Posted by Bob Aldons - Northstar VW

If you want to experience Volkswagen CC 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.carreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 NTH STAR or 1300 684 782.

It used to be called the Passat CC but that's now been abbreviated to simply CC.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the new VW CC with specs, fuel economy and verdict.

Despite being a contradiction in terms, the four door coupe look has legs with a few manufacturers going down that path including Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai. Most notable is the arresting Benz CLS that really lit the wick for this type of car more than a decade ago.

VALUE

Now sporting the square-set VW front and rear end styling, CC cuts a fine silhouette on the road from all angles and backs this up with a level of luxury not often seen this side of $100 grand.

But the CLS spells big bucks unlike the Volkswagen CC - a similar style car but at an affordable starting price of $54,990 for the front wheel drive 2.0Tdi we drove. There's also an all wheel drive 3.6 litre V6 petrol model at ten grand more - still a bargain in the greater scheme of things.

It used to be called the Passat CC but that's now been abbreviated to simply CC - just like corn chips. But there's nothing corny about the VW CC - it's the real deal and a sheer delight - to look at and to drive.

FEATURES

Goodies include Nappa leather upholstery, a high tech Satnav system, rear view camera, premium audio with a multi device interface, comprehensive trip computer, dual Bluetooth, auto bi-xenon headlights, paddle shift, adaptive cruise and plenty more. The test car also came with Driver Assistance Package that features lane assist, side assist with steering intervention (yes), adaptive cruise and front and rear emergency braking.

We were taken aback by the level of intervention all this equipment can deliver when activated. It will actually steer you away from the sides of the road if you stray, it will stop the car if you miss a stationary object in front, it will maintain a pre-selected distance behind a leading car over  a wide variance of speeds.

Where does it all end? Cars will drive themselves we reckon - and not too far into the future. . Park assist is handy as are the rain sensing wipers and dusk sensing headlights (bi-xenons). ...read more

Volkswagen CC

Price: from $54,990 (petrol), from $64,990 (diesel)

Warranty: Three years/unlimited km

Resale: 47%

Service interval: 15,000km/12 months

Safety: five star

Spare: Full-size

Engines: 2.0-litre turbodiesel, 125kW/350Nm; 3.6-litre petrol V6, 220kW/350Nm

Transmissions: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic, FWD (diesel) AWD  (petrol)

Weight: 1526kg -1656kg

Thirst: 5.5 litres/100km diesel, 144g/km CO2; 9.3 litres/100km petrol, 215g/km CO2

By Bob Aldons - Northstar VW

If ever anyone doubted the reliability of Volkswagen then read on.

Greg Collins, Managing Director of Complete Taxi Management (CTM) of Virginia in Queensland made a decision back in late 2009 to replace his fleet of Ford Falcons with Volkswagen Passat diesel wagons. Ford had stopped manufacturing wagons in Australia and in the Australian market it was down to a choice between Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid or Ford Territory and Falcon Sedan.

Greg's research in Australia and overseas saw the decision made to go with Volkswagen. With a little lobbying with the State Government and the 2 major taxi companies Passat Wagon was the answer. With the recent acquisition of Ivory Coast Taxi Management, Greg's fleet owned and managed now numbers almost 100 vehicles. Since February 2010, CTM has purchased 62 VW Passat wagons with another 16 on order presently all from Northstar Volkswagen. Sometime in 2013, Greg expects his fleet to be totally Volkswagen and it seems that his drivers and as importantly his customers love them. It's common for customers to specifically request a Volkswagen for their journey. He's even heard of customers bypassing  a Toyota or Ford to go to a Volkswagen.

The pictures attached show the interior of a typical vehicle - but one thing not typical with this Passat is that it's travelled 'only' 344,796 kilometres.

These pictures show that the rear passenger leather trim has worn (or not) remarkably well. At this age and kilometres, other vehicles would be looking at expensive repairs to the seats, let alone the driver's seat, which typically in other vehicles has sagging springs and worn cloth. Not so with the leather seat in the Volkswagen.

The dash board looks to be in near factory condition - no splits, discolouration or marks

The cars odometer with only 344,675 kilometres on the clock

CTM have been dealing with Northstar Volkswagen since they started on their Passat journey.

