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Volkswagen has finally unwrapped the all new Polo GTi. This high-performance Polo has a supercharged 1.4 liter TSI engine under its hood which is able to crank out 178hp at 6,200 revs and 249Nm of torque from as low as 2,000 revs. This enables the mini GTi to hit 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and it will continue till it reaches 225 km/h. That’s actually pretty decent as anything below 8 seconds starts getting fun. Fuel consumption is figured at 47 mpg on a combined cycle. The engine in paired with the company’s 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, fondly known as DSG. The hot super mini also has an XDS electronic differential system which is part of the standard ESP system. The Polo GTi is treated to new springs and dampers which bring the hatch lower by 15 mm. Exterior wise it has a honeycomb grille with red strips, a subtle bodykit, new headlights with the option to add LED daytime running lights and a pair of chrome-tipped exhaust pipes at the back. It sits on 17-inch alloy wheels whic...

This is the second generation VW Touareg, which is lighter, more fuel efficient and cleaner than the original SUV to bear the name launched in 2003. The big news is that the Touareg range includes a hybrid model, Volkswagen’s first production hybrid. The Touareg Hybrid combines a 3.3-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine producing 328 bhp and 360 Nm of torque and an electric motor generating 46 bhp, resulting in a total output of 374 bhp and 580 Nm. The electric motor can operate independently of the combustion engine, making the Touareg a full hybrid. On electric power alone the new Touareg is capable of travelling at speeds of up to 50 km/h, but most of the time it supplements the V6 to provide more grunt -the Touareg Hybrid does 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 240 km/h. On the combined cycle, fuel consumption is 12 km/l. The entry-level engine and the likely volume seller is a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine generating 237 bhp and 550 Nm while returning ...

As motoring journalists, we’re very lucky to have the newest and shiniest cars in town parked in our porch. After awhile, the “immune system” gets build up to a level that only the very captivating will leave a mark. The Volkswagen Passat CC is one such car because it’s such a beauty. I caught myself looking back everytime I walked away. I unrolled the curtains so I could occasionally look at it while reading the papers. Such was the effect. Continue reading the report after the jump.

Volkswagen looks set to make a clean sweep of the top three positions in the 2010 Dakar, as the “World’s Toughest Race” enters its final stage from San Rafael to Buenos Aires, the finish point. In the overall lead after 13 stages is VW’s former WRC champion Carlos Sainz, but he’s only leading teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah by just two minutes and 48 seconds. American Mark Miller looks to have secured the final podium spot – he is over 31 minutes behind Sainz but almost two hours ahead of Stephane Peterhansel, the highest placed X-Raid BMW driver in fourth. The penultimate stage was won by nine-time Dakar winner Peterhansel. With that, the Frenchman has won four stages in this year’s race, extending his record of stage victories to 55. The relatively smooth and fast wrap up stage will start today evening in South America.

This is the Volkswagen New Compact Coupe (NCC), Wolfsburg’s Detroit show star. Looking a lot like a “poor man’s Audi A5″ the NCC is powered by a hybrid powertrain which combines a 1.4-litre TSI engine with 148 bhp and 220 Nm and a 27 bhp electric motor VW calls E-motor. Naturally, power goes to the front wheels via a 7-speed DSG gearbox. VW quotes great consumption and emission figures – 23.8 km/l economy and 98 g/km of CO2 to be precise. As a comparison, the Eos Bluemotion is rated at 16.1 km/l and 144 g/km. Performance is not sacrificed to achieve this; 227 km/h top speed and 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds are resepectable. A 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack stored in the NCC’s rear powers the E-motor. Efficiency measures include regenerative braking, stop-start and a “coast down” measure, where engine is disengaged from transmission as soon as the driver releases the gas pedal. This is even possible at higher speeds, as in highway cruising. Drag losses are eliminated, so the NCC coasts f...