Nother CarGuy

Volkswagen has given the ID.4 electric SUV a 91 hp power boost and resurrected an old badge for its sportiest ID model yet. The 295hp ID.4 GTX sits above the 201 hp ID.4 that’s just arrived in showrooms, and can sprint from zero to 62mph more than 2 seconds faster. This extra punch hasn’t come from simply up-sizing the rear motor. While the standard ID.4 gets by with a single 201 hp motor driving the rear wheels, the GTX gets the same setup, but adds a second motor to the front axle for a total of 295hp (Volkswagen doesn’t specify a torque figure). In addition to dropping the 62mph time from 8.5 seconds to 6.2 seconds, VW has also raised the electronic speed limiter from 99mph to 112mph. Neither of those figures is going to give a Golf R sleepless nights, but they do instantly answer one of our biggest ID.4 gripes: it’s big on sensible, but short on sizzle next to rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y. Entry-level ID.4s in some markets get a 58 kWh battery, but the GTX ...

Volkswagen’s Polo is a giant among small cars. In a career spanning almost 50 years it’s shifted over 18 million units, and regularly ranks close to the top of best-seller charts, proving Europeans love competent but dull cars. To ensure it stays there, and to make it slightly less dull, Volkswagen has given it a mid-life refresh, applying a touch of the Mk8 Golf’s design and some tech features more usually seen on cars like the flagship Touareg SUV. This being a facelift rather a ground-up rebuild, the major visual changes are limited to lights and bumpers. LED head and tail lights are standard on every model, the front units connected by an illuminated strip at the base of the radiator grille. Or you can upgrade them to the adaptive Matrix LED technology from the Touareg and Passat. That’s not the only big-car tech the Polo inherits. Volkswagen has bundled various assistance system together and given them the IQ.Drive Travel Assist tag. Those extra cost systems include adaptive cruis...

The Volkswagen Golf R has developed a cult-like following, and fans are in for a treat as the 2022 model is sportier and more powerful than its predecessor. Starting under the hood, the 2022 Golf R has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 315 hp (235 kW / 319 PS) and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. That’s an increase of 27 hp (20 kW / 27 PS) and 30 lb-ft (41 Nm). To the joy of driving enthusiasts, in the United States and Canada, the engine will be paired to a standard six-speed manual transmission. Customers will also be able to opt for a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG). Oddly, the European version will be offered exclusively with the DSG – sorry, no manual across the pond. Regardless of which transmission is selected, all models will come equipped with a performance-oriented all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring. Volkswagen says it helps to eliminate understeer and reduce the car’s cornering radius, while also making the model “noticeably more” agile...

Consumers have an insatiable appetite for crossovers and Volkswagen is responding by introducing the 2022 Taos. Designed to slot beneath the Tiguan, the Taos is a compact crossover that is “small in stature, but big on value.” While the model looks a little plain, it features a wide grille and sweptback headlights. Higher end variants go a step further as they feature LED lights which extend into the grille via an illuminated light bar. Elsewhere, designers installed sporty skid plates and plastic body cladding. The Taos also has squared off wheel arches and a greenhouse which closely resembles the Tiguan. Out back, there’s an angled liftgate with an integrated spoiler. We can also see wraparound taillights and faux dual exhaust system. Eight different colors will be available and wheels range in sizes from 17- to 19-inches. In terms of size, the Taos measures 175.8 inches (4,465 mm) long, 72.5 inches (1,842 mm) wide and 64.4 inches (1,636 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 105.9 inc...

Volkswagen wants to draw attention to its newest convertible, the T-Roc Cabriolet, which will have its official market launch in Germany and other European markets from March 20. The automaker does that by releasing the mother lode of all photo galleries (325 of them to be exact), as well as detailed videos featuring the T-Roc Cabriolet’s two trim levels. Compared to the regular T-Roc, the convertible version ditches the rear doors and the fixed roof, adopting a fully automated soft top instead. VW is proud of the fact the top opens in just nine seconds, even when traveling at speeds of up to 30 km/h (18.6 mph). Unsurprisingly, the T-Roc Cabriolet is less practical than its fixed-roof sibling, offering a boot capacity of 280 liters (9.9 cu ft), regardless of whether the soft top is open or closed. Still, it comes with folding rear seat backrests and optional towing bracket. The drop-top compact SUV will be offered in Style and R-Line grades, with the former adopting a ...

