VW Replaces 2.5L Inline-Five with New 170HP 1.8L TSI Turbo in the U.S. for 2014MY

It's the end of the line for Volkswagen's venerable 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine in the States as the German carmaker announced today that it will gradually replace it with a new 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection four-cylinder TSI on the Jetta, Beetle, and Passat models.

Built in a new VW factory in Silao, Mexico, theEA888-codenamed 1.8-liter unit delivers the same output as the 2.5L unit at 170hp, but peak torque is improved by seven lb-ft at 184 lb-ft and is delivered much lower in the rev range, while the Germans say that is also offers significant fuel mileage gains - up to 17 percent on the highway in the Beetle, for example.

Initially, the new 1.8-liter TSI will be fitted to the 2014MY Jetta range and the Passat SEL, and will be followed by the rest of the Passat lineup and the Beetle later in the model year.

Other notable changes for VW's 2014 model year lineup include the launch of the limited production and retro-themed Beetle GSR, the expansion of the R-Line range to include the Beetle Convertible, Touareg, and Tiguan from this fall, while all VW models are now E15 capable.

Also new for 2014 is the VW Car-Net connected services for Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC, Eos, Jetta, Passat, and Tiguan models, which includes crash notification, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle location assistance, remote vehicle access, boundary and speed alerts, a vehicle health report, and a POI service on vehicles equipped with a navigation system.

VW added that for the 2014MY, the Routan carries over without changes as a fleet model only.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more »

Switzer's Thousand-HP GT-R for Sale

Switzer Performance’s 1,000-horsepower package for the Nissan GT-R has been priced at $88,990 over the cost of the donor car.

A while back Ohio-based tuner Switzer Performance revealed an aftermarket package it was working on, based on the Nissan GT-R it dubbed the Ultimate Street Edition. Designed to be a daily driver while packing 1,000 horsepower, the "usable and practical" supercar killer is now up for sale. The GT-R's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 was tweaked to produce 1,000 hp thanks to the addition of Switzer-specific pistons, pins, rings, connecting rods, and a pair of liquid-cooled turbochargers with innovative billet compressor wheels.



A new stainless-steel performance exhaust system, Switzer-specific lowering springs, "nano-carbon" brakes, a strengthened transmission and a fresh set of Switzer Signature Series alloys were also fitted to the Ultimate Street Edition GT-R. As a result the GT-R USE can sprint from 0-62 mph in just over 2 seconds, reach 200 mph in less than a mile and do the quarter mile in nine seconds flat. The price for the Switzer GT-R Ultimate Street Edition conversion is $88,990 over the price of a standard GT-R, which comes in a shade under $100k.

Read more »

ABT Bids Farewell to VW Golf GTI Mk6 with Last Edition Special at Essen Motor Show

With the presentation of the VW Golf GTI Mk7 Concept alongside the regular Golf hatchbacks at the Paris Motor Show in September, it’s only a matter of time before we see the production ready model – as little as three months, if the Germans decide to show the car in Geneva, as we've heard. 



To honor the departing model, German tuning brand of all things related to the VW Group, ABT Sportsline, introduced a "Last Edition" version of the current Golf GTI Mk6 at the Essen Motor Show, which runs until December 9.

The ABT VW Golf GTI Last Edition is offered in two flavors as far as power is concerned, a base model with a reprogrammed ECU that lifts the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine's output from 211PS (208hp) to 260PS (256hp), and a stage II version gaining a new turbocharger with 310PS (306hp).

The GTI also gets a sports suspension that lower's the ride height by 25mm (1 inch) with the 310PS model gaining a new braking system with 345mm discs as well.

ABT Sportsline rounds out the package with cosmetic touches in the form of an aero kit with a front apron that includes a lip spoiler and LED daytime running lights, side skirts, a rear diffuser with a diagonal 4-pipe exhaust system and a roof spoiler, all of which feature red accents, plus new alloy wheels and red splash decals on the body.

Last but not least, ABT said that it will offer the final edition Golf GTI package at "special" prices, without providing specific MSRPs.

 

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more »

Euro NCAP Find that Dacia Lodgy Dissapoints while 14 Other New Cars Score Five Stars

The safety gurus at the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP), an independent organization that assesses and scores vehicle safety, have released a new round of scores for 15 new models, many of which were presented at the recent Paris Motor Show.



With one exception, the new Dacia Lodgy minivan that Euro NCAP said "budgets on safety" as it was rated with a mediocre three stars out of five, all other cars tested were awarded five stars.

Euro NCAP criticized the Renault Group's decision to not offer the electronic stability control (ESC) as standard equipment on the Lodgy, while also noting that the Dacia model scored poorly for pedestrian and child protection.

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP, commented on the results of the Lodgy:

“It is disappointing to see the Lodgy do badly in our tests, especially coming just a week after the Sandero, branded a Renault in South America, was given a poor one star rating by Latin NCAP. The Lodgy is a budget vehicle and customers will accept compromises in comfort and performance, but not safety. Euro NCAP believes that occupants’ safety should be paramount, regardless of how much they pay for their vehicle.”

On the other side other of the spectrum, the Fiat 500L; Ford Fiesta; Ford Kuga; Hyundai Santa Fe; Mercedes-Benz A-Class; Mitsubishi Outlander; Opel Mokka; SEAT Leon; the Skoda Rapid and its twin sibling, the SEAT Toledo; Subaru Forester; the new Range Rover; Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid; and the new Volkswagen Golf MK7 were all awarded with a five-star rating.

Euro NCAP pointed out that, even though the new Range Rover did well, it was informed by Land Rover that it would soon be equipped with an improved head restraint to bring whiplash protection "in line with expectations for a car of this quality".

VW was praised by the organization for offering several advanced driver assistance technologies on the new Golf such as a Multi Collision Brake system, Front Assist and Proactive Occupant Protection as standard, though it did mention that the car misses out on a standard-fit rear seatbelt reminder.

Other vehicles equipped with standard driver assistance technologies are the Mercedes-Benz A-Class that gets Collision Prevention Assist and Attention Assist with PRE SAFE being offered as an option, and the facelifted Ford Fiesta that is fitted with MyKey, a programmable key system allowing certain safety-critical characteristics of the car to be tailored to particular drivers.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more »