VW reveals first pictures and details of Amarok, its first mid-size pick-up truck

Amarok is a funny name for anything, including a new mid-size pick-up truck, the first one from Volkswagen, but the vehicle itself is not, especially for its competitors. Let's start from what is most visible: the style of the new car, which will be built solely in Pacheco, Argentina. At least for the time being.



The first body option for Amarok will be a double cab. The single cab will also be available, but its presentation will only happen in the first half of 2010. Since sales will also begin by this time, it is quite likely both body options will be available from the start. But Amarok will offer much more than this in what relates to choices.

Engines will be the smallest turbodiesel units available in mid-size pick-up trucks. They will both be based on a 2-litre four-cylinder, but the entry-level one will generate 122 bhp and 340 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The strongest option will produce 163 bhp and amazing 400 Nm at as low as 1,500 rpm. Volkswagen still does not mention that, but it will surely offer a flex fuel option for the pick-up truck, a relevant choice in the Brazilian market, where ethanol plays an important role. This flex fuel engine will probably be offered for the cheapest versions of Amarok, or else, the single cab. Depending on demand, a double cab with this powerplant can also be offered.

There will be three trim levels. The basic one has no name and will not include many features. In fact, its bumpers will not be painted and it will be powerless. Not in what relates to the engine, but to windows, doors and rear mirrors. They will all bear manual adjustments. Wheels will be 16", made of steel. A hard working vehicle, not willing to search or offer any sort of luxury or comfort.

Trendline versions will be much more sophisticated. They will have power windows, power doors and power rear mirrors, bumpers will be painted in the same colour of the body and other equipments, such as air-conditioning, CD player, cruise control, 16" alloy wheels and fog lamps are standard.

The top version is called Highline. Besides the things Trendline offers, it also brings chromed rear mirror caps, fender skirt extensions to house the 17" alloy wheels, colour contrasting instrument panel and Climatronic air-conditioning system.

Volkswagen states all Amarok units will come with ABS, ASR and EDL (Electronic Differential Lock) available, but we do not thing the base versions will get these equipments, at least not in South American markets. It's always a matter of cost...

As for traction option, there will also be three: a rear wheel drive, a switchable all wheel drive, for the people that will really face difficult terrains, and the 4Motion AWD, aimed at on road performance.







Source: VW

Volkswagen presents the New Fox, not headed for Europe anymore

Normally, emerging country citizens are the ones that had a sort of envy of European and North American customers that manage to buy modern and affordable cars while old projects are produced and sold in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The new VW Fox, just presented in Brazil, may be the first example of the opposite: European customers willing to buy a car that, at least for now, will not be exported to the Old World, as the current version is.



There are some reasons why the new Fox will not be seen in Europe. The first one is that the new VW Lupo, still only known as up!, will be available in European countries in the next few years. The second one it that the new Fox, which borrows its visual identity and some parts from the Polo V, will not be shipped due to homologation costs. According to Volkswagen, they would not be worth the volume of the car that is currently sold in Europe.

As the pictures present, the car has a new front fascia that is very similar to the one Polo V uses. The tail lights have also been modified. All changes have made the car look tougher, what may make it appeal more to the male public. The previous Fox rounded body made it a hit among women.

Besides the exterior, the car has also improved its interior with a more upscale trim and a new dashboard, with four clusters and a small screen for the car computer to present information on fuel consumption and allow the consumer to configure his/her main preferences.

As for the engines, nothing has changed. We are still waiting for a 1.4-litre powerplant, but the car will only be sold in Brazil with 1-litre and 1.6-litre engines, both able to consume petrol or ethanol at the same time.

















Source: VW

VW Robust will have a new name: Amarok

There are almost no more misteries surrounding the next midsize pick-up truck from Volkswagen. We already have a good idea on what it will look like with the VW Pick-Up Concept presented in Hannover last year. Now we have the final name for it: Amarok. In inuit language, it means wolf, even though it does not sound nice in other languages.



Amarok will very likely keep the technical specs from Pick-Up Concept, or else, it will be 5.18 m long and will have a great variety of body options, as well as diesel, petrol and flex fuel engines. The pick-up truck will be sold in South Africa, Australia and most countries of South America, as well as in some European countries. Produced in Pacheco, Argentina, it will be officially presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.











Source: Argentina Auto Blog

VW presents the sixth generation of Golf Variant

Some cars take less time to appear than others. The sixth generation of Golf Variant, for example, has emerged little time after the new Golf came up. And here are the first images of the car, which will start its sales this Friday, although first deliveries will only take place in September. Base price is 18,500 euros.



Though the front end of the car has been completely redesigned, in order to follow the new Golf, its back is very familiar. In fact, it is exactly the same, what explains the fact the car has been presented so fast.

There will be three trim levels, Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. There will be four petrol options and two diesel units. As for the petrol options, the new car will count on a 1.4-litre producing 80 bhp (59 kW), a 1.6-litre that generates 102 bhp (75 kW) and two units of the 1.4 TSI pumping out 122 bhp (90 kW) and 160 bhp (118 kW). Diesel powerplants will be a 1.6-litre TDI producing 105 bhp (77 kW) and a 2-litre TDI able to generate 140 bhp (103 kW).









Source: VW

VW Scirocco R is the street legal version of Scirocco GT24

Two VW Scirocco GT24 have won in their category at last year's edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most important races of the world. The cars have called so much attention VW decided to test if the public would be interested in such a car in street legal version with the Studie R. Apparently, the reaction has been the best one possible, once the final version of the car, called Scirocco R, has been presented for the first time today.



The new car will be presented in parallel with another very important event, the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Five Scirocco R will also compete, in order to present the dynamic capabilities of the car.

Equipped with a 2.0 TSI engine that has been tuned to produce 265 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 350 Nm at 2,500 rpm, the car uses 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/40 R18 tyres and is able to reach a top speed of 250 km/h (eletronically governed). Acceleration times depend on the sort of gearbox you choose. If you prefer to have a six-speed manual, which weighs 1,333 kg, going from 0 to 100 km/h will take you 6.5 s. If you would rather have a DSG transmission, 20 kg heavier (1,353 kg), you will be 0.1 s faster (6.4 s). The six-speed DSG is also a little more frugal in fuel consumption: 12,2 km/l against 12 km/l of the Scirocco R with manual transmission.

Technology not only helps to make the car faster and more environmentally friendly, but also to keep it on track with the electronically controlled limited slip differential called XDS. In other words, it helps the front wheel drive Scirocco drive like a rear wheel drive car by avoiding understeer, according to VW. We would like to evaluate that one day. In fact, we would love to evaluate the entire car, which seems to be one of the finest pieces of engineering VW has produced in a long time.











Source: VW

Volkswagen gives us a glimpse of Polo GTI with Wörthersee 09 concept

At the GTI Meet in Wörthersee, Volkswagen has decided to give us all a glimpse of its future sport version of Polo, which we could name Polo GTI, Polo GT or Polo G40. You choose. The car itself uses a 1.4-litre engine with no turbocharger or any other help. Producing 84 bhp, it is all about looks. So have a look.



We would rather have more substantial info, but this is all, apart from the fact that the car has been lowered (VW does not say how much) and that it uses 18-inch wheels. We will have to wait a little more for the real thing.





Source: VW

New VW Lupo and Seat Arosa will be built in Slovakia

Do you remenber VW up!, or, better saying, the future VW Lupo? Well, it would be 21st century Beetle, with its engine at the rear, but Volkswagen has decided to give it a more common engine position. It has also decided to announce where its New Small Family (NSF) will be produced. Bratislava, in Slovakia, will be the hometown not only for VW Lupo, but also for a new Seat Arosa and a Skoda sibling. Audi may have decided to give up of its version or waiting a little more to announce it.



Production will start by 2011 and the car will very likely start to be sold around the same time. There will initially be two versions of the car, in three-door and five-door configurations. Not officially announced, but expected, are the cabrio and a crossover version that will be called CrossLupo, which is likely to hit the market by 2012.

Engines will be very fuel efficient, such as a 1-litre three cylinder petrol powerplant. Diesel and electric options will also be available, this latest a little more ahead in time. This is why Audi may not have announced its version so far. It may wait until development of the electric version is its final stages to do so.










Source: Volkswagen