Wolfsburg (21 October 2016). Mud, mud, glorious mud – Volkswagen has big plans at the Rally Great Britain in Wales. The works team from Wolfsburg could win the Manufacturers’ title for the fourth year in a row at the penultimate round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). To repeat the feat achieved in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and wrap up the title before the end of the season, regardless of other results, Volkswagen must maintain a lead of 43 points going into the final race. The lead currently stands at 62 points. Third and fifth place for Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) and Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) would suffice – as would victory for one of the two duos in the Polo R WRC. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N) are at the business end of the battle for second place in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship – they go into the final two rallies in Great Britain and Australia level on points with Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai) in second place behind world champions elect* Ogier/Ingrassia. Latvala/Anttila could also still finish runners-up in the world championship.

Demonstration drive with a world championship bonus: Ogier/Ingrassia line up as favourites

Newly-crowned world rally champions* for the fourth time in a row, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia line up for a kind of demonstration drive with a world championship bonus in Great Britain. They could yet be the key in the race for the Manufacturers’ title. The champions are nominated for Volkswagen, together with Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila. Ogier/Ingrassia and the Polo R WRC have proven to be the winning combination for the last three years in Wales. In the two years prior to 2013, the rally in Wales was won by current Volkswagen duo Latvala/Anttila, who were driving for M-Sport-Ford at the time.

Five-way battle for second place – Mikkelsen/Jæger and Latvala/Anttila in the thick of it

Five duos go into the Rally Great Britain still with the chance of finishing second overall in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship. In pole position is the Volkswagen pairing of Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger. They are currently second behind world champions elect Ogier/Ingrassia. Level with them on points, but in third place due to poorer individual results, are their favourite adversaries and friends Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B, Hyundai).

Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ, Hyundai) and Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E, Hyundai) are 13 and 16 points back in fourth and fifth place respectively. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in the third Polo R WRC are 23 points off second place in sixth. 25 points are on offer for a win, with a further three points up for grabs for the fastest time on the closing Power Stage.

Classic reloaded: once through the Welsh forests in the opposite direction, and a foray into England

Whether “Sweet Lamb”, “Hafren” or “Myherin” – a Rally Great Britain without these classic stages are simply unthinkable. This year, however the first two of the stages will be tackled in the opposite direction for the first time since 1995, and “Myherin” for the first time ever.

These may not be the most technically demanding of the route through the Welsh forests, but the pace notes must still be spot on. The main reason for this is the unpredictable weather in the UK.

Fog, rain, snow and ice transform the gravel into mud and sludge, resulting in rapidly changing levels of grip at the Rally Great Britain. For the first time this millennium, the drivers and co-drivers will also visit England – although only briefly. For 1.80 kilometres, to be precise. That is the length of the “Cholmondeley Castle” stage, which rounds off Saturday’s action. The last time the Rally Great Britain took place in England was in 1999.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Wolfsburg, 29 September 2016 – Think New! Under this guiding principle, and with a visionary electric vehicle, Volkswagen is offering a fascinating outlook on the mobility of tomorrow at the Paris International Motor Show (1 –16 October). The world premiere of the I.D. is the focal point of the company's show appearance. The zero-emission I.D. will go into production in 2020, and it will kick off a new generation of innovative electric vehicles.

Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand explained: “In 2020 we will begin to introduce an entire family of electric vehicles on the market. All of them will be based on a new vehicle architecture which was specially and exclusively developed for all-electric vehicles. Not for combustion engine or plug-inhybrid vehicles. The I.D. stands for this new era of all-electric vehicles, for a new automotive era: electrical, connected and autonomously driving.”

Volkswagen’s show appearance in Paris unites all three phases which together show the way from the present to the future: the I.D. presents the world of “the day after tomorrow”. The latest generation e-Golf – which celebrates its world premiere in November –presents the world of tomorrow. Equipped with gesture control and a zero-emission range of up to 300 kilometres, the new e-Golf will set standards. The world of today is embodied in highly advanced Volkswagens like the new Tiguan. It already guarantees customers a fascinating digital experience in the current generation model with such technologies as the ActiveInfo Display and head-up display.

