The Volkswagen Golf GTI Pirelli is back, 25 years after the original. And the good news is this GTI gets the same power tweak as the Edition 30 Golf we raved about when we drove it last year. The 2.0-litre turbo engines gets 227bhp in Pirelli trim, up from 197bhp. That drops the 0-60mph time by 0.4 seconds to 6.8 and ups the top speed by six points to 152.

Let’s start with the meaning of the Pirelli tag. It means that the new-design 18-inch wheels are wrapped in Pirelli rubber, 225/40s to be precise - and the full horror of the special edition wardrobe has been thrown at the cabin. The Pirelli logo is monogrammed in the headrests, the part-leather seats are embossed with tyre tracks and you get contrasting yellow stitching on the handbrake, wheel and seats. Make your own mind up on the visual changes, but the Golf GTI Pirelli also gains six airbags, climate control, and ESP.

The GTI Pirelli is available to order now in silver, black or blue, and the front splitter, side skirts and rear bumper are all body-coloured. Prices start at £22,555 for the six-speed manual (the standard car is £20,825) rising to £24,385 for the five-door DSG-equipped car.

Pirelli wheels and tyres were available on later Mk1 Golf GTI models and early Mk2 cars; they were never sold as official standalone models, but became known as Pirelli cars on account of their distinctive P-slot alloys.

VW sold out the 10,500-car production run of Mk1 Pirelli models within six months of its launch in May 1983. It was the last swansong before the Mk2 arrived at the end of that year.

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There were 2 official Volkswagen Scirocco images just leaked on the internet prior to its debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show starting on March 4. The Scirocco is based on the Volkswagen Iroc Concept that was launched in August 2006.

From the leaked images, we can see that the Volkswagen Scirocco’s appearance has change quite significantly compared to the Iroc Concept. The Scirocco features different front fascia and headlightsand also the trapezoidal dual exhaust outlets have been changed to twin round pipes.

It is reported that the Volkswagen Scirocco is powered by both 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder turbocharged engine and a 1.4-liter TSI producing 122 bhp (91kW) and with optional a TDI engine. The engines are mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. More details after its official launch.

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Finally, Volkswagen is considering bringing over the Polo over to the U.S. We’ve always been fans of the Polo and think it can do wonders for Volkswagen in the growing U.S. small car segment.

We are deliberating whether to launch smaller models than the Golf in the US market,

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said in an interview with Handelsblatt at the Detroit auto show.

Winterkorn said:

I will ask the question this week when I meet with our 600 dealers in the US: ‘Do you need the VW Polo?

Believe us Winterkorn, they would love nothing more than a Polo along with a production Volkswagen Space Up! Concept. Especially with the new CAFE 35 regulations.

Automotive News points out that as more automakers are introducing smaller models in the U.S., the move can only benefit Volkswagen. Ford is already working on a small car for the U.S. in 2010. The model will be based on the Ford Verve concept shown at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. GM has also been rumored to be working on a competitor for the Smart ForTwo and the BMW 1-Series.

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Welcome to the world’s second four-door coupe, the Passat CC. Following the lead of the Mercedes CLS, Volkswagen has redrawn the Passat to give us this swoopy mini-me Phaeton lookalike saloon. It's an attempt to stretch the Passat further upmarket - away from its humdrum fleet roots and nearer the hallowed doorway to the compact premium market.

It’s a Passat underneath, but being 31mm longer and 50mm lower makes it look very swish. All the body panels are new, the doors are frameless, there’s no more chromed grille, and the drag coefficient is a slippery 0.29 Cd. And we’ve only got to wait five months before the CC goes on sale in the UK: the USA and Japan won’t get the Passat CC until the fourth quarter of 2008.

The CC is packed full of technology. ‘Mobility tyres’ have a specially flexible rubber designed to encapsulate any sharp object but still keep the tyre sealed. Lane Assist helps you stay in your lane, by nudging the wheel should you unintentionally cross the white line. There’s ACC automatic distance control, which also primes the brakes if it foresees an accident, and Park Assist already seen on the Touran. Press a button and then just accelerate and brake while the car steers for you.
Volkswagen claims the Passat CC is a sporty car, so all but the base petrol and diesel models get DDC (Dynamic Drive Control). DDC offers Normal, Comfort and Sport modes, allowing to you to tailor the car to your needs. And if you’re not feeling sporty enough then there’s always the power dome in the bonnet...

The Passat CC is a pure four-seater, but to make sure you don’t ever feel claustrophobic in the back you can have a sunfoof stetching from the A to B-pillar, while those up front get to play with Volkswagen’s new touchscren multimedia system, should they pay for it. There’s a rear parking camera, set within the VW logo, and a 535-litre boot.

Engines will range from a 138bhp diesel and 158bhp TSI, stretching up to a 296bhp 3.6-litre V6 with four-wheel drive as standard. Wheels will be 17-inch as standard, and expect a premium for the Passat CC to put it directly head-to-head with Merc, BMW and Audi on price.

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Volkswagen and whole Germen car industries are real pride for all Germans and so is world top model Heidi Klum, which also comes from Germany. That is probably the main reason that she presented new Volkswagen half truck model Tiguan, with her husband Seal.

Tiguan is new Volkswagen model which we scooped back in the August. Tiguan is baby brother of Volkswagen bigger models Touran and famous Tuareg. As we said, VW Tiguan needs to be pimped a little bit and you will see completely different car. Pictures from that presentation with Heidi Klum show just that. White color and bigger wheels give Tiguan quite sporty and tasty look.

Full gallery of Heidi Klum on VW Tiguan presentation can be seen here.

