Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

The juggernaut continues.

Volkswagen Group vehicles, Volkswagen and Skoda are setting new benchmarks with the Volkswagen brand alone up over 27% year on year. Adding in Skoda takes the twins to over 6% market share.

The momentum doesn't look like slowing any time soon, with new Up! Passat Alltrak and Golf V1 runout well in gear

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655.

It’s all Up for Volkswagen and Skoda as the

German importer’s sales soar 30 per cent

AUSTRALIA’S fastest-growing mainstream automotive company has predicted a record 60,000 sales across its Volkswagen and Skoda brands this year – up 30 per cent on last year.

And with an all-new generation of its top-selling Golf, the ground-breaking Up city car and the latest Beetle all waiting in the wings, Volkswagen Group Australia is not expecting its sales battlewagon to stall any time soon.

“I have to say, it could not be better,” VGA managing director Anke Koeckler told journalists in Melbourne today when announcing equipment upgrades for the VW flagship Touareg SUV and mid-size Passat sedan and wagon....read more

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

Be quiet  - be wery wery quiet, we're going Golf hunting.

By the time that the seventh generation Golf hits out shores in March 2013, they won't be any need to be quiet about new Golf. From its launch in Berlin this week, to the Paris Motor Show later in September, the world will know all about this vehicle - only that we down under won't see it till then.

This is the power of the internet - you'll see, know and be well advised about it, but short of touching it or travelling to Europe to see it, you'll just have to be patient.

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655.

Volkswagen lifts shroud of secrecy from crucial seventh-generation Golf hatch

VOLKSWAGEN unveiled its larger, lighter and more frugal seventh-generation Golf hatch in Berlin overnight ahead of its public debut at the Paris motor show in late September.

Due in Australia by the middle of 2013, the latest iteration of Volkswagen’s top-selling model is said to be up to 100kg lighter and 23 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor, courtesy of an innovative modular platform and a suite of revised four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

The new Golf is crucial to Volkswagen AG’s ambitions of overtaking General Motors and Toyota as the world’s top-selling car-maker.

As expected, the Golf’s exterior styling is more evolutionary than revolutionary, and stays close to the winning formula of previous generations, but the more spacious cabin features a more upmarket design and a wider array of technology.

Despite these claimed improvements, the new Golf will kick off at an identical price point to the previous generation – at least in its home market of Germany.

Among the engine options is an upgraded, direct-injection 1.4-litre turbo petrol producing either 90kW/200Nm or 103kW/250Nm depending on tune, with the latter featuring fuel-saving cylinder deactivation technology that temporarily shuts down....read more

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

The Indians are coming - The Indians are coming.

Well not really, but Volkswagen Germany have released images of the new Golf VII ahead of the Paris Motor Show. Why? Well if you were VW and you wanted the most number of people to see this new world car, why not! And the Paris Motor Show organizers may well have had a thing to say about it - ABSOLUTELY.

This new Golf promises plenty and as is typical of Volkswagen will deliver in spades. Lighter, longer, stronger and safer just for starters. In the meantime, we at Northstar Volkswagen have an amazing run out of the current Golf VI with our Spring Sale. Starting from just $20990, the best value on any Golf ever, there's free on roads and dealer delivery, a saving of around $4000

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655.

Volkswagen Golf VII (leaked photo, not official)

VW Golf VII to adopt some styling cues from the Seat Ibiza.

We are only a day away from the official unveiling of the Volkswagen Golf VII and already we have some alleged leaked photos. These three images were published first by Auto Zeitung but we don’t know where these come from and how the pictures were made.

Judging by that somewhat artificial left hand on the steering wheel, those two photos of the interior looks like an animation, plus everything beneath the steering wheel and the lower part of the right passenger side is black. If you have a closer look at the center console you’ll notice that it is a bit towards the driver’s side.

As a reminder, the seventh generation of the Golf is going to be longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model, while the wheelbase will also grow.....read more

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

Dr Martin Winterkorn says that Volkswagen have enough on their plate for now.

