2011 Volkswagen Touareg Tdi Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l Executive Trim Package on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen Multivan Alltrack Concept takes the luxury van life off road

Volkswagen dug into its commercial vehicle fleet for its latest Geneva Motor Show concept, blending the versatile body of the T5 MultiVan with a luxuriously appointed interior, 4Motion all-wheel drive and a thrifty diesel powertrain.
That 177-horsepower diesel engine routes its power to the AWD system through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Based on that alone, we'd expect the Multivan Alltrack's behind-the-wheel experience to be somewhat familiar. That all-wheel-drive system and van body contribute to the 21-degree approach and 15-degree departure angles of this soft-roading MultiVan.
What wouldn't be familiar is its exquisite cabin. Volkswagen opted for a nautical theme for the concept's interior, featuring grey-blue leather seats from Poltrona Frau and a floor finished in real wood. The dark wood trim can also be found throughout the interior, running below the windows and on the dash.

VW Sport Coupe Concept GTE 'marks beginning of a new design era' [w/video]

You didn't think that Volkswagen was going to come to Geneva armed only with a bunch of European-market minivans and wagons, did you? Of course not. Last week VW gave us our first glimpse at a new show car for the Swiss auto expo, and here it is in full: the Volkswagen Sport Coupe Concept GTE. Set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this week, the Sport Coupe is envisioned as a successor to the current CC, but beyond previewing a specific model, this concept showcases a new design language that's set to characterize all new VWs to come. And judging by how good it looks from the images in the slideshow above, that could prove to be a very good thing indeed. The concept strikes us as the sleekest iteration yet of the company's flexible MQB architecture that already underpins vehicles as small as the Golf and as large as the new Skoda Superb. It's larger than the current CC in every dimension but height, and pushes the wheels further out on a longer wheelbase. And with a liftgate at the back instead of a trunk, it strikes a form more similar to the Audi A7 than the Passat-based CC. As with recent past concepts, VW has taken the opportunity to showcase its hybrid powertrain technologies, fitting the Sport Coupe with a plug-in hybrid system that couples a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 to a pair of electric motors and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The internal combustion engine drives 295 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels, while an electric motor integrated into the gearbox contributes another 54 hp and a second one kicks in 114 hp at the rear. Juiced by a lithium-ion battery housed in the center tunnel and offering all-wheel traction, the combined output of 374 hp is said to be capable of propelling the concept to 62 miles per hour in five seconds flat and on to a top speed of 155 mph. It can travel for 32 miles on electric power alone and on to an overall range of 745 miles, netting the equivalent of 118 miles per gallon on the European cycle. Inside, the four-seat cabin is laden with digital displays: there's a 12.3-inch unit – dominated by the speedo and power meter – in place of a conventional instrument cluster. The center stack incorporates a 10.1-inch infotainment display, and the rear-seat passengers have access to another 12.3-inch display at the back of the center console and another pair of 10.1-inch displays in the seatbacks.

The best cars we drove this year

Six hundred and fifty. That's roughly how many cars pass through the hands of Autoblog editors every year, from the vehicles we test here at home, to the cars we drive on new product launches, testing roundups, long-term cars, and so on. Of course, our individual numbers vary due to several reasons, but at the end of the day, our team's repertoire of automotive experience is indeed vast. But let's be honest, some cars certainly stand out more than others. So as the year's about to turn, and as we're readying brand-new daily cat calendars for our cubicles, our editors are all taking time to reflect on the machinery that made this year so special, with one simple, open-ended question as the guide – a question that we're asked quite frequently, from friends, family, colleagues, and more. "What's the best car you drove this year?" Lamborghini Huracan When I review the list of everything I drove in 2014, picking an absolute favorite becomes almost impossible. I mean, how does one delineate between the joy offered by cars as different as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-AMG GT S and even the humble-yet-wonderful Chevy Colorado? Okay fine, I'll just pick the Lamborghini. I drove the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 on a racetrack, in the mountains, and along southern coast of Spain. It felt like the king of the car jungle in all of those places, sucking the eyeballs of observers nearly out of their heads as it drove by, and almost melting my brain with its cocktail of speed and grip and intense communication. It feels a little easy to say that the one new supercar I drove this year was also my favorite, but the fact is that the Huracan is one of the finest cars I've driven during my career, let alone 2014. Judge me if you must. – Seyth Miersma Senior Editor Rolls-Royce Wraith There are a couple of ways to look at the question, "What's the best car you drove this year?" In terms of what was so good I'd go out and buy one tomorrow, that'd be my all-time sweetheart, the Volkswagen GTI. Or if I'm just talking about sheer cool-factor, maybe something like the Galpin GTR1, BMW i8, or Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. But instead, I'm going to write about the sheer opulence of being the best of the best. The hand-crafted, holier-than-thou, shut-your-mouth-when-I'm-talking-to-you supremacy. I'm picking the Rolls-Royce Wraith. I drove the Wraith for a week in April, and was really, really impressed. This car does everything, perfectly.