Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The top 10 most anticipated cars of 2010 and beyond
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Volkswagen replaces Toyota's Crown as World's Largest Automaker
The people want an empire, apparently, with that unassuming little black VW bug at the head of it.
The U.K.’s Guardian explains, "Volkswagen-Porsche has overtaken Toyota to become the world's largest car manufacturer as the German group benefits from state-backed stimulus packages around the globe." VW has "produced 4.4 million vehicles so far this year, outstripping its Japanese rival which has seen four million cars roll off production lines since January."
Ironically, VW reached the milestone in part by taking over Porsche – which it was forced to do after Porsche failed in an attempt to take over VW earlier this year.
"Of course," Autoblog notes, there is "some number play involved" in the Guardian’s numbers. "We're talking about the combined entity VW-Porsche, which has built 4.4 million cars to date, which is roughly 400,000 beyond Toyota's mark. However, Toyota halved its production earlier this year and shut down all its plants in February." VW also "benefited much more than Toyota from the European cash-for-clunkers programs," though Toyota saw more sales than VW spurred by the U.S. version of the car-swap program.
The news doesn’t just push Toyota down a notch. Jalopnik notes that VW has "passed Toyota and GM at the top of the heap." America’s largest automaker – the world’s largest just three years ago – now sits in third globally.
The change may not be permanent. The Guardian notes that Toyota "has the capacity to make 10 million vehicles a year but it expects to make seven million vehicles in 2009" as production picks back up. VW, however, may see its production increase long-term enough to stay ahead, or at least to take the title again even if it loses it later this year.
After all, Autoblog notes, "VW's also got the edge on Toyota" in the huge Chinese market, "where it has spent years introducing models."
Monday, November 9, 2009
2009 Volkswagen CC "2009 CC is a 4-door, 4-passenger sports sedan, available in 4 trims, ranging from the Sport to the VR6 4Motion."
Upon introduction, the Sport is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 31-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The VR6 4Motion is equipped with a standard 3.6-liter, V6, 280-horsepower engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
The 2009 CC is all-new for 2009.
Free 2009 Volkswagen Eos preview
- MSRP
- $31,615 - $35,200
- Invoice
- $29,433 - $32,832
The 2009 Eos is a 2-door, 4-passenger convertible, available in 4 trims, ranging from the Komfort to the Lux PZEV.
Upon introduction, the Komfort is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 31-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The Lux PZEV is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 22-mpg in the city and 29-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
The 2009 Eos is a carryover from 2008.