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Volkswagen rules out more potent Polo R

Volkswagen may be planning ever more powerful versions of its Golf, but don't expect that lust for power to trickle down to the smaller Polo anytime soon as the German automaker has reportedly ruled out the prospect of making a Polo R. This according to Autovisie, the automotive section of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, in speaking to VW representatives at the launch of the new Polo GTI. Where the previous Polo GTI offered 177 horsepower, the new one packs 189 and is available with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The company briefly offered a Polo WRC Street with 220 horsepower, but that was only for a limited edition that Autovisie says will not be repeated for mainstream production. Which may just be for the best, as far as we're concerned, as no versions of the Polo are offered in the US, and we don't need yet another piece of forbidden fruit we can't get our hands on. The decision may seem at odds with the Polo R WRC rally machine with which Volkswagen has been dominating the World Rally Championship for the past two seasons, but was likely made in order to keep the Polo from infringing on Golf territory. VW currently offers the Golf GTI with 210 horsepower and the Golf R with 292, and showcased an even more powerful version with nearly 400 hp.

Volkswagen's new Passat Alltrack ready to scale the Alps

Volvo may be stepping up its off-roading game with a greater variety of Cross Country models tumbling out the factory in Gothenburg, but the other (larger) European automaker whose name starts with the letters V-O-L is also broadening and updating its range of road-going automobiles equipped to handle a little soft-road duty. Aside from Audi's Allroad line, Skoda's Scout models and the new Seat Leon X-Perience, the Volkswagen brand itself has recently showcased Alltrack versions of the Golf, Multivan and of course the Passat. And now it's announced a new version of the latter for the European market. Based on the Euro-spec Passat Variant, the new VW Passat Alltrack follows a familiar formula: take a station wagon, equip it with all-wheel drive, jack up the suspension, add some lower body cladding and some new trim and – voila! – you've got a pseudo rough-roader on your hands. Set to debut in just a couple of weeks from now at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the new Passat Alltrack is visually distinguished by its new bumpers, underbody protection, beefed-up wheel arch moldings and a ride height increased by over an inch to the benefit of ground clearance as well as approach and departure angles. European buyers who like to leave the road every once in a while (or give the impression that they do) will be able to choose from a range of five engines: two burning gasoline with either 148 horsepower or 217, and three diesels available in 148-, 187- or 237-hp states of tune. The base TSI and TDI engines are mated to a six-speed manual, while the top three are hooked up to a six-speed DCT, but they all come with 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard. All but the base TSI model boast a towing capacity of 1,800 kg, enhanced by a Trailer Assist system that automatically lines the vehicle up to a trailer. It even comes equipped with an off-road mode that incorporates Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Assist to make any journey across the Alps a breeze. Wolfsburg / Geneva, 19 February 2015 World premiere of the new Passat Alltrack All-wheel drive all-rounder combines the best of on-road and off-road driving - Passat Alltrack: 100 per cent 4MOTION – from 150 PS to 240 PS - Superior off-road performance with off-road mode and all-wheel drive Ten important facts about the world premiere of the Passat Alltrack: 1. Permanent 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard. 2. Distinctive off-road look with new bumpers, underbody protection, door sill and wheel arch trims. 3.

Piech and Winterkorn still at odds about VW leadership plan

Volkswagen Group Chairman Ferdinand Piech (above, right) and CEO Martin Winterkorn (above, left) will be meeting in the coming days to discuss who the next leader of the Volkswagen Group will be. This, of course, comes after a report last Friday in Der Spiegel where Piech said he didn't want Winterkorn to be the automaker's next chairman. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that conference room. As Automotive News reports, Winterkorn had been widely viewed as the probable replacement for the 77-year-old Piech, until last week, when the current chairman said he was keeping the CEO "at a distance," in the German paper. While Winterkorn confirmed to German media on Monday that he still had a job, analysts aren't sure what Piech's comments will mean for the 67-year-old CEO's future, with some indicating he may end up being a "lame duck" leader. According to AN, Piech doesn't think that Winterkorn has the vision to lead the sprawling Volkswagen Group empire, even though the current CEO has the support of a number of other VAG stakeholders. "Piech knows what he is doing and will assume that he can get the supervisory board to implement his decisions," former BMW executive turned analyst Helmut Becker told German media, AN reports. Winterkorn has just over 18 months left on his contract, while Piech's term has another two years left on it, meaning it will still be some time before we find out how the Volkswagen Group's leadership issues play out.