Tag Archives: vw

Auto Assembly Plant Restarts  – Yes, Maybe and Unknown

FCA, GM, and Volkswagen announced planned to restart production at four plants during the week of 31 May 2020. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Group and Jeep Cut Deals with TomTom

In a related deal, TomTom said that it will supply connected navigation subsystems to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), the Jeep Renegade and Compass. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Group Opens New Plant in Foshan, China

China is the Volkswagen Group’s largest sales market worldwide. In 2012, the company delivered more than 2.81 million vehicles to customers in the country. In the first eight months of this year, VW claims that deliveries rose by 18% compared with the comparable prior-year period to more than 2 million vehicles. This is a close second to General Motors the long-time market leader at more than 2.2 million units. Continue reading

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Karl-Thomas Neumann formerly of VW Now GM Europe Head

The Opel Supervisory Board today named Karl-Thomas Neumann, 51, chairman of the Management Board of Adam Opel AG, effective March 2013. General Motors also appointed Neumann president of its loss making GM Europe subsidiary and a GM vice president. Neumann will be in charge of a plan to return Europe to breakeven by 2015. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Shareholders Approve Dividend Increase

The shareholders at the 52nd Annual General Meeting of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft voted by a majority of 99.96% to pay a dividend of €3.00 (previous year: €2.20) per ordinary share and €3.06 (€2.26) per preferred share as recommended by the Board … Continue reading

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Volkswagen Group Posts Record 2011 Results – €11.3 billion

Consolidated operating profit rose to a record €11.3 billion, an improvement of €4.1 billion compared with 2010. This profit does not include the Group’s €2.6 billion (€1.9 billion) share of the operating profit of its communist-government-required Chinese joint ventures. These companies are accounted for in the financial result, which rose by €5.8 billion to €7.7 billion last year. Operating margin improved from 5.6% to 7.1%. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Cross Coupe Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled at Tokyo

Cross Coupe is the latest regulation driven foray into plug-in technology, with the 9.8 kWh lithium ion battery onboard costing at least $5,000. Whether buyers will exist for the growing number of plug-in hybrids is a matter of debate by auto industry insiders. By the end of 2016, it’s predicted that 159 hybrid and electric vehicle models available for purchase in the U.S. market. This is a significant increase from only 31 hybrid and electric models in 2009. Continue reading

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German Shuffle as Ulrich Eichhorn leaves Bentley Motors for VDA, Rolf Frech leaves Porsche to Head Bentley Engineering

Frech succeeds Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, who becomes the Managing Director with the Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA), the German Association of the Automotive Industry. VDA has seen some executive changes as German automakers continue to be outflanked by the growing green movement in Germany and across Europe, one that now sees the proposed banning of conventional automobiles from most cities and the shifting of transportation spending to water and rail. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Starts Production of the New Beetle in Mexico

The German built Beetle was particularly successful in the United States, of course. The original and updates sold almost five million units between 1949 and 1981. The New Beetle continued the success, with a total of 1.15 million units built in Puebla selling between 1997 and 2010. Continue reading

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Passenger Car Sales Down in EU Again as Economy Struggles

However some winners are emerging. Volkswagen Group remains the powerhouse in Europe with 23% share year-to-date of the EU and European Free Trade Areas. BMW group also posted strong double digit gains, as did Nissan, although both are on relatively small basis. The same could be said for Hyundai and Kia, which now have combines sales of more than 345,000 units year-to-date, compared to Volvo’s 138,000. Continue reading

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Muscle Hybrids Decried for Performance in Hybrid Scorecard

The pressure group criticized the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, the new Porsche Cayenne Hybrid and BMW’s X6 and 750i Active Hybrids as among the worst-rated hybrids for environmental improvement because they emphasize power over economy in their design. UCS is apparently unaware of the long standing performance marketing positioning of German brands. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Holds Base Price of New Beetle to $19,765

Transaction prices of the Beetle will be much higher of course than the $19,765 starting point. The sportiest model the 2.0L TSI will start at more than $24,000 with a 2-liter in-line four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. Continue reading

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U.S. Built Volkswagen Passat Priced from $20,765 to $33,720

Passat normally would face fierce competition from the entrenched Japanese Big Three – Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima and Honda Accord – but its not clear if production disruptions at those makers will continue into the late summer when it will appear in dealer showrooms. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Opens New Passat Plant in Tennessee

VW’s ambitious plans promise that one million new generation U.S. built Passat models will be sold during next seven years after cars arrive in dealerships late this summer. The plant also appears to be a logical choice for building a new Audi model. Since 1987, more than 700,000 Passat sedans have been sold in the U.S. The Japanese Big Three sell that many of their similarly sized family cars – Camry, Altima, and Accord – each year. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Debuts Most Fuel-Efficient VW Beetle Ever

In 1998 the “New Beetle” returned, successfully riding a wave of nostalgia that was triggering automotive retro designs – including the Ford Thunderbird, BMW Mini, Chrysler PT – creating another generation of Beetle owners, most of whom thought WW2 was a history class. In yet another irony, the new Beetle was a mere sales footnote in Germany, where buyers thought the design too frivolous – no Love Bugs for them. All told about 500,000 New Beetles were sold in the U.S. – 10% of the original Beetle’s U.S. volume, as the competition in small cars had heightened considerably, notably by the Japanese Big Three – Toyota, Nissan and Honda. Continue reading

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