What has happened to the Golf GTI Pirelli, GTI Edition 30, R32 and Passat R36?

The Golf GTI Edition 30 was a special edition launched in 2006 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Golf GTI. This model was replaced by the Golf GTI Pirelli in April 2008. The Golf GTI Pirelli, R32 Mark V and the Passat R36 are no longer available for factory ordering. The new Golf GTI Mark VI is now available to order from Volkswagen Retailers, please see the new Golf GTI section in New Cars for further information.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

What is the difference between winter tyres and cold weather tyres?

None really, the two terms are interchangeable and both are used to describe a tyre designed with higher natural rubber content, more effective tread pattern and additional Sipes. If you're looking for a tyre that is good for winter then look for the snowflake symbol to make sure you're getting a tyre designed to work when the temperature drops below 7C.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

VW Eos review by Top Gear

They say the Volkswagen Eos isn’t just a converted hatch but a specially made car bigger than a Golf. We aren’t sure it beats a cheaper Focus CC.

  • Comfort

    The seats are excellent. And of course it's cramped in the back, but not as bad as the hatch-derived opposition, so maybe VW does have a point there. The glass roof slides to make a sunroof if you don't want to blast your passengers.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Performance

    The mid-range 2.0 turbos (petrol and diesel) hit the spot and come in various power guises including 140bhp, 160bhp and 210bhp (for the 2.0-litre TSI).

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Cool

    VW has a certain brand equity, but hardly enough to out-cool a Focus CC. Which isn't cool anyway, come to think of it.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Quality

    VW has a knack of making seats and instruments look well-crafted, but the Eos's quality impression is undermined by the shaky body and some scrappy plastics in the lower dash. Roof reliability hasn't been perfect either.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Handling

    You get the usual reassuring VW steering and trustworthy cornering, but there's not much precision and when the roof is down it's worse because the body twists and the front end shakes.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Practicality

    Like all CCs the boot space suffers when the roof is down, despite the huge complexity of the Eos's effort.

    Rated 5 out of 10

  • Running costs

    Variable service intervals mean if you go gently it'll pay off in costs. Fuel costs aren't bad and depreciation on an Eos is still gentle.

    Rated 6 out of 10

 

Article source: www.topgear.co.uk

TSI Maximum power with minimum consumption

Our award-winning TSI technology offers you great performance with excellent fuel economy and low emissions.

Performance and economy

When you drive one of our TSI cars you don't have to choose between performance and economy. TSI engines offer an enjoyable and involving drive, while cutting fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Because TSI engines are cleaner, you'll also save on car tax. So they have a smaller impact on the environment, are kinder to your pocket - and, best of all, they're great fun to drive.

What is TSI?

TSI is our pioneering technology for petrol engines. TSI engines are compact, high-powered and use less fuel. TSI technology blends the best of our TDI diesel and FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection) engines.

How do you benefit?

You enjoy excellent driveability and outstanding fuel economy. Acceleration is instant, whichever gear you're in. So overtaking is safer and you can power smoothly up hills with no delay. TSI technology is available on an increasing number of our cars, from Polo to Passat.

The TSI story

The challenge

As responsible car makers we wanted to make our petrol engines even cleaner and more efficient, while still being fun to drive. Our aim was to create engines that used less fuel and produced lower CO2 emissions without sacrificing power.

The solution our engineers came up with was both elegant and ingenious: an engine that combines petrol direct injection and turbocharging, and in some cases twincharging - a turbocharger and a supercharger working together. The TSI engine was born.

The effect is to combine the benefits of both petrol and diesel power units: smooth and quiet on the road, TSI delivers high torque - pulling power - throughout the acceleration range with little discernible turbo lag.

The successful formula

The successful TSI formula combines a number of different elements:

Smaller engines

At the heart of TSI is a smaller engine. It's more efficient, as there is less power loss resulting from friction. It's also lighter, so the engine has less weight to shift in the car.

Direct petrol injection with charging

Direct petrol injection is combined with a turbocharger or charge compression with a turbo and a supercharger working in tandem. This enhances the engine's combustion efficiency so the TSI engine power output is much higher than that of conventional, naturally aspirated engines.

Torque when you want it

On the TSI 1.4 160PS the engine-driven supercharger operates at lower revs, with the turbocharger - powered by the exhaust gases - joining in as engine speed rises. The supercharger is powered via a belt drive directly from the crankshaft. This provides maximum pulling power on demand, even at very low engine speeds. TSI engines are designed to deliver maximum torque from engine speeds as low as 1500 or 1750 rpm. And that has the twin benefit of not only increasing your driving pleasure but also cutting fuel consumption.

Latest developments

We never stop refining our TSI technology. Some of our latest ideas for the 1.4 122 PS include:

More ways to save weight

These range from a lightened cylinder head cover and a weight saving per camshaft to the refined design of the cylinder head itself.

Optimised fuel mixture

A new injector with six fuel bores for electronic direct injection helps achieve this. The injector jets have been realigned to give more efficient distribution of the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.

Charge-air intercooling

The turbocharger has a water-cooled intercooler with a low-temperature circuit independent of the engine cooling system. As a result we've cut the volume of the charge air system by more than half, allowing a high charge pressure to build up much more quickly. This gives improved dynamics because it reduces the time it takes to achieve maximum charge in the combustion chambers.

Awards for TSI

International Engine of the Year awards

Our pioneering technology has impressed motoring experts from across the world. Our 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger engine has won the 1-litre to 1.4-litre category of the prestigious International Engine of the Year Awards for five years running and was voted the International Engine of the Year and Best Green Engine in 2009.

The jury for this award is made up of 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries. At the 2009 Awards, the jury said: "Volkswagen not only attained an overall victory, but also won the `Best Green Engine' award. This shows that driving fun and fuel efficiency can certainly be unified in one package."

Dr Rüdiger Szengel, Head of Volkswagen Petrol Engine Development, commented on TSI: "Their combination of reduced displacement, direct injection and intelligent engine boosting enables top dynamic performance while keeping emissions and fuel consumption low. Winning awards in three key categories is really a compliment to our development team. TSI engines are genuine trendsetters."

WhatCar? Car of the Year Awards

WhatCar? has chosen the Golf 1.4TSI as its Small Family Car of the Year for every year from 2009 to 2012, commending it in unambiguous terms: 'the 1.4 TSI is punchy, but keeps running costs low. It’s also very smooth, which contributes to the Golf’s exemplary refinement'.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volkswagen Jetta review by Topgear

There’s nothing wrong with the Volkswagen Jetta, but why on earth would you get one when the Golf is so much more versatile?

  • Comfort

    Great seats, a supple ride and fine refinement mark out the Jetta as a car that cossets you like something from the next class up. It's a good place to be.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Performance

    Any of the 1.4 TSI engines over-delivers - it comes as a 122, 140 and 170 output, but also has generous torque at usefully low revs, so forget about the small capacity. The 1.6 base engine is a bit raucous, and underwhelming. The 2.0 high-power diesel is the noisy TDI design - wait for the smoother common-rail version that's being rolled out across the VW Group.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Cool

    If you need to ask why a saloon is so uncool while the related Golf is much cooler, you've clicked onto the wrong website.

    Rated 3 out of 10

  • Quality

    The Golf family, of which this is a member, isn't the leader it once was in perceived quality, and there are some uninspiring slabs of hard plastic around the cabin. But the firm furniture and vault-like doors reassure you that it's made of good stuff.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Handling

    The Jetta feels well engineered and always on your side. You always get lots of warning of what's happening, and it's almost always benign. It's not all that light on its feet though.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Practicality

    While the Jetta doesn't have the versatility of a hatch, it does have a colossal boot. And the rear seat backs do flop forwards to extend the bay a bit.

    Rated 5 out of 10

  • Running costs

    Treat it gently and you can get the Jetta's service intervals up to 20,000 miles. The TSi and TDI engines are pretty careful with fuel, and insurance isn't bad - the 200bhp version is group 15 while a Golf GTI is 17. Because, presumably, no-one wants to steal a Jetta or drive it fast.

    Rated 8 out of 10

 

Article source: www.topgear.com

More Articles...

  1. Satellite Navigation and more puts new Passat Highline on the map
  2. VW Polo review by TopGear
  3. VW Touareg review by TopGear
  4. Golf GTI review by Top Gear

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