “You have to be successful in the U.S. if you want to be the No. 1 in the industry,” says Winterkorn from VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. “Trends are set in America, not just for consumer behavior but also for communication technology, computers, and software.” A U.S. factory can capitalize on those trends faster. Making VW cars in the U.S. also shows commitment to the market. Toyota Motor (TM) has 13 factories in the U.S. Even Mercedes-Benz has one. Volkswagen dominates Europe, and it moved early into China and Latin America. It controls 11 percent of all car sales globally with brands including Audi, Skoda, Bentley, and Lamborghini. Porsche will be added to that list after VW completes its acquisition of the luxury sports car maker. Yet VW’s U.S. share is a meager 3 percent, which presents a different sort of challenge to the Germans. Trying to beat out the competition “in a highly embattled market like the U.S. is somewhat unusual for VW,” says Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany. VW closed its only U.S. assembly plant, in Westmoreland, Pa., in 1988, after the cost of importing parts from Europe made it uncompetitive. (To avoid exchange rate headaches, the Chattanooga plant will be mostly supplied by local companies and German transplants.) Since then, VW has held on in the U.S. by appealing to drivers enamored of German technology and design yet unable to afford a BMW or a Mercedes. Winterkorn, who has led VW since 2007, aims to increase U.S. sales to 1 million vehicles a year by 2018, up from 360,000 now. The company’s 2011 Super Bowl commercial for the U.S.-made Passat, featuring a child dressed as Star Wars character Darth Vader, has garnered more than 38 million hits on YouTube (GOOG). It marked the start of a big marketing push for the Passat. VW’s strategy relies partly on cutting entry-level prices for the Jetta compact sedan and the Passat to better compete with Japanese and Korean cars. Such bargain pricing can backfire, says Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of Edmunds.com, a website that tracks auto sales and marketing. “The formula that worked for Hyundai seems a little bit less characteristic for Volkswagen,” he says. The carmaker won’t become a heavy discounter and will maintain its premium image, says Jonathan Browning, VW’s U.S. chief. The resurgence of Detroit makes Winterkorn’s task tougher. General Motors (GM), Ford Motor (F), and Fiat-backed Chrysler are stepping up to Asian competition with models such as the Chevrolet Cruze, the Ford Fiesta, and the Chrysler 200, all reinventions of the classic car, as opposed to gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. VW offers fewer models in the U.S. than Toyota, and it ranked 31st out of 33 brands in the 2010 initial quality study by J.D. Power and Associates (MHP). Terry Jinn, 40, of Brooklyn, N.Y., chose a Kia Optima over the new Jetta after test-driving both. Although he liked the Jetta’s looks, its performance left him cold. The Kia “seemed like a luxury car for the price, while the Jetta seemed like a cheap rental,” says Jinn, who works in information technology. Winterkorn is responding to demands from U.S. dealers for more torque to appeal to Americans’ fondness for racing away from traffic lights. He visits Tampa six to seven times a year to test-drive VW and rival models in Florida’s heat and humidity—conditions that don’t exist in Germany. VW has also taken pains with its U.S. factory workers. New hires get up to three months of training, including a stint at a university-like campus. That compares with two weeks of training in Germany, where recruits are often well-grounded in the industry. U.S. suppliers are being put through their paces, too. “I’ve done Ford, Chrysler, GM, and the quality expectation is something we’ve never seen before,” says Jeff Fuller of Chattanooga Seating Systems. “Products are our business card for customers,” says Winterkorn. “They’ve got to be perfect.” The bottom line: Volkswagen has spent $1 billion on a Tennessee factory to boost its market share in the U.S. and eventually win the top spot in global sales. - Bloomberg Businessweek Related posts:
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