Porsche, Ducati, Man Trucks have been recently added to the Volkswagen portfolio and now's probably the time to bed these brands down into the VW juggernaut.  Not that anything will ever be off the radar - Proton, Alfa Romeo have been rumoured.

If you're in the market for a 5 seater Commercial vehicle with plenty of load space, then you need to see the vehicles on offer this month from Northstar Volkswagen. We've got a "Bulk Buy" of 2010 Build, MY 11 Model, Aug 2012 Compliance Volkswagen Transporter Crew Vans in Manual and 7 Speed Direct Shift Auto. Auto's from $45k and manuals for around $42k. All come with a Volkswagen 5 year unlimited kilometre warranty, 5% interest for businesses with an ABN and are eligible for the governments $5000 accelerated depreciation allowance if you qualify.

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655.

Volkswagen Passat CC facelift

CEO says 12 brands is enough... for now

Volkswagen has been gobbling up automakers for years, but it looks like the company's massive expansion has been halted.

Speaking with Handelsblatt, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn revealed the company isn't planning to buy anymore automakers as he noted "We have enough to do at the moment in taking our twelve brands to where we want to be."

Winterkorn also said he wants the company to grow in Southeast Asia...read more

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

Can you ever imagine a car that you could drive to Sydney AND back using only 10 litres of fuel?

A car that you could use as your daily commute for a month and only having to pay $10 for that precious fuel?

Imagine no more. Volkswagen is already one of the most frugal car companies in the world as far as economy goes - we already have Golf Bluemotion achieving under 4 litres per 100klm, Passat Wagons, with fuel economy of less than 5 litres per 100klm and the XL series vehicles under development by Volkswagen aim to go a lot lower than this.

Why? The fact of the matter is that the world is running low on fossil fuels. W don't have the low fuel warning light blinking just yet, but make no mistake that the world fuel gauge is less than half full. Companies such as Volkswagen have determined that to succeed and prosper in the future, that alternatives have to be found. The XL1 Volkswagen shown at the Qatar motor show is one example of the technical brilliance of the Volkswagen engineers and designers.

Less than 1 litre per 100 kilometres (0.9l/100klm) would have been considered in the realms of fantasy a few years ago, but reality today. Long dead is the concept of V6, V8 and V12 engines for all but the privileged few.

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655.

Volkswagen last year showed the third version of the XL1 at the Qatar motor show.

Volkswagen is preparing an ultra-frugal car for production.

The diesel-hybrid coupe - an un-named development of the decade-old 1L (for 1.0 litres/100km) concept - is capable of less than 1 litres/100km (260mpg) yet can top 160km/h.

The refined version of the one-cylinder diesel-hybrid XL1 now has a two-cylinder diesel mated to an electric motor and has batteries that are charged both while driving and via a plug-in cord. Volkswagen last year showed the third version of the XL1 at the Qatar motor show. It was later caught testing the coupe in cold weather and this month was spotted in Spain for its warm-weather tests.

It is a further development of the 2011 XL1 concept that is a two-seater, and has its origins in the tandem-seat, single-cylinder 1L of 2002 that weighed just 290kg and claimed an astonishing 0.99 L/100km. Volkswagen updated the concept in 2009 as the L1 which retained the tandem seating but added a two-cylinder engine, effectively a Golf 1.6-litre turbo-diesel cut in half then mated to a 10.4kW electric motor.

It had a top speed of 160km/h, accelerated to 100km/h in 14.3 seconds and had emissions of 39g/km CO2. The latest XL1 is different again, now a plug-in hybrid that achieves 0.9 L/100km (260mpg) and CO2 emissions of 24g/km. The 800cc, two-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is rated at 35kW/121Nm and the electric motor at 20kW/100Nm.

The two power plants work together or separately and the XL1 can travel up to 35km on electric power alone. Its length and width are similar to the Polo - 3970mm long and 1682mm wide - but it is only 1184mm high. Volkswagen says the 2011 model has a governed top speed of 158km/h and accelerates to 100km/h in 11.9 seconds. In February, Volkswagen said it intended to build a limited series of XL1s starting in 2013.