Volkswagen’s electric vehicle offensive continues as the company has confirmed the production version of the ID. CROZZ concept will be called ID.4. That’s hardly a surprise, but the company released new photos showing the crossover is virtually production ready. Lightly covered in a blue wrap, the ID.4 has a rugged appearance as it features a plastic body cladding and faux skid plates. The front end also sports a fully enclosed grille, LED-infused headlights and prominent air intakes. Moving further back, we can see flowing body work and a rakish windscreen. The model also has streamlined door handles, a sloping roof and a relatively small rear window. Other highlights include a full width taillights and a tailgate-mounted spoiler. Volkswagen is keeping full details under wraps, but they confirmed the ID.4 will be launched in Europe later this year. Unlike the ID.3, the ID.4 will be a global vehicle that is produced and sold in Europe, China and North America. Speaking ...

VW has finally pulled the covers off the all-new, eighth generation Golf GTI and its siblings, the plug-in hybrid GTE and diesel GTD. As expected, the new VW Golf GTI isn’t a fan of loud styling exercises, opting instead for a more subtle approach to display its high-performance underpinnings. The front end is dominated by the one-piece honeycomb-pattern lower grille that features the striking, but optional, X-shaped foglights. The standard LED headlights are united via a thin LED strip with another colored strip runs across the width of VW’s iconic hot hatch – finished in red for the GTI, blue for the GTE and silver for the GTD. Moving on to the sides and we find a set of new 17-inch Richmond alloy wheels offered as standard to the Golf GTI. VW will also offer 18- and 19-inch wheels as an option while the brake calipers are finished in the classic red. The side skirts are also wider and finished in black. The rear end of the new VW Golf GTI gets a sporty diffuser, alo...

Volkswagen has announced a new plug-in hybrid model, the Touareg R, which joins the likes of the Passat GTE and upcoming Golf GTE. Based on the third generation that launched in 2018, it’s powered by a 340 PS (335 HP / kW) 3.0-liter V6 TSI petrol engine and a 136 PS (134 HP / 100 kW) electric motor for a total system output of 462 PS (455 HP / 340 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque. The powertrain is connected to the 4Motion all-wheel drive system through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a center differential lock that acts as a transfer box. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) or 140 km/h (87 mph) in electric drive mode. Providing the juice for a zero-emission range estimated at 43-48 km (27-30 miles) is the 14.1 kWh battery, mounted beneath the boot floor. The 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration is expected to take around 5 seconds. Drivers can switch between E-Mode for zero-emission driving and Hybrid for an optimized setting. They ca...

VW has chosen Los Angeles for the unveiling of its seventh concept built off the MEB platform, the ID. Space Vizzion. It’s an all-electric model that looks more sporty estate than crossover, and it previews a production model for Europe and North America. While the concept car is only fitted with a rear-mounted 275 HP motor, a second motor could be added to give it all-wheel drive capability and a total output of 355 HP. Thanks to an 82 kWh battery, the concept features a predicted range of up to 300 miles on the EPA cycle and 590 km on the WLTP cycle. In terms of looks, the ID. Space Vizzion concept is sort of 2/3 wagon, 1/3 crossover. According to VW, it combines the “aerodynamic design of a Gran Turismo with the spaciousness and versatility of an SUV”. It measures 195.2 inches (4,958 mm) in length, 60.2 inches (1,529 mm) in width and is 74.7 inches (1,897 mm) wide, with a 116.7-inch (2,964 mm) long wheelbase. It also has a very low drag coefficient at 0.24 Cd, and 22-inc...

The brand new Volkswagen Golf is officially here, with the German carmaker finally sharing all the specs and images we’ve been waiting for, following a live unveiling event in Wolfsburg. Unlike any other Golf before it, the Mk8 will be available in no fewer than five hybrid drive iterations, two of which will be plug-in hybrids, each with a new 13 kWh lithium-ion battery that allows for 60 km (37 miles) of zero emissions driving. Before we get into its specs, let’s talk design and measurements. The all-new Golf is 4,284 mm (168.6 inches) long, 1,789 mm (70.4 inches) wide and 1,456 mm (57.3 inches) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,636 mm (103.7 inches). Compared to the Mk7, the new model is a little bit longer and shorter, with a slightly larger wheelbase. The body also doesn’t just look sharper, it literally is, lowering the end face to 2.21 m2 and the drag coefficient to 0.275. Overall though, there’s no mistaking the Mk8 for anything other than a Golf, and if you’ve been follo...