"Bob Aldons and his team have been fantastic to deal with" said Greg Collins. "Whilst they grew to understand our business dynamics, which are a little bit different that most large fleet customers, the relationship we enjoy with Bob and Northstar is a true partnership"

The MY13 Volkswagen Passat Wagon is fitted with Adaptive Cruise Control, City Emergency Brakes, Daytime driving lights, lane change warning

For information on Volkswagen Passat 125TDI DSG Wagons for any fleet application, contact Greg Collins at CTM on 0400 123456 or Bob Aldons, Managing Director of Northstar Volkswagen on 0418 748 498

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 NTH STAR or 1300 684 782.

Presented by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

Volkswagen Polo-based crossover speculative rendering 16.10.2012

One will be a seven-seater!

Volkswagen spokesman Peter Thul has confirmed reports that the company is developing two new crossovers.

Speaking with Automotive News, Thul said one of the models will be smaller than the Tiguan. This likely implies it will be the Polo-based crossover that we reported on yesterday. It is slated be launched in 2014 and ride on the MQB platform. Styling will likely be influenced by the Cross Coupe concept and both front- and all-wheel drive options are expected.

The other crossover will be larger than the Tiguan and offer seating for up to seven people. Thul said it will appeal to American consumers who don't want a mini-van. Previous reports have indicated the model could be based on the US-spec Passat and cost less than the Touareg.

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 NTH STAR or 1300 684 782.

Source: Automotive News

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar VW

Don't be afraid to have a close look at Volkswagen Jetta. The quiet sibling of the Volkswagen Family has had a warranted facelift and is now the princess rather than the ugly sister.

We've got a Jetta on the showroom at Northstar VW that even a luxury car buyer would be pleased to be seen in - going to the shopping centre or even a ball. Jetta has grown up - the pimples have gone, the interior and exterior package is wonderful and when you couple this fresh look with a sports body kit, larger alloy wheels from the VW parts bin, you have one very attractive car.

If you want to experience Volkswagen Jetta 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.

Passat helps to propel VW to a 62 per cent sales lift in United States

VOLKSWAGEN’S ambitions for world number one status received a boost in the United States last month when surging Passat sales triggered a 62 per cent rise in August VW retail volumes – the 24th consecutive month of growth for the German brand in the world’s second largest market.

Big Japanese manufacturers Toyota and Honda also continued their US sales recovery from last year’s stock shortages caused by Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, reporting sales increases of 42 per cent and 60 per cent respectively last month.

The overall US market jumped a healthy 20 per cent, with even the Detroit big three motor companies all recording double-digit sales increases.....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 VW

2011 VW Touareg, 27.08.2010

Volkswagen Germany could launch a CC version of the successful Touareg as early as 2015.

The BMW X6  proved crossovers could be successful even if they skimped on capability in the name of fashion. This has spawned a new segment that will soon be flush with entries such as the Audi Q6 and Mercedes MLC.

Now, Autobild is reporting that Volkswagen is "seriously" considering joining the fray with a new model that could be called the Touareg CC. Little is known about the crossover, but it would likely be based on the next-generation model and have coupe-like styling...read more

If you want to experience VW in the flesh, 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.

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

My first car when taking on the Volkswagen franchise nearly 3 years ago was a CC - a 4Motion (all wheel drive) and I fell in love with the brand there and then. VW CC as did the Passat CC exuded class in a vehicle that looks twice the price.

Apart from badge snobbery, CC matches it with all the other luxury car entrants save for one thing - the price. So if you can avoid HAVING to park a Mercedes, BMW, Audi or Lexus in your driveway, you owe it to your wallet or bank manger to test drive Volkswagen CC.

If you want to experience VW in the flesh, 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

 The Volkswagen CC is priced to go up against the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

 The VW Passat CC, the first four-door coupe in its market segment, has been replaced by a new model, this time simply called the Volkswagen CC. Volkswagen wants the CC to have its own separate identity in the automotive world.

VALUE

The Volkswagen CC is priced to go up against the likes of the Audi A4,BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The CC 125 TDI starts at $54,990, the V6 FSI $64,990. And with a long list of options, buyers are invited to add their own touches of exclusivity.

The classy car only goes to add a further dimension to the ever expanding luxury sedan market. These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Volkswagen dealer for drive-away prices.

Standard features are comprehensive and include driver fatigue detection, satellite navigation, rear-view camera and front comfort head restraints with added front-rear adjustment.

There is more help for the driver with an assistance package that includes Side Assist and Lane Assist, which warn of vehicles in blind spots if you haven’t set the mirrors correctly, and prevents unintentional wandering between lanes by intervening in steering. There’s even Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist, and City Emergency Brake function.

Optional features include active climate control and ventilated front seats with black Nappa leather upholstery that now incorporate a massage function. There’s room for three people in the back....read more