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It might be a diesel, but yes, it’s still all of the above. This is VW’s new R50. Due to be unveiled at the Australian International Motor Show later this month it’s the latest car from VW Individual, the same engineering group responsible for the Golf R32, Passat R36, and the Bluemotion range, including the Polo.

The Touareg R50 has VW’s 4.9-litre V10 diesel but with a ‘generous’ increase on power. Expect the standard 313bhp to rise to around the 350bhp mark, while the 553lb ft should climb to a round 600. The standard car only does 22.4mpg and pumps out 333g/km, so while that’s better than a Cayenne Turbo’s 19mpg and 358g/km, the power increase surely won’t do it any favors.

Completing the package are bigger wheels and tyres, tweaked suspension and a new bodykit. VW's press release gave no indication on price but this R50 will definitely be more than £60,000 when it arrives in the UK in spring of 2008.

• Does VW ever stop?

Nope. In fact, it's giving Audi a close run for the number of new models expected over the next few years. We’ve just driven the VW Tiguan, and loved it, while by Christmas we’ll have Bluemotion versions of the Golf, Passat and Passat estate in the UK.
Behind the scenes, though not hidden from our spy cameras, VW is readying a new Golf.

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Blame management, complicated model cycles and just about every other excuse under the sun. And speaking of the sun, those countries from the land of the rising sun have been doing the medium-sized 4x4 thing since the mid-1990s. Toyota launched the Rav4 over a decade ago, let's not forget.

Only this year have we seen offerings from Europe: Vauxhall’s Antara has just arrived, and we’re still awaiting the Ford Kuga and Renault Koleos. Now VW are plugging the small 4x4 hole in their line-up with this, the Tiguan. No, not Touran or Touareg, but Tiguan.

So if you’re late to the party you bring something special, right? Well yes and no. Nothing stands out as spectacular but tardiness does mean that the Tiguan gets the latest Haldex four-wheel-drive system. The system no longer needs to register wheelspin to engage the four-wheel drive. In general driving conditions about 90 percent of the torque goes to the front wheels but it can momentarily go 100 percent rear drive.
There’s also what VW calls APA, which is short for axle parallel steering. It’s VW’s latest electro-mechanical steering that auto adjusts to compensate for crosswinds and camber, and also reduces kickback should you ever leave the tarmac.

But perhaps the highest accolade we can give the Tiguan is that with the right equipment, right colour and a nice set of wheels, the new VW will exude enough street creed to challenge the BMW X3. It’s a soft-roader you can pose in, then.

• VW is famous for platform sharing - so what’s under the Tiguan?

A little bit of everything all rolled into rolled one. The base platform is Golf, but there’s Passat front and rear suspension, Phaeton brakes, and that new Haldex four-wheel drive system.

There are two different set-ups. The Track & Field trim level comes with a 28-degree front approach angle, as opposed to other models' 18-degree one. Thankfully VW hasn’t compromised the majority for the sake of a minority: this off-road spec model looks a little ungainly. Opt for the Trend & Fun or Sport & Style trim, and the car looks better. Such names also give a clue to the Tiguan’s target audience.

• So what’s it like to drive?

There’s nothing stellar in the chassis department but it all works very well. The compliant ride is excellent, especially compared to the BMW X3. It’s even more remarkable when you consider that our test car ran 18-inch wheels. What those wheels also help to do is provide lots of grip and traction.

The steering has no feel and no real feedback, but it would be more of a shocker if such a car had any. But it means the car is stable during high-speed cruising. It also stays neutral in fast sweepers, and only under steers in tighter turns.

The BMW X3 is ultimately more entertaining than the VW, and while it’s more powerful, don't forget it’s also around £8000 more expensive.

• So if the Tiguan uses a Golf platform, does that also mean Golf engines?

But of course. Initially there will be only the 148bhp TSI and the 138bhp TDI units. The TSI unit is a 1.4-litre with a supercharger and a turbocharged, and bests the Rav4’s 2.0-litre petrol’s 143lb ft with 177lb ft from 1750 to 4000rpm. Early next year, two new 2.0-litre TSI powerplants will be added, as well as a 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI.

Our test car was the 138bhp diesel with 236lb ft from 1750rpm to 2500rpm. It’s now common-rail as opposed to VW’s old pump-duse item, and is thus quieter and cleaner. But throttle response isn’t as instant and it misses the old sledgehammer oomph that made previous TDIs such fun. If you hang on for the higher power diesel just remember that you can’t have it with the six-speed auto.

• Golf underneath, Golf interior?

It’s close, because the cabin started life as a Golf Plus. It’s fairly compact so you sit upright, but it’s still comfortable. It is a truly decent bit of kit. The (optional) leather is nicer than in a Nissan Qashqai or BMW X3. The driving position is better, the sat-nav is more intuitive, the rear visibility superior and even the fit and finish are ahead too. Fold the rear seats and the Tiguan has 1510 litres of space.
In first gear, 1000rpm equals 4.2mph – a crawler gear, almost in line with a low range transfer case. Useful for going up steep stuff, then.

• Verdict

Compromises don’t come much better than this, and apart from the slight increase in fuel consumption due to the four-wheel drive system, there’s little to fault the new Tiguan. It’s still compact for the school runs, but is beneficially bigger than the Golf Plus. VW might be late, but it’s been worth the wait.

And if you can wait a little longer VW is readying electronic dampers for the Tiguan, plus you’ll be able to spec wider wheelarches and 19-inch chromed alloys. Bling bling. There’s also an R-line bodykit coming, and - should VW see the demand - a V6 and a 200bhp+ diesel.

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