Friday, May 2, 2014

2014 Volkswagen Dune Concept


A Baja Bug for the 21st Century, the Dune Concept looks production ready
• Innovated ski rack built into the roof and rear spoilers
• Based on a Beetle R-Line with 210-horsepower EA888 TSI® engine
• Longer, wider, and taller than a Beetle R-Line, with two inches of additional ground clearance

Wolfsburg/Detroit – The Beetle is a phenomenon, regardless of where it shows up in the world: People are always happy to see this car, whether it's the coupe or the Convertible. With the world premiere of the Beetle Dune at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volkswagen is giving the public the chance to see a Beetle with a cool offroad look.

The Dune concept shows the potential for a new production version of the sportiest Beetle ever. The concept is painted in 'Arizona', a yellow-orange metallic, with two-part wheelarch extensions that are offset in black. Like the Cross Golf, these extensions are rugged looking elements with a matte finish. There's one subtle difference here, though: integrated on top of the main matte parts are 0.06-inch-thick gloss black 'blades' that appear to hover above the massive wheel housings, because they do not make direct contact. The wheel housings widen the body by 1.1 inches per side to give a total width of 73.4 inches, an increase of 2.2 inches over a stock Beetle. Overall, the Dune has grown compared with the R-Line model on which it is based. The overall length has increased by 0.5 inches to 168.9 inches and the car is both 2.0 inches higher off the ground and 0.8 inches taller.

In keeping with its wider body, the car's front and rear tracks are increased by 1.1 inches at the front and rear to 63.3 and 61.9 inches respectively. As a result of the four-square stance and its reduced wheel travel, the 19-inch wheels and 255/45 tires fill out the wheel housings. Visually, the wheels look similar to the18-inch 'Twister' design with their five aluminum spokes, black-painted inserts, and polished aluminum rims. The VW logo at the center of each wheel is embedded in a three-dimensional housing that's painted in the car's exterior color.

The wheelarch extensions transition into brushed aluminum sill trim panels, between which there's a chrome-plated underbody skidplate. The top part of the sills are painted in high-gloss black and above them are side trim strips, again finished in a high-gloss black, that are reminiscent of the original Beetle's running boards. The distinctive Dune logo, meanwhile, is placed in front of the rear fenders. The bottom of the door mirrors are in black, with the rest of the mirror being vapor-coated in aluminum.

Vital Stats
Engine : 2.0 L., 4-cylinder
Power: 210 hp
Torque: 207 ft-lbs

6-speed DSG
Front-end design: The iconic basic design and Bi-Xenon round headlights were preserved, but the front end's dynamic has been changed by the adoption of a new hood, which has a raised center section flanked by prominent air vents, which have a honeycomb appearance with a central chrome strip.


The front apron, which has also been redesigned, features a large central air intake, a typical design feature of the Volkswagen Cross models. The intake widens towards its bottom edge, highlighting the front end's sporty look: the black honeycomb screen has a chrome-plated surround that morphs into the underbody protection.

To the left and right of the central air intake and the aluminum underbody protection are the foglight housings: trapezoidal in shape, they have gloss black frames and contain innovative LED foglights. Semi-circular, the LED rings have a matte finish, resulting in a uniform light band. Above the rings are three slender cross ribs and a narrow chrome strip that is 0.4-inches high and serves as an LED turn signal.



Rear section: The Beetle Dune demonstrates that it is possible to reverse the design maxim 'form follows function'. This latest iteration of the Beetle would allow someone to escape wintertime by sandboarding in Florence, Oregon or skiing in Aspen, Colorado, depending on your preference. Anywhere skis or snowboards need to be transported, the Dune will happily oblige.



The skis are mounted to the outside of the trunk lid. To do this, the outer parts of the rear spoiler swivel; the skis are then placed in the spoiler, then it is closed to clamp them in place. At the top, the skis slide into a receptacle in the specially developed roof spoiler, where they are secured by an 0.8-inch-wide belt. The roof spoiler is painted in high-gloss black, like the entire surface surrounding the transparent panoramic tilt/slide sunroof. The meticulous attention to detail is also reflected in the skis for the concept car, which are painted in shiny black. The Dune signature and Volkswagen logo are offset in matte black. Even with skis mounted, the trunklid can be opened easily at any time.

The contrasting matte and gloss black theme continues on the rear bumper, with the surfaces around the license plate and the wrap-around extension of the wheelarches being painted in gloss black and the lower part of the bumper in matte black. The chrome-plated underbody protection also functions as a diffuser and integrates the twin tailpipes.

Interior:

The Dune team also revamped the interior, with two particular areas of attention. First, the dashpad—painted in the 'Arizona' exterior color—doesn't have the classic 'kaeferfach' (or Beetle bin) on the passenger side. In this car, it has been replaced by another classic original Beetle feature, a grab handle that features contrasting black soft-touch material with 'Arizona' and aluminum accents.

Second, the entire infotainment system incorporates a digital interface with a high-resolution 7.7-inch touchscreen. An AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic LED) display is used to render extremely fine detail. The digital display of the car's pitch and roll is a tribute to the New Beetle Dune of 2000, which integrated the functions in the main instrumentation.

The Beetle Dune Concept integrates the 'Volkswagen Sideways' app—a program that proactively integrates POI's into the navigation system. For example, the touchscreen not only displays the types and numbers of restaurants nearby, but also whether your friends are there. Upon request, the navigation system can guide the driver and the Dune right to the restaurant. The Sideways app also integrates information such as the weather in the POI instructions, so the driver would not be guided to an outdoor swimming pool in winter, for example.



The seat design is sophisticated and sporty. The outer surfaces of the front sport seats and the two rear seats are upholstered in 'Titan Black' leather, while the center surfaces are made of 'Ceramique' colored 'Gobi' breathable sport fabric. The leather and fabric areas and the front and rear of the head restraints have decorative stitching in the 'Arizona' color



Mechanically, the Dune uses the running gear from the Beetle R-Line. Underhood, there's a 210-hp turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Combined with a six-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Beetle Dune has a manufacturer estimated fuel economy rating of 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The car retains the Beetle's front-wheel-drive layout and strut-type front suspension and multilink rear arrangement. As with all U.S. Beetle R-Line models, the electronic XDS® differential is standard.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
 
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Eos, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, and Touareg vehicles through approximately 630 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.


Source - Volkswagen

2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen 4Motion Concept


All-wheel-drive TDI® Clean Diesel concept version of VW's popular SportWagen model previews a bigger, more spacious, and more fuel-efficient replacement for the Jetta SportWagen
• Thrifty TDI® Clean Diesel, and 1.8-liter turbocharged Golf SportWagen models will be offered
• Uses the new MQB modular architecture, like the 2015 Golf and Golf GTI
• Golf SportWagen will go on sale in the Ú.S. in the first quarter of 2015
• New SportWagen model is estimated to have fuel economy improvements of up to 17 percent
• New Golf SportWagen offers increased cargo volume, matching compact SUV's for size and versatility

Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc. will debut a concept version of the latest SportWagen model that features a 4MOTION® all-wheel drive system and the new EA288 TD®I Clean Diesel engine at the New York Auto Show. The concept previews the all-new Golf SportWagen that goes on sale in early 2015. Based on the new MQB (modular transverse matrix) architecture, the Golf SportWagen will continue the trend introduced by the seventh generation Golf whereby it is lighter, bigger, roomier, more fuel efficient and more powerful than the outgoing SportWagen model.




Thanks to the extensive use of high and ultra-high strength steels, the new SportWagen bodyshell is lighter than the current Jetta SportWagen and offers an enhanced crash structure. Throughout the car, incredible attention to detail has optimized components—such as the seats, air conditioning unit, and even the electrical architecture—to help save weight.




The Golf SportWagen is 1.1 inches longer and 0.7 inches wider than the current SportWagen model. It is also 0.9 inches lower, which benefits both aerodynamic performance and the car's proportions: the CdA number has been reduced by almost 10 percent compared with the previous generation. The interior package has been optimized to give more rear-seat leg- and shoulder room. Although the new SportWagen's overall height was lowered by nearly an inch, front and rear headroom has been improved by 0.4 inches.

The SportWagen has long been a top choice for customers who want a car that's fun to drive and offers a large cargo area that is truly versatile. This new SportWagen is even more appealing, offering nearly 10 percent more cargo room with the rear seats folded than the outgoing model. Essentially, the Golf SportWagen provides a sportier alternative to compact SUV's.




The new SportWagen will be offered with two powertrains. The Golf SportWagen will be powered by a 170 horsepower, 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection four-cylinder TSI® engine, mated to five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. These powertrains offer manufacturer highway fuel economy that's improved by as much as 17 percent compared to the 2.5-liter Jetta SportWagen.





The TDI Clean Diesel model will be powered by the new EA288 2.0-liter common-rail, turbocharged and direct-injection diesel engine that makes150 horsepower, an improvement of 10 hp over the current SportWagen model. The TDI model will have a choice of six-speed manual or DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Design


The design team, led by Walter de Silva (Group Design) and Klaus Bischoff (VW Brand Design), created a timeless and sophisticated new SportWagen, using the principles of Volkswagen's Design DNA. Thanks to the MQB architecture, which dictates a fixed relationship between the front wheel centerline and the pedals, the car's proportions have changed. The front wheels, for example, are now 1.7 inches further forward than on the current SportWagen design. This has created what Bischoff calls ''a cab backward impression'. That's what we call the proportions of premium-class vehicles, where the hood is long and the passenger compartment is a long way towards the back.'




Compared with the previous generation SportWagen, the new car's front end looks completely different, thanks to the way that the hood slopes down into the front fenders instead of the fender peaks being higher than the hood. This new SportWagen features more angular horizontal design cues, with a slender radiator grille.



At the back, the clean surface around the VW badge, the wide rear window, and the geometric taillights are typical SportWagen features, even though the lines are completely different. The tailgate, for instance, allows for a lower load height than before, while the overall effect emphasizes the additional width of the new car.

Features

Along the lines of the new Golf 7, the SportWagen will bring a number of available new features to market including a panoramic sunroof, 12-way power driver's seat, Climatronic® automatic climate control, Bi-Xenon headlights with LED DRLs and the Advanced Front-lighting System, Park Distance Control, and available 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.



In addition, the new SportWagen features a new standard driver assistance system called the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. This system automatically engages the vehicle's brakes after it is involved in a collision in order to help reduce secondary collisions and to help bring the vehicle to a stop. The system is triggered when the airbag sensors detect a primary collision and it is limited to a maximum retardation rate of 0.6g by the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) unit. The driver can effectively override the system at any time; for example, it is disabled if it recognizes that the driver is accelerating. The system is also deactivated if the driver initiates braking at a higher rate than 0.6g.

Source - Volkswagen