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Volkswagen delivers with new Caddy van

As many models as the Volkswagen Group offers in North America, it has even more that never make the journey: models like the Scirocco and Polo but also entire brands like Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. That's the brand that gives us models like the Amarok, the Transporter and this – the new VW Caddy. Now entering its fourth generation after 1.5 million units sold around the world, the Caddy takes some of its underpinnings from the Golf and some from the Touran minivan to make a small work van, similar to the Ford Transit Connect or Nissan NV200, only more, you know... German. The new model obviously benefits from revised sheetmetal to bring its styling more in line with other VW models, but also gets new equipment as well. There are new safety features on board and a revised interior with an upgraded infotainment system. There's an array of engine options including a 2.0-liter diesel four in four states of tune, three gasoline engines (including a 1.0-liter three and 1.2- or 1.4-liter fours) and even a 1.4-liter EcoFuel version running on natural gas. And buyers will be able to choose as well between passenger and panel-van cargo versions. Unfortunately, as with the rest of its commercial vehicles lineup, Volkswagen doesn't offer the Caddy in North America. So if this is the type of vehicle you're looking for, you'll have to make do choosing from models like the Ram ProMaster City, Chevy City Express and the aforementioned Ford and Nissan. The new Caddy – always the best choice – world premiere for the fourth generation of the best-seller - Entry-level price reduced due to new versions - Emissions and fuel consumption reduced by new EU6 engines - Safety increased by new driver assistance systems - Design refined with clear edge Hannover/ Poznan, 04 February 2015: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is showing the fourth generation of the hugely popular Caddy for the first time. Around 1.5 million of the award-winning previous generation were sold worldwide during its eleven years in production. A success that the new Caddy is intended to continue because the urban delivery van and its privately used brother have been enhanced and refined in every area.

Lamborghini and Bentley may hold off on SUVs so VW can conserve cash

After surveying the European economic scene, Volkswagen may have decided now is not the time to launch utility vehicles with Bentley and Lamborghini badges. Bentley officials say they will continue to push for support for the EXP 9 F and Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman has said planning for the Urus will continue until VW tells it to stop.
That decision could come on November 23, when VW's board will vote on the company's budget for equipment, factories and vehicles. With VW's sales slowing and the Euro economy slumping further, some industry watchers say the company is more likely to build its cash reserves than to introduce super-expensive luxury SUVs or crossovers.
"Such vehicles are anything but obligatory during a crisis," says Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst Tim Schuldt in a new Automotive News Europe story. "Delaying their launch would be no drama but help save costs."

VW makes $9.2B offer for rest of truckmaker Scania

Volkswagen owns or has controlling interests in three commercial truck operations: besides its own, VW began buying shares in Sweden's Scania in 2000 and now controls 89.2 percent of its shares and 62.6 percent of its capital, then bought into Germany's Man in 2006 - in order to prevent Man from trying to take over Scania - and now owns 75 percent of it. The car company has managed to work out 200 million euros in savings, but believes it can unlock a total of 650 million euros in savings if it takes outright control of Scania and can spread more common parts among the three divisions.
It has proposed a 6.7-billion-euro ($9.2 billion) buyout, but according to a Bloomberg report, Scania's minority investors don't appear inclined to the deal. Although effectively controlled by VW, Scania is an independently-listed Swedish company, and a profitable one at that: in the January-September 2013 period its operating profit was 9.4 percent compared to Man's 0.4 percent. Some of the other shareholders believe that Scania is better off on its own and will not approve the deal, some have asked an auditor to look into the potential conflict of interest between VW and Man, while some are willing to examine the deal and "make an evaluation based on what a long-term owner finds is good," which might not be just "the stock market price plus a few percent." The buyout will only be official assuming VW can reach the 90-percent share threshold that Swedish law mandates for a squeeze-out.
Many of the arguments against boil down to investors believing that Scania's Swedishness and unique offerings are what keep it profitable, and ownership by the German car company will kill that. (Have we heard that somewhere before?) If Volkswagen can buy that additional 0.8-percent share in Scania, perhaps its buyout wrangling with Man will give it an idea of what it's in for: "dozens" of minority investors in the German truckmaker have filed cases against VW, seeking higher prices for their shares. It is likely only to delay the inevitable, though. If VW is really going to compete with Daimler and Volvo in the truck market, it has to get the size, clout and savings to do so.