ABT Tunes to the Times and Offers 200PS Diesel Upgrade for VW T5

In the nearly two years that went by since we last talked about ABT and Volkswagen's T5, the German automaker made some updates to the van series and the tuning firm has responded with the release of a more powerful package for the diesel version.

Previously, the most potent 2.0-liter TDI developed 138hp (140PS) with ABT lifting that number to 168hp (170PS). Now, with the availability of the 177hp (180PS) diesel unit, the tuner has modified the four-cylinder engines' electronic to give it 197hp (200PS).

Naturally, all previous upgrades continue to be offered with the fastest version being the ABT-tuned 2.0-liter TSI that makes 236hp (240PS) allowing the van to sprint from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 9.4 seconds.

Other available parts include a subtle aero package, bigger alloy wheels and a sports exhaust system with the traditional quad pipes.

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GM Sold 9.71 Million Vehicles Globally in 2013, VW Breathes Down its Neck with Over 9.7 Million

General Motors announced that it sold 9,714,652 vehicles worldwide in 2013, which is very close to figures released by VW that said it delivered more than 9.7 million unit. However, both GM and VW are expected to be surpassed by Toyota as the world’s largest carmaker.

GM said its 2013 sales were up by more than 400,000 vehicles (+4.5 percent) from 2012. VW reported a growth of nearly 5 percent, but said it won’t release precise figures for at least two weeks, with spokesman Carsten Krebs saying the race for second place will be “very, very close.”

GM’s biggest market last year was China, with sales of 3.16 million vehicles, followed by the U.S. with 2.79 million deliveries (+7.3 percent). Sales in Brazil hit 649,849 (+1 percent), while UK deliveries reached 300,977 (+11 percent). An equal growth rate was posted in Russia, where sales totaled 257,583.

In Europe and South America GM posted declines of 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

With 4.98 million units, Chevrolet made more than half of the group’s 2013 total, followed by Opel/Vauxhall (1.06 million), Buick (1.03 million) and Cadillac (250,830).

At the VW Group, the VW Passenger Cars brand 5.93 million vehicles in 2013, followed by Audi (1.58 million), Skoda (920,800), VW Commercial Vehicles (551,900), Seat (355,000) and Porsche (162,100).

VW Group’s largest market was also China, with 3.27 million sales, followed by Germany (1.16 million), Brazil (682,200), United States (611,700) and Russia (317,700).

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: GM, VW via Detnews

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Seventh-Generation VW Golf Enters Production in Mexico for US Market

The (now, over a year-old) seventh-generation VW Golf has just entered production in the manufacturer’s massive complex located in the Mexican province of Puebla. There, it will share the production line with the Beetle and Jetta.

VW has expanded so much over the last decade or so that it is no longer commercially viable to export the typically European Golf from the Old Continent to the New World because they would not make enough money off it. It’s nice that they’re contributing to the Mexican economy, and creating jobs where before there were none, but that’s where I think the problem lies…

What the automaker is saying and swearing by is that its new plant can supply cars at the same level of quality of those built in one of its home plants, where people had been building cars for a few more decades.

The news comes as Volkswagen de Mexico celebrates its 50th birthday marking the date when on January 15 1964, “the Wolfsburg-based company founded an import, production and sales company,” and three years later the Bettle started rolling off the production line, before production was ceased in 2003.

So, how do you feel about the new Mexican roots of the upcoming US-bound Golf?

By Andrei Nedelea

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Elephant Violently Attacks VW Polo at Safari Park, Pays With its Life…

You really need to dig deep inside to try and pick who was at fault in the recently reported case of a pissed off elephant violently attacking a car in a South African safari park last month.

More specifically, a British schoolteacher and her fiancé were driving through the Kruger National park, when they stumbled across an elephant strolling along the unpaved road, and by doing so they very quickly angered the giant tusked mammal which turned around and in mere seconds turned the blue old-gen VW Polo into scrap.

One of his tusks apparently also wounded the male occupant. However, both were lucky, as the elephant concentrated on destroying the rear part of the hatchback, which even trampled while in rage-mode.

The animal was later tracked down and killed, with park rangers explaining that the male specimen was looking to reproduce and therefore its testosterone levels were high (around 60 times higher than normal), hence the violent behavior – it was deemed too dangerous to leave on the loose with all those tourists driving by and taking photos…

So, who was at fault here? The tourists, the rangers, the elephant, all or none? In parts of the world where people more peacefully coexist with the elephants (especially of the Indian variety), they usually put the animals in chains when they get the feeling and just wait until they calm down - it's not necessarily humane, but it beats a bullet to the head.

Check out the video below.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: YouTube via Gawker

VIDEO

VW's Passat BlueMotion Concept Doesn't Look Like a Study at All

One of VW’s premieres at the Detroit Auto Show is the Passat BlueMotion Concept, which showcases how fuel-efficient a non-hybrid gasoline engine can be when fitted to a mid-size sedan.

Based on the platform of the U.S.-spec Passat, the study is powered by the 1.4-liter EA211 TSI engine with cylinder deactivation, sourced from European Golf and Polo models.

Producing 150 horsepower and 184 lb-ft (249 Nm) of torque, the unit is mated to a DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and delivers an estimated highway fuel economy rating of 42 mpg (5.6 l/100 km) - a best in class rating among non-hybrid, gasoline-engined mid-size cars.

The Active Cylinder Management (ACT) technology has the biggest contribution to the low fuel consumption, as it deactivates the valvetrain on cylinders two and three when the driver only applies light throttle pressure to maintain specific city speeds.

The VW Passat BlueMotion is also fitted with a stop/start system and the coasting function. The latter further increases fuel efficiency when the driver releases the accelerator pedal, as the DSG transmission decouples the engine, allowing the car to roll with the lowest possible mechanical drag from the other moving components.

While billed as a concept, the Passat BlueMotion could be easily mistaken for a regular U.S.-spec Passat model as it doesn’t sport any show car-specific features, except for the Reef Blue Metallic paint, which will be introduced on other Passat models.

As for the 1.4-liter engine, VW didn’t say anything about putting it into a production Passat – but they wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble for nothing, would they?

By Dan Mihalascu

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BBM Motorsports Gives VW Golf 7 GTI a Performance Cure [w/Video]

The German tuners over at BBM Motorsport found the latest Volkswagen Golf GTI to lack in performance even when opted with the factory upgrade that boosts the 2.0-liter turbo'd engine to 227hp (230PS), up from the stock model's 217hp (220PS), so they devised what they call, a "performance cure".

What it entails is a new ECU, which combined with different downpipes and a complete exhaust system (including the catalyst), increases output by 70hp and peak torque by 90Nm (66 lb-ft) for a total of 297hp (300PS) at 6,100 to 6,700 rpm and 440Nm (325 lb-ft) at 2,150 to 4,750 rpm respectively.

Complementing the engine tune are new twin exhaust pipes, a Stoptech braking system with 328 x 25 mm four-piston fixed calipers, DDC coilovers from KW with electronic hardness regulation and 20 to 55 millimeters of car body lowering, plus a new set of BBS 19-inch wheels wrapped in performance rubber.

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VIDEO

The Extremes of the VW Golf Range Show Up in Detroit: e-Golf and Golf R

Neither the VW e-Golf nor the Golf R are fresh news in Europe, as both had their world debuts at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. However, their U.S. debut is taking place at the Detroit Motor Show, which is why we decided to revisit them for a recap.

Going on sale in select states in the fourth quarter of 2014, the e-Golf is VW’s first fully electric vehicle for the U.S. Available in five-door form only and fitted with all-LED headlights, the e-Golf is powered by a 115-horsepower electric motor which delivers 199 lb-ft (269 Nm) of torque, allowing the EV to reach 25 mph (40 km/h) from rest in 4.2 seconds and to get to 62 mph (100 km/h) in approximately 10.4 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 87 mph (140 km/h).

Average driving range for the VW e-Golf is between 70 and 90 miles (116-146 km). The 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery can be fully charged in less than four hours using the available 220-volt wall box for a garage or carport. However, at a 110/120-volt electrical socket it will take around 20 hours to charge the battery. There’s also the option of fast charging using the standard Combined Charging System (CCS) plug – it takes around 30 minutes for to charge the battery to 80 percent of its capacity.

As for the Golf R, it’s the most powerful Golf ever to be sold in the United States (albeit sporting 6 hp less than the Euro-spec model), with 290 hp and 280 lb-ft (391 Nm) from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Mk7-based Golf R covers the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in 5.3 seconds with the six-speed manual (0.4 seconds quicker than the old car). When fitted with the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the Golf R completes the sprint in 4.9 seconds.

The VW Golf R will be launched in the U.S. in the first-quarter of 2015 in four-door form only – which makes VW’s decision to display a two-door model in Detroit rather curious.

By Dan Mihalascu

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