Several hours after yesterday's inaugural Jetta TDI Cup race, VW informed us that although Speed TV did record the entire race, it won't actually be on TV for a while. The cable network that seems to be almost all NASCAR all the time, will record all the races this year along with background on the program and drivers. At the end of the series they will broadcast a documentary covering the whole series.

To avoid keeping you waiting until this fall, we've got the full standings of the race after the jump. Mark Pombo managed to keep his car out of any significant contact to move up from fourth on the grid to take victory at the end of the thirty-minute race. The equally prepared cars made for some fantastic racing on the picturesque VIRginia International Raceway. Groups of three, four and five cars at time went at it door handle to door handle. A few cars made off track excursions but only four of the 29 starters failed to finish. If you are in the vicinity of any of the remaining six races this year, it's definitely work checking out the TDI cup action.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

Click the Jetta's for a high-res gallery

We're on site here at VIRginia International Speedway for the very first race of the inaugural Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup and qualifying has just concluded. VIR is a gorgeous natural terrain road course in the hills along the border between Virginia and North Carolina and it offers plenty of great vantage points. During the thirty minute session 29 of the 30 drivers posted valid qualifying times with a 4 second spread from first to last. Twenty-three year old Josh Hurley of Cooper City FL came out on the top of the timing sheet with a best lap 2:14.301 (Yes I know that's not Hurley's Oakley sponsored car in the photo, but I didn't manage to catch one of Hurley. These cars are seriously fun to watch on the track and anyone who remembers watching the early 80s GTIs cornering on three wheels will feel right at home with the Jettas as they hike up the inside rear on tight turns. Like their big brothers the Audi R10s the Jettas are remarkably quiet as they circulate the track. The race cars have the same exhaust system that will be on the production Jetta TDI that launches this summer including the NOx trap and particulate filter. You can check out a video clip after the jump.


Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

Click for a high-res gallery

The opening round of Volkswagen's new Jetta TDI cup race series is happening this weekend at VIRginia International Raceway and AutoblogGreen is on the scene. We arrived here in Virginia late yesterday evening and missed the first on-track session of the new Cup racers. We'll be on hand all weekend to provide feedback on what should be the first racing series featuring all clean diesel cars. The thirty cars are based on the upcoming 2009 Jetta BlueTDI that launches later this summer. Stay tuned for more updates this weekend from VIR.


[Source: Volkswagen]

For those aspiring racers interested in competing in the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI cup this year, you only have a few weeks left to register. VW has set a February 29 deadline for 16-26 year old drivers to sign up for the inaugural running of the series using identically-prepared diesel-powered sedans. Volkswagen will be reviewing the registrations and those that qualify will be invited out to Phoenix, AZ during the first weekend in April for a runoff. Of those who attend thirty drivers will be chosen to participate in the series. The series schedule will be announced on February 11. Start lining up your sponsors and get ready to race!

[Source: Volkswagen]

In conjunction with the kick off of Volkswagen's Dieselution tour, the assembled media got an opportunity to take a brief drive in one of the Jetta diesels. The prototype Jetta sedan that was on hand had the latest 2.0L CleanTDI engine mated up to a six-speed DSG gearbox. DSG is Volkwagen's branding for the dual-clutch gearbox that has been available in the GTI, R32 and Audi TT previously.

The Jetta is a relatively compact car but it still held three full-sized auto writers and a VW engineer in reasonable comfort. Adding a third adult passenger to the rear seat is one of those fallacies, similar to the idea of any human with full-size legs using the back seat of a Lexus SC or Porsche 911. It probably wouldn't be the ideal choice for four adults on a long road trip due to lack of stretch out room, but a cross-town jaunt to lunch or dinner shouldn't leave anyone feeling grumpy.

Post continues after the jump.

I won't go in depth telling you all the specifications of the new diesel engine that is going into various VW's with the TDI moniker starting early in 2008, if you are interested in knowing more about them, click here. What I will mention is that these vehicles will mark the first Jetta's sold with diesel engines in all 50 states since '99. And it will be available in a wagon body style! Woo hoo! Could these vehicles be exactly what the middle-class green market is looking for? Could be, and I am looking forward to seeing how they drive. Stay tuned!

[Source: Autoblog]

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the 2007 Volkswagen Passat.

This is the second part of a review of the 2007 Volkswagen Passat TDI. Yesterday we covered the Passat's pricing, appearance and some of its many features. Click here to read part one.

Today we cover the interior, safety, economy and on-road performance.

Probably the first thing you'll notice if you hop in and go to turn the car on though is the key fob itself. Instead of a traditional key, the entire key fob slots into the dash for push-button electronic on / off operation. VW thought of everything though because hidden inside the key fob is a "conventional", plastic key which can gain you access to the vehicle but will not start it up. This allows you to leave the (expensive - $500!) key fob locked in the car while you go surfing and just take the plastic key into the water.



Like the on / off control, the parking brake is also a push-button job located close to the ignition switch, and must be engaged for the car to be turned off. An associated feature is the Auto Hold function which neatly answers the question, "I'm on the side of a hill and I don't have a hand brake to stop me rolling back down, what do I do?" Again a push-button operated feature, this time flanking the transmission, Auto Hold automatically activates the electronic parking brake for painless hill starts. Eliminating the hand brake has the added benefit of freeing up room around centre console, resulting in a simple, uncluttered layout.

Continue reading part two of the review after the jump.

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the 2007 Volkswagen Passat.

Late last year I had the pleasure of helping my father choose his new vehicle, and after determining that he wanted a diesel sedan, we quickly narrowed the possible options - BMWs, the 300C, Audis, Peugeots, Mazdas, Fiats, Alfas and VWs - down to the Volkswagen Passat. Offering a great blend of size, comfort, features, diesel economy and price, he picked the Passat up in late November last year. Having helped pick it, I am biased about this car. But that said, let's look at why it worked for my father and me.

The 2007 Volkswagen Passat TDI leads VW's car line-up in Australia as their largest model apart from the Touareg luxury SUV. The 2007 Passat offers three models each in a sedan and wagon format ranging from AUD$42,990 (US$34,056) for the Passat 2.0 TDI Sedan 6 Speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission, through AUD$44,990 (US$35,641) for the Passat 2.0T FSI Sedan 6 Speed Automatic and topping out at AUD$54,990 (US$43,563) for the Passat 3.2 V6 FSI Sedan 6 Speed DSG. The wagon equivalents of each adds $2,000. Frankly I don't understand this pricing scale because the TDI delivers better fuel economy and good performance via VW's outstanding DSG 6-speed gearbox, in which the clutch and gearshift are controlled electronically, for a lower price than the equivalent automatic petrol model.

Despite the array of standard features in the Passat, there are still a good dozen options that you can play with if your wallet allows including sunroofs, sat nav, bi-xenon headlights with dynamic cornering, leather upholstery etc. My father however had a limited range of options due to the fact that multiple Volkswagen dealers in our area quoted delivery times of over six month and as high as nine months due to a global shortage. So, when he was presented with a silver model kitted out with black leather upholstery, he signed up straight away.

Continue reading part one of the review after the jump.

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the Volkswagen Touareg.

Truck Tend is reporting that Volkswagen has changed its plans to introduce a range of hybrid models including in its entry level vehicles. Apparently VW's recently ousted CEO was planning to introduce hybrid versions of relatively cheap models such as the Jetta and the Golf/Rabbit. The new head of VW, Martin Winterkorn, doesn't agree with the old strategy pointing out that high mileage diesel variants of these models already exist.

With hybrid powerplants apparently costing VW almost $2,600 extra per vehicle, its been decided that the Touareg luxury SUV can more easily absorb the additional cost and is a better candidate for improved fuel economy.

Currently the Touareg offers three engine options, a petrol V6 or V8 and a monstrous diesel V10. Fuel economy for the three is estimated by the EPA at 15 mpg city / 20 mpg highway for the V6, 14 mpg city / 18 mpg highway for the V8 and 17 mpg city / 23 mpg highway for the V10 TDI. Clearly the V10 TDI is the most desirable option, but you have to pay for all that torquey goodness - the V6 starts at $37,990 while the V10 TDI starts at $59,020 according to Volkswagen's website.

The higher cost of a Touareg means that offering a hybrid option on even the entry level model would add just 7 percent to the cost. In comparison, with the Jetta starting at $16,490, offering a hybrid option on the base model would add almost 16 percent to the cost.

Analysis: I'd love to see a hybrid Golf, especially a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid! But realistically, this updated plan for rolling out hybrid technology makes a lot of business sense for Volkswagen. Their diesel Golf for example already delivers fantastic fuel economy of 5.7 L per 100 km / 41.3 mpg (Australian rating) for a combined city/highway cycle. This way the people who can afford hybrid Touaregs also get to beta test the system for the rest of us!



Related:

• Car and Driver's first drive of the new 50-state-legal Jetta TDI
• VW Passat BlueMotion to debut in Geneva
• Volkswagen betting each way on powertrain technologies

[Source: Truck Trend]

I won't give you all the details of Car and Driver's first test of the new Jetta TDI here, you can click to go to their site and read it if you'd like. But, I will give you some details...

• 50 state legal
• 140 HP, an increase of 40% over the 1.9
• 236 lb-ft torque, an increase of 33%
• available with 6 speed manual or DSG
• it will not be called BlueTec

Instead of the urea injection that many will use to meet new emissions standards, VW is using a filter similar to the old ones that will store and eventually burn off the NOx that makes it hard for diesels to meet the new standards. As long as it works, that is OK with me. It also means that there will be no need to refill the urea tank ever. No jokes about refilling urea tanks in the comments, that is too obvious! Anyway, they like the car, but never mention any mileage claims. I guess we'll see what it is capable of when they hit the road in 2008 or so.

