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Skoda up!grades with five-door Citigo

On this side of the Atlantic, one Volkswagen division's new product may not have a significant impact on those of another. That's because the German auto giant's brands are kept quite separate in North America. Less so, however, back in Europe, where a new VW is likely to reappear in due time as a Seat or Skoda.
Case in point: the new Up! city car, which is also sold overseas as the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo. And, true to form, with the Volkswagen brand having enlarged its city car to a five-door, its Czech cousin has followed suit.
And so, starting in May (after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show), European buyers will be able to get their hands on a five-door Citigo, offering the same 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine (in either 60- or 75-horsepower guise) as the Up, Mii and three-door Citigo. Details in the press release after the jump.

Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Skoda reveals new Rapid

Just a couple of days after images of its sister car, the Seat Toledo, leaked onto the Internet, the Škoda Rapid gets an official unveiling. As expected, it is a 99.5-percent facsimile of the Škoda MissionL "concept" revealed at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show.
Given plenty of creases and sculpting, the Rapid is a sign of Škoda designs to come, which the brand calls "clear, precise, fresh, timeless and elegant." To our eyes it certainly isn't a bad way to keep an erstwhile Volkswagen Jetta fresh.
As with the Toledo, the price-value equation will be the Rapid's unique selling proposition for those not smitten with its looks, yet being a VW product it still won't skimp on engines: seven will be offered, five gas-powered and two diesels. Slotted between the Fabia and higher-end Octavia, the Rapid's brand new looks should help it make a name for itself among family types.