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This quote explains why I wouldn’t expect to see VW’s highly stressed TSI engine in the US market anytime soon (as well as perhaps why no one else has attempted to bring it to market):

Dr Hermann Middendorf, head of engine development for the Volkswagen Group… would only shrug at suggestions that [the turbocharged and supercharged 1.4L TSI engine] will actually find a home in the GTI… Volkswagen may well be worried that buyers could be put off by the engine’s diminutive size. ... the cars using… versions of the powerplant… won’t be badged as 1.4s. The engine is also more unrefined than the GTI’s 2.0-litre, especially at low engine speeds, which could also act against it. A drop in refinement is the main reason you won’t find it in any models from sister company Audi. It will stick with smoother, larger-capacity engines that better reflect its more upmarket status. – What Car?

One of the first things you notice when you climb into the new Volkswagen Passat is its vast interior space. The previous-generation Passat shared its platform with the Audi A4 and A6; by extension, it shared those cars’ longitudinal engine configuration. This latest Passat, however, is based on the Golf/Jetta chassis and as such uses a transverse engine layout that grants more interior room, especially for rear-seat occupants. The new platform also allows front-wheel-drive Passats to use an independent rear suspension that is as sophisticated as those on the all-wheel-drive 4Motion examples. (Previously, front-wheel-drive cars made do with a torsion-beam rear setup.) – automobile

Commentary: Remember the Passat of the mid 90s? The one with the limo-like back seat, original VR6 engine and the Corrado-like chassis? Reliability aside, I envy those who’ve had one to this day…

That back seat was made possible by a transversely mounted engine. When VW and Audi started to share more in the late 90s, the Passat got a longutudinally mounted engine mounted ahead of the wheels meaning much of the body length was devoted to the car ahead of the windshield – not as much of the car’ length was available for passengers to it was long by neccessity. And only 4motion models had a rear suspension that didn’t cry uncle at the first sign of a corner or a bump (torsion beams have comparatively poor lateral location and short travel).

The newest Passat returns to transverse engine mounting but sadly the body has grown even larger and the suspension is just as lax.

I wonder if the GLI’s suspension bits bolt right in…

... the Jetta’s sits unloved and unnoticed in the lots due to the lukewarm reception the 2.5L I5 and frumpy styling received at launch.

But until now the reviewers hadn’t sampled the Jetta in what might be optimal form for most people:

The engine, as in the GTI, is flexible and powerful, with 207lb ft of torque from 1800 to 5000rpm. It sounds good too, although the exhaust note is more muted than in the Golf – possibly because of the fact that, thanks to the Jetta’s vast 527-litre boot, it’s further away.Overall, it feels a little bit more refined than the GTI, which is probably what Jetta buyers want. Opt for the DSG dual-clutch gearbox, as in our test car, and you’ve got a real smoothie. With 16-inch wheels as standard, rather than the 17-inchers of the GTI, the ride feels better, too. – Autocar

VW isn’t afraid to hire away talent from other companies… When the wanted to make VW/Audis more invigorating to drive they went recruiting chassis engineers of the BMW 3 series and Ford Focus, and more recently they’ve switched to the same advertising agency MINI uses and hired away MINI’s head marketer, Kerri Martin.

At the Chicago auto show VW announced the Golf would once again be called the Rabbit in the North American market. Martin explains, “Volkswagen customers want a relationship with their cars. Names like The Thing, Beetle, Fox, and Rabbit support this.” (Given Mazda’s also dropped the Miata name and Audi the DSG descriptor, you have to wonder if marketers simply like to gamble).

Whatever you call it, those former BMW and Ford engineers have done a solid job with the chassis. The new GTI is being called an icon but even the most basic car has more fahrvegneugen than you’d expect from a modern VW.

Best of all, VW’s priced it at a few dollars under $15K despite standard ABS, traction control, active front head restraints and front side airbags (Electronic Stabilization Program is an option).

Click here for more info.

(By the way the nav system in the new TT is said to include character recognition – you just use your finger to write in the address… Makes the other German NAV systems seem even more outdated.)

executive vice president of VWoA… Hallmark said in an interview at the Geneva auto show this month that Volkswagen is working on “how we can de-content the Golf, change the configuration a bit and make it affordable.”...”I want the young, first-time buyer who wants a safe, new car that drives great, that gets three friends in, and carries stuff in the back. And they can personalize it – because they’ll have a bit of money left for things like bigger wheels.” – Automotive News

the Phaeton marked a return to form for German engineering. The barge’s windshield wiper blades rest on alternate sides to create even wear. The sunroof adjusts at speed to prevent drafts and harmonic distortion inside the cabin. The climate control system opens vents for rapid cooling, then closes them when the desired temperature arrives. At a time when even Mercedes had lost the plot, the Phaeton’s build and materials quality were beyond approach. I mean, reproach. For those of us who wondered if the Germans had lost their manufacturing mojo, the Phaeton kept the faith alive. – Robert Farago

Shame it’s not very enjoyable… I was hoping this model might improve on the nasty, soggy, po-go motion that seems to start up in the Golf chassis when you’re pressing on. But it doesn’t… It’s still too spongy for our tastes, and not at all what you’d expect from a model such as this. The dubious chassis dynamics aren’t helped either by light, lifeless steering, and a handling set-up that’s biased towards understeer. What’s more, this car has quite possibly one of the worst gearchanges on offer today… The whole car feels like a missed opportunity to right some of the wrongs of the Golf GTI’s recent past… there’s no arguing with the continued success of the Golf – it’s just that people don’t seem to be buying it for the same reasons they did 25 years ago.

source: evo, 07.02

There is no doubt on of the cleverest and best executed transmissions of all time is VW/Audi’s DSG system. But should you order one if possible?

On the surface – yes. VW has never made a great manual, and while the one in the newest A3/Golf/Jetta is an improvement it’s still quite a way off from the best.

What DSG does do better than even the most expert driver is execute shifts swiftly and smoothly while letting you keep your hand on the wheel. But as this test in evo magazine points out, most of the time you end up using the DSG’s auto mode, and even when you’re using the DSG it lacks the involvement of a manual box.

Owners of clutchless manuals and manumatics will tell you that in many cases a manual may be slower or more work but it’s almost always more involving – that’s especially important in a car that isn’t designed to just lope along like an anodyne appliance…

For those of you who hadn’t noticed, VW products – though seemingly solid and stable on the highway – have been astoundingly poor handlers for oh – over a decade now.

For the new Jetta/Golf/Passat chassis, VW spent some serious money on the body structure, suspension and steering. They even hired away engineers who had worked on the BMW 3 series and Ford Focus. The result is a car that combines some of the best aspects of those two cars, especially in GLI/GTI form. Take for example these excerpts from Car and Driver’s February 2006 comparison:

“What a hoot to drive…”

“Easy to get pinpoint location in corners and squirts out of ‘em with great gusto.”

“...this car rules ! Eager turn-in, nice balance, great grip, good power, outstanding steering.”

We’d prefer it on lightweight 17” wheels and with the 2nd generation Haldex 4Motion system, but then no one would buy the A4…

UPDATE: You’ll find more reviews here...