Tag Archives: Volkswagen

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Volkswagen Sweeps the Golden Steering Wheel Awards—A Historic Four-Category Win

In a record-setting performance that’s turning heads across the industry, Volkswagen has clinched four Golden Steering Wheel awards—an achievement no other automaker has managed in the prize’s 49-year history. For a brand mapping an ambitious path toward 2030, this clean sweep signals more than bragging rights; it’s a sign that Wolfsburg’