Now, That's What I Call Quick Thinking

Once in a very rare while, you can luck out and get yourself out of trouble avoiding an accident the last second, just like the two drivers featured in the following (unrelated) videos.

VW Recalling 2.6 Million Cars Globally Including 850,000 in China

Volkswagen has announced it is recalling approximately 2.6 million cars worldwide, a third of which are in China. The company said 800,000 Tiguan vehicles worldwide, including 147,000 in Germany, built between the beginning of 2008 and the middle of 2011, are recalled because a fuse may trip and cause one of the two vehicle light circuits to fail. This in turn would cause individual light functions to fail.

According to VW, replacing the fuse with one with a tougher surface coating only takes a few minutes, with affected vehicle owners to be informed by the company accordingly.

The carmaker also announced it is recalling 239,000 Amarok pick-ups globally (12,359 in Germany) built between the vehicle’s launch and June 2013. That’s because “some Amarok pick-ups with a 2-litre TDI engine may be affected by leaks to the fuel pipe within the engine compartment,” VW said. To avoid any accidental damage to the fuel lines a chafe protector will be fitted at the affected points as part of the recall action.

Besides the Tiguan and Amarok, VW said it will request all owners of VW Group cars with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DQ200) filled with synthetic oil to visit a workshop for an oil exchange. Around 1.6 million vehicles are affected by this recall, most of them located in China (640,309 cars) and Southeast Asia. Furthermore, 207,778 Tiguans will be recalled in China as well.

VW has discovered that on cars with the 7-speed DSG “electric malfunctions could occur in the gearbox power supply if synthetic gearbox oil is used.” That happens particularly if the vehicle is subject to a hot and humid climate, coupled with a high proportion of stop & go driving, VW added.

The remedy is to replace the synthetic oil with mineral oil. Models affected by this recall in China are imported VW cars like the Scirocco, Golf Variant, Golf Cabriolet and Beetle, as well as locally built models with FAW and SAIC Motor, including the Bora, Golf, Sagitar and Magotan, Touran, Lavida, Superb, Octavia, Passat and Polo.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: VW via Reuters

PHOTO GALLERY

Volkswagen Studying Tiguan SUV Production in North America to Lower Costs

Citing inside management sources from Volkswagen, a news report from German weekly business magazine WirtschaftsWoche said the German automaker wants to produce its Tiguan compact SUV in North America in order to reduce costs and protect itself against fluctuation of exchange rates. Officially, Volkswagen declined to comment on the magazine report.

New Audi Q3 SUV Officially Revealed: High-Res Gallery with 67 Photos

The wait is finally over. A mere week after the release of the teaser sketches, Audi has come out with official photos and details on its new Q3 compact SUV, which will receive its first public outing at the Shanghai Auto Show.
The Q3 is Audi’s third SUV model after the larger Q5 and Q7 and will compete against the BMW X1. Those familiar with the VW Group’s strategy won’t be surprised to find out that the Q3 is based on the platform architecture of the Volkswagen Tiguan. Audi’s interpretation of a compact SUV model measures 4.39 meters in length (14.4 ft), 1.83 meters in width (6.0 ft), and 1.60 meters (5.25 ft) in height with the roof rails, meaning its 240mm shorter, 50mm narrower and 53mm lower than the Q5.
The exterior styling is pure Audi with the design loosely inspired by the Ingolstadt firm’s Cross Coupe Quattro Concept from the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show. Compared to the Q5, Audi’s smaller SUV model introduces a sharper front design with wedge-shaped headlamps and a roofline that slopes gently towards the back for a more dynamic profile.

VIDEOS: 2012 VW Tiguan Facelift and Golf Cabriolet Mk6

First shown in Geneva earlier this month, Volkswagen has now released video footage of its restyled Tiguan and all-new Golf Cabriolet. The short film dedicated to the compact SUV model depicts both versions of the Tiguan, one for on-road use and one with increased capabilities for off-road driving. The Golf Cabriolet video has a more laid-back, romantic approach, featuring a couple joyriding in the open top car on a sunny day. You can get a closer look at both models by watching the videos below the fold.

Volkswagen Releases New Batch of Photos and Info on 2012 Tiguan Facelift

Little by little Volkswagen is releasing new information on its facelifted for the 2012 model year, Tiguan SUV. Today, the German automaker came out with a fresh set of photos and announced that aside from the styling tweaks, the European market 2012 Tiguan also benefits from additional features and three new engines including a more powerful 2.0-liter TSI gasoline unit with 210HP.

Volkswagen Officially Reveals 2012 Tiguan SUV Facelift Prior to Geneva Motor Show

Volkswagen has dropped the first official photos of its refreshed Tiguan following the leak of a single picture of the compact SUV that appeared on the automaker's public website on Thursday. But while we got more than half a dozen of photos, VW did not release any info on the 2012 Tiguan other than that it will make its world premiere at next month's Geneva Motor Show and that the base price of the new model in Germany remains the same as before at €24,175 (US$33,000) for the entry-level Trend and Fun with the 122HP 1.4-liter TSI petrol.
The company added that it accelerated the presentation and the start of advance sales of the "technically and visually refined" Tiguan several weeks because "sustained high demand for the previous model has resulted in it being sold out."
Looking at the photos we can see that the exterior changes have shades of the new VW design language seen across the Eos, Passat and Touareg. There's a new face up front with a wider but more plain grille flanked by redesigned headlamps incorporating LED daytime running lights and a restyled bumper. The changes at the rear are also inspired by latest VW models as the Tiguan's tail lamps have been squared off, while the bumper has also been re-designed.

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Facelift: Is this the first Official Photo?

The facelifted 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has said to have made a brief stint on the automaker's German web site today before the company hastily removed it. We found the aforementioned page but now it redirects to a 404 error.
Unlike the supposedly leaked brochure of the refreshed Tiguan we showed you last summer, this photo showing the standard and possibly the more off-road capable Track & Field model, appears to be real. The most notable difference is of course the new front fascia styled in line with VW's latest family face. Word has it that the updated Tiguan SUV will make its world premiere at the Geneva motor show. We'll be sure to keep you updated on any new information that comes up.

All-New Audi Q3 SUV to hit European Showrooms this Fall with 2.0 TFSI and TDI Engines

Audi has done an awfully good job in keeping its forthcoming Q3 under wraps, but it won't be long before the Ingolstadt-based automaker launches its smallest SUV offering. According to a inside source, the new Q3 will arrive in European showrooms this fall, most likely in September or October, depending on the market.
The insider also told us that the Q3 will be offered at launch with three powertrains, a 170PS 2.0-liter TFSI with a 6-speed manual gearbox and CO2 emissions of 172 gr/km; a 211PS 2.0-liter TFSI with an S Tronic transmission and CO2 emissions of 184 gr/km, and a 170PS 2.0-liter TDI diesel and an with an S Tronic transmission and CO2 emissions of 158 gr/km. More engine options will be added further down the line.

VW wants to Expand its SUV Line-up, Plans to Triple U.S. Sales by 2018

Volkswagen hasn’t given up on its plans to become the world’s biggest automaker and for that it needs to sell more cars in the U.S. The Germans want to triple their American sales in the next seven years and one solution is to expand their SUV line-up in order to catch up to GM and Toyota.
“We will be looking to really grow, particularly in the compact SUV segment”, VW's U.S. chief Jonathan Browning told Bloomberg news. “Over time, I think there's also scope for growth in terms of a larger SUV within the portfolio”.

Official: New VW NMS Sedan, Beetle, Tiguan and Eos Coming to the States Next Year

Volkswagen will reveal its future plans in a meeting with its 582 U.S. and 130 Canadian dealers that takes place in Atlanta and will also include a drive of more than 700 all-new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta sedans to the company's brand-new $1 billion assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In a statement to the press, the German automaker said it plans to introduce four all-new or refreshed models in 2011 including the NMS mid-size sedan, Beetle, Tiguan and Eos.

2011 VW Tiguan SUV Facelift Leaked Brochure Real? Probably Not...

A snapshot, allegedly showing a page from the official brochure of the facelifted 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan compact SUV, has been making the internet rounds today.
We can't confirm or deny the authenticity of the picture with the Tiguan SUV on the right-hand corner of the page, but red flags did go up once we discovered that the rest of the photos are from the official brochure of the... recently facelifted VW Touran minivan. Don't believe us? Check out the 2011 Touran's brochure after the jump.

VW to Showcase Jetta, Passat CC and Tiguan SUV Concepts at SEMA

For the 2008 SEMA show Volkswagen will bring to Las Vegas a triplet of concept cars based on the Jetta TDI, Passat CC and the new Tiguan SUV respectively as well as an example of its 2009 Jetta TDI Cup race car (pictured above). The most interesting proposal appears to be the Tiguan Performance Concept. According to VW, the Tiguan study's appearance is upgraded with an exterior body kit while power comes from a 4-cylinder engine equipped with a three-stage turbo kit that helps it deliver an output of 312HP. The German automaker has yet to release any other details or pictures, but stay tuned on Carscoop as we'll update this story as soon as we have more information.

Caractere Styling Kit for Volkswagen Tiguan

The latest bodykit to come out of Caractere's drawing boards is for the new Volkswagen Tiguan SUV. Like most of its styling proposals for VW Group models, the Belgian-based tuning firm's exterior package gives the Tiguan a more aggressive look without going haywire. The package consists of a front and rear spoiler, side skirts, a new front grille, wheel arch extensions and a roof spoiler all of which can be ordered in either the same or a different color than the vehicle itself. The styling kit is complemented by 18, 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels. -Continued

Via: Worldcarfans