Volkswagen is giving a new direction with the I.D. It will be the first Volkswagen on the market to be based on the newly developed Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). The I.D. is positioned as a compact electric car with which Volkswagen aims to expand its range of high-volume models in parallel to best-sellers such as the Polo, Golf, Tiguan and Passat. The I.D. will be powered by a 125kW / 170 PS electric motor. Offering a range of up to 600 kilometresand a price on the level of today’s Golf with comparable power, the I.D. will make the “zero emissions” theme a natural aspect of everyday driving.

The I.D. shows a completely new Volkswagen design language for electric vehicles of the compact class. What is known as the Open Space Concept has been implemented for the first time in its interior. Somewhat shorter than a Golf, the I.D. offers the generous space of a Passat.This was made possible by the new drive concept architecture with an electric motor on the rear axle and a high-voltage battery in the vehicle floor, which enables more space and flexibility. At the same time, the I.D. already bridges over to the year 2025: the I.D. is the first Volkswagen concept car to be fully autonomous in the “I.D. Pilot” mode. The“I.D. Pilot”is activatedby touching the VW logo on the steering wheel, which then disappears into the instrument panel and gives the driver an entirely new feeling of space.

The conventional car key has been retired in the I.D. Instead, a smartphone will be used as a “Digital Key” to open the car and enable the vehicle to start. The idea behind it: in the near future, individuals who drive a Volkswagen will get their own “Volkswagen ID”. This ID is an individual profile that stores such information as personal seat and climate control settings, favourite radio stations and play lists, settings of the sound system, contact data for friends and business partners and the navigation system configuration. This profile is called up via the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

With more power on tap than even the current iteration of the iconic Golf GTI, Volkswagen is making its most potent Tiguan yet available for order in the UK this October.  The new 240 PS bi-turbo diesel, designated BiTDI, also offers an increase of fully 30 PS over the previous most powerful Tiguan, the 2.0 TSI seen in the preceding generation of the car.

The bi-turbo 240 PS engine is similar to that offered in the current Volkswagen Passat and Passat Alltrack, and boasts a high-performance cylinder head and two-stage turbo charger.  The injection pressure of the common-rail piezo injection system is a mighty 2,500 bar and the engine is capable of generating up to 120 PS per litre.

Mated as standard to Volkswagen’s 4MOTION four-wheel drive system, it endows the new Tiguan with prodigious performance in the mainstream SUV segment.  Capable of reaching 142 mph, where the law permits, the 2.0 BiTDI-equipped Tiguan meanwhile sprints from rest to 62 mph in just 6.5 seconds. 

Selective Catalytic Reduction helps to reduce emissions by injecting AdBlue™ into the Tiguan’s exhaust system, thus helping to reduce NOx by converting it into harmless water.  The Volkswagen SUV also includes a Start/Stop system and battery regeneration which, together, contribute to a CO₂ figure of just 167 g/km*.  All the engines in the Tiguan range meet the latest EU6 emissions standard.

As well as the 240 PS bi-turbo engine, the most powerful of the Tiguan’s three petrol engines is also now open for order in the UK.  The 2.0 TSI 180 PS is available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission.  It is also offered as standard with 4MOTION four-wheel drive and offers a top speed of 129 mph, 0-62 mph time of 7.7 seconds and a CO₂ figure of 170 g/km*.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Saving every time you brake.

Recuperation recycles the energy normally lost during braking by storing and then using it for acceleration or starting.

When you're trying to save energy while driving it makes sense to recover it where you can. One way we've done this is to raise the alternator voltage when slowing down and braking. This increases battery charging and helps the car slow down. The alternator load is then reduced when accelerating to lighten the burden on the engine and cut fuel consumption. Recuperation is a feature of some of our BlueMotion cars.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk