We also touched upon the recent acquisition of ItalDesign by Volkswagen. The Tex and Go are design exercises much like any other concept and may or may not be considered as real future cars. For some, the Tex could be the next Scirocco or perhaps signify the return of the Corrado and the Go could hint at the next Polo.
And this brings up product. Without considering the offerings from Seat and Skoda, the other volume brands, Volkswagen has so many nameplates and various models to offer that I will not list them here. The sad story for us is that we will never see the day when a VW dealership has a Caddy, a Golf+ or an Amarok for sale. This also applies to all brands that have alternative line-ups in Europe.
This will be the case at least as long as Canada and the European Union do not merge standards for safety and emissions. This would bring more competition and choice to consumers and maybe even lower prices. I think I might be getting off topic...
One of the stars from Volkswagen is the new Golf Cabrio. Sadly and as expected, it will not be coming to North America as the next Beetle convertible is already slated to make an appearance. In our market, there is simply no room between it and the EOS.
The revised Tiguan now carries more Touareg than previously. The effect is that of a compact SUV that has now matured and grown up. For those hoping that the 2012 Tiguan will bring a TDI option on our shores, unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the next Tiguan, its overhaul expect in 2014.
As a final note, the Golf R, the raciest most powerful Golf ever, is still on the slow-boat to China, which will eventually bring the car to us. The 265 hp 2.0T 4-cylinder engine, all-wheel-drive configuration and 6-speed manual gearbox all promise serious driving pleasure. The R should arrive in late 2011 or early 2012 as 2012 MY car.
And this brings up product. Without considering the offerings from Seat and Skoda, the other volume brands, Volkswagen has so many nameplates and various models to offer that I will not list them here. The sad story for us is that we will never see the day when a VW dealership has a Caddy, a Golf+ or an Amarok for sale. This also applies to all brands that have alternative line-ups in Europe.
This will be the case at least as long as Canada and the European Union do not merge standards for safety and emissions. This would bring more competition and choice to consumers and maybe even lower prices. I think I might be getting off topic...
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| Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com |
One of the stars from Volkswagen is the new Golf Cabrio. Sadly and as expected, it will not be coming to North America as the next Beetle convertible is already slated to make an appearance. In our market, there is simply no room between it and the EOS.
The revised Tiguan now carries more Touareg than previously. The effect is that of a compact SUV that has now matured and grown up. For those hoping that the 2012 Tiguan will bring a TDI option on our shores, unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the next Tiguan, its overhaul expect in 2014.
As a final note, the Golf R, the raciest most powerful Golf ever, is still on the slow-boat to China, which will eventually bring the car to us. The 265 hp 2.0T 4-cylinder engine, all-wheel-drive configuration and 6-speed manual gearbox all promise serious driving pleasure. The R should arrive in late 2011 or early 2012 as 2012 MY car.