P.S. - I get Car and Driver in the mail. I don't like the new layout either.

Edit below: Thanks for the extra input, Marcel!

2008 Jetta 2.0 TDI 103kW / 140hp

6 Speed Manual: 51/35 MPG

DSG Automatic: 49/30 MPG

Related:

• New Jetta TDI is the cleanest VW diesel ever; VW looking for oldest, highest-mileage VW diesel
• Our own Gallery of the different VW's and their varied powertrains

[Source: Car and Driver]

Click on above image to see complete high resolution gallery.

Car and Driver have posted a feature article on the wide array of different powertrains that Volkswagen is testing in a bid to capitalise on new developments under way in a host of technologies. Ten different vehicles were available for test driving during the Volkswagen sponsored even in Valencia, Spain as Jared Gall reports:

"The mind-boggling array of vehicles present ran on six different fuels and included four different diesel-derivative engines: a current-production Polo BlueMotion diesel; a next-gen Jetta "Clean TDI" coming to the U.S. in '08 under the BlueTec banner; a New Beetle convertible running on SunFuel, a diesel fuel manufactured from biomass-plants, woodchips, and other forms of biological waste-and a Touran (think Mazda 5 tall wagon/mini-minivan) running VW's Combined Combustion System (CCS), a mixture of gas and diesel that is said to burn more completely and is therefore cleaner than either fuel on its own. We also sampled two compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, a Touran and a Passat running VW's new TSI turbo- and supercharged engine (this engine was also present in two gasoline trims); a half-baked hybrid Touran; and a Touran powered by a hydrogen fuel cell."

A highlight was the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Touran EcoFuel which emits 80-percent-less carbon monoxide, 23-percent-less carbon dioxide, and 80-percent less oxides of nitrogen than a similar gasoline engine. The EcoFuel Touran also costs about half of what a similar gasoline engine does to feed, and about a third less than a diesel.



The story continues after the jump.

Following in the footsteps of the LA artist promoting E85, folk singer Jay Mankita is raising awareness for biodiesel and vegetable oil, traveling to schools demonstrating his converted 2003 Volkswagen Jetta to students and curious parents. The Jetta was modified with a Greasecar kit, which allows the car to run on a combination of biodiesel fuel and vegetable oil. The singer stressed the fuels are better for the environment and help us reach energy independence, on top of saving him some money. The Greasecar kit proved more reliable in winter, compared to systems using only vegetable oil, since the biodiesel allows him to start up the car in cold temperatures. Once the coolant heats up the vegetable oil, it becomes thin enough to be used in the engine. While the singer promotes the use of biodiesel and vegetable oil, he realizes this is only a partial solution in the quest for energy independence, since not enough land is available to power everyone's car with biodiesel.

[Source: Greenwich Time, with a tip from Alex Nunez]

Volkswagen will not produce any diesel-engine Jetta, Golf or Beetle models in America in 2007 because the cars do not meet new federal emissions standards that take effect this fall, according to an article in Sunday's Detroit Free Press. Diesel model sales boomed for VW in 2006 and accounted for almost 23 percent of the company's sale in the first four months of the year. To fulfill demand, VW will build extra 2006 diesel Jettas, offer a 2007 diesel Touareg SUV, and will build a diesel Jetta that is compliant with emissions laws in all 50 states for the 2008 model year.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Sales of diesel vehicles made up 22 percent of Volkswagen's sales in the United States last month, Bloomberg reported Monday. A Morgan Stanley analyst quoted in the article said that the fuel economy of diesel cars and rising gas prices caused the increase. Volkswagen's total sales were up 11 percent last month, so there's more to the increase than just fuel economy.

Volkswagen sells three diesel models – of the Jetta, the Golf and the New Beetle – in the United States, according to the article. About 40 percent of Jetta and New Beetle sales were diesel models, compared to only 13 percent for the Golf. The new Rabbit will soon replace the Golf. In previous years, diesel models made up between 12 and 14 percent of Volkswagen's sales.

[Source: Bloomberg] [Update: this story and others had "Volkswagon" typos corrected, thanks to Phil]

Those of you who love the feeling of farfegnugen were probably dissapointed to learn that the Taureg was listed as the 11th meanest car for this model year. Can you still drive a Volkswagen without feeling like you're sucking up gasoline and encouraging global warming? If you buy a diesel, you have a chance.

Consumer Reports just looked at the diesel version of the Jetta, the TDI. They looked first at the gas mileage: was it any better? Yes. The regular gasoline version of the Jetta got 482 miles to the tank; the TDI went 665 miles before it needed a fill up. If you're looking just at fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the TDI is a clear winner.

But what about the problems with diesel fuels? They're notoriously dirty and smelly, aren't they? Testers agreed that the exhaust smells bad and acknowledges that current diesel blends put out more soot and causes more allergies, although the EPA says that's going to change. Other drawbacks to the TDI included slow acceleration and a noisy engine.

Thank you, Joel A., for the tip. [Source: WRAL]