GTI – three letters that stand for two icons of the automobile world: the Golf GTI and the Polo GTI. Often copied, never equalled. The originals come from Volkswagen.

The German manufacturer launched the latest version of the Golf GTI in 2013, and now, in a world premiere at the Mondial de l`Automobile in Paris (2–19 October), comes the launch of its compact but powerful brother, the Polo GTI. With the Paris debut Volkswagen is continuing the tradition of the ultra-sporty Polo which began almost 30 years ago with the legendary Polo G40 in 1985 and which is now culminating in the fourth generation of the Polo GTI. Power is supplied by a new 1.8 TSI engine, which at precisely 141 kW / 192 PS is 12 PS more powerful than its predecessor (1.4 TSI) and comes close to achieving the performance levels of the most powerful series Polo of all time, the Polo R WRC – the road-going version of the Polo that won the World Rally Championship for Volkswagen Motorsport at the first time of asking in 2013.

GTI on a par with the R WRC. With a top speed of 236 km/h the new Polo GTI only falls 7 km/h short of the 162 kW / 220 PS Polo R WRC, which is sold out. With both transmission variants, the new Polo GTI accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, just a whisker short of the figure for the Polo R WRC: 0.3 seconds, to be precise. Yet the figures for the new Polo GTI's fuel consumption show just how amazingly efficient it is: 5.6 l/100 km (equivalent to 129 g/km CO2) in conjunction with the 7-speed DSG, and 6.0 litres (139 g/km CO2) with the 6-speed manual variant. And here the Polo R WRC (7.5 l/100 km) is finally overtaken by the new Polo GTI.

Volkswagen Retailers in the UK will begin taking orders for the eighth generation Passat saloon and Estate models on 7 October, ahead of first UK deliveries in January, with prices starting from £22,215 (RRP OTR) for the entry-level saloon (see below for full details).

This all-new car brings a host of new technologies, comfort and convenience features and efficient engines to the Passat class, while its design, quality and style allow it to compete with premium rivals, at a competitive price. 

Although the new car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor and more interior space, it is up to 85 kg lighter, while EU6-compliant, more efficient engines mean fuel savings and carbon dioxide emissions reductions of up to 14 per cent. 

Only diesel engines will be offered in the UK at launch, ranging in power from a 1.6-litre 120 PS, through two 2.0-litre units with 150 or 190 PS, to a range-topping 2.0-litre bi-turbo with 240 PS, DSG gearbox and 4MOTION four-wheel drive.  A plug-in hybrid GTE version with a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and electric motor will follow in October 2015.

At launch, five trim levels will be offered: S, SE, SE Business, GT and R-Line.  All will offer a high level of standard features with highlights including Post-Collision Braking System and mis-fuelling prevention on all; Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Crash system, Driver Profile Selection, Ergo Comfort seats and front and rear parking sensors on SE and above; and Discover Navigation on the SE Business which is aimed at fleet drivers.  Luxurious heated Alcantara seats, three-zone climate control and 18-inch wheels are standard on GT, while the range-topping R-Line adds a host of bespoke design features.  

A frugal BlueMotion with a 1.6-litre engine returning 78 mpg and just 95 g/km of CO2will join the range in June 2015, while an Alltrack version of the Estate is due in July.

A number of new optional features will also be available including:

• Car-Net “Guide and Inform”: in-car connection to the internet via a smartphone Wi-fi hotspot, allowing key information such as online traffic data, news and weather to be accessed via the Passat’s colour touchscreen infotainment system.
• Predictive Pedestrian Protection: a radar behind the rear-view mirror scans the area in front of the Passat and detects pedestrians, exercising a full emergency stop if there is no braking intervention from the driver.
• Traffic Jam Assist: brakes, accelerates and steers automatically, easing the strain during stop-and-go traffic.
• Emergency Assist: helps keep the car in the lane and brakes automatically to a full stop if there is a medical emergency situation.
• Trailer Assist: helps to manoeuvre trailers with ease as the system automatically steers with precision.  The driver is only required to accelerate and brake.

Later in 2015 innovations such as an Active Info Display, which replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a fully configurable interactive 12.3-inch TFT display, and a head up display will also become available.

This is the eighth generation of Passat, of which nearly 22 million units have been sold since launch in 1973.  For more details visit your nearest Volkswagen Retailer or go tohttp://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/passat-viii.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

In the event of an accident, intelligent sensors are designed to trigger off restraint systems for you and your passengers at the right moment. At the heart of this system is the airbag control unit which decides whether restraint systems should be deployed and ignites the airbags and belt tensioners accordingly. Two remote sensors allow the system to determine the pattern and severity of a head-on collision very quickly. These sensors, which measure acceleration, are located in your car's front impact-absorbing zone. They supply signals to the control unit. The rate of deceleration as measured in the central control unit is used as a further source of information for determining the severity of the impact.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen Group increases its involvement in the car rental market with the takeover of the "Selbstfahrer-Union", Germany's largest automobile rental agency. Renamed "interRent Autovermietung GmbH", the subsidiary merges in 1988 with Europcar and is renamed "Europcar International S.A.". Volkswagen owns a 50% interest in the company located in Boulogne, which operates in eight countries and has its own fleet of 40,000 vehicles. On January 1, 2000, Volkswagen assumes 100% ownership of Europcar group.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk