The three door version of the new Volkswagen Up! was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, and now Volkswagen has released the first details on the five-door model. In Germany, the new version will go on sale March 6th with first deliveries arriving in May. Prices will start from 10,800 euro, or about $14,000 at the current exchange rates.
The five-door Volkswagen Up! features the same dimensions as the three-door version, but the difference is the rear doors which open wide and allow easy boarding. The interior also offers more space, with 94.7cm (37.2 inches) of headroom and 79cm (31.1 inches) of legroom. The rear passengers will be even more comfortable thanks to raised seating positions.
As for power, the new Up! will be offered with a 1.0-liter petrol engine with BlueMotion technology offered in either 60 or 75 HP versions. Both of these options are combined with start-stop function and an impressive fuel economy of 4.2 liters/100 km.
Just like with three-door Up!, the new five-door model will be offered with City Emergency Braking - a new safety technology system that automatically actives at speeds of under 18.6 mph and uses a laser sensor to detect the risk of any imminent collisions. Next to this feature, the new five-door Up! will also get touchscreen navigation, Bluetooth, and other entertainment systems.
While we were all expecting to see the convertible version of the new generation Beetle at the 2012 Chicago Motor Show in February, Volkswagen has decided to keep us waiting a little bit longer and are bringing a TDI version for the coupe instead.
The new Beetle TDI will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four cylinder engine that will deliver about 140 HP and 236 lb-ft of torque. The engine will be mated to a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional DSG transmission. This setup will deliver up to 50 mpg, making the new TDI version the most economical Beetle ever. Volkswagen has yet to announce whether or not the new engine will be offered in the upcoming Beetle Cabrio, but we’ll be on the lookout for any new details.
The 2012 Chicago Auto Show will open its doors on February 8th, 2012 so stay tuned!
The launch of the New Beetle has given Volkswagen the opportunity to open its doors with new concept iterations for the car. At the 2012 NAIAS, we’re getting a look at the first of these concepts in the form of the E-Bugster Concept.
The E-Bugster is based on the New Beetle, albeit dressed in a far more aggressive manner than that of the production model. The profile features a lower roofline, wider C-pillars, blacked-out A-pillars, and a new set of fancy 19" alloy wheels.
If you recall back in 2005, Volkswagen introduced a similar-looking concept in the Ragster. That car also came with a low and flat roofline and was being pegged as a pre-cursor to the eventual production model. In the case of the E-Bugster, the German automaker is introducing the concept as a way of showing a new powertrain system that could eventually translate to future production models.
That propulsion system features an lithium-ion battery pack-powered electric motor that will be mounted just under the boot and rear bench of the car. The motor is capable of producing 114 horsepower (85W) with a range of 100 miles while also producing zero emissions. The pack can be charged through a plug that can be found just under the Volkswagen logo with an 80-percent charge being achieved in just 30 minutes.
So while it’s unlikely that we’ll see the E-Bugster Concept past this stage, we could very well see this new "Blue-e-motion" propulsion system in future Volkswagen models.
UPDATE 01/20/2012: Turns out, all of this concept stuff isn’t for show. Volkswagen has announced that the E-Bugster was specifically built to judge the auto world’s reaction and if it’s positive, then V-Dub may be adding a third version to its Beetle lineup: a Speedster model.
"This is a serious proposal for a speedster Beetle and I am sure it will come for production", says designer Mark Lichter, "we just need to find the business case. A Beetle Speedster is the perfect car for the US."
Yep, our morning just got better! Hit us up with your thoughts on a future Speedster Beetle!
The Volkswagen Jetta is getting a hybrid version. Yes, a hybrid version.
That may not mean much to those gas-guzzling, sports car-driving types, but for those that take pride in alleviating some of Mother Nature’s plights, a green Jetta is just what the doctor ordered.
The Jetta Hybrid, which was launched at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, will provide customers a more economical version for a car that has long been one of Volkswagen’s most popular models.
The hybrid engine doesn’t sound like a world-beater - the lithium-ion battery only produces 1.1 kWh - but it’s still competent enough to allow the car to hit 44 mph. And when you add that to a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that hits a total of 170 horsepower, you have a car that’s fixing to make a lot of Jetta lovers smile from ear to ear.
UPDATE 01/19/2012: Volkswagen has unveiled the first promotional video for the new Jetta Hybrid. Enjoy!
Find out more about the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid after the jump.
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The Volkswagen Golf is another iconic shape from Germany. The original Rabbit started the hot hatch craze and provided the tuner car market a boost. Just like its high performance cousin - distant cousin - the 911, the practical Volkswagen continues to become larger, heavier, and more sophisticated. The brand new MkVI Golf arrived in the U.S. as a 2010 model, but it looks as if the sleeker five door hatchback will be short lived.
The new Golf VII will be longer and wider, while its exterior design will be more aggressive and sporty. The engine line-up will include turbocharged, direct-injection diesel and gasoline engines, but a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric version have also been rumored.
The new Golf VII will be launched in late 2012 and will be offered in three and five door versions, with an added station wagon and Golf Plus for the European market. There will also be a GTI and a cabrio version.
If this is the case and the Golf VII has already taken shape, you can expect that what we here in the U.S. are looking forward to might be short lived in order to make space in showrooms for what you are looking at. However if the German automotive conglomerate continues to do business as usual we will have to wait until the European market has had their fun with the new car before U.S. drivers can have a go behind the wheel. Even if the Golf VII is slated for a 2012 release, it may not arrive in the U.S. until as late as 2014, giving the new 2010 Golf VI a few years to shine in the spotlight on Volkswagen of America’s sales sheets.
UPDATE 01/19/2012: German magazine, Auto Motor Und Sport, have reported that the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf will be making its world debut in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. It will be slightly longer and wider than the current version and will be built on a new "Modularer Querbaukasten" MQB platform.
New Volkswagen L1 Concept Car Design Package video after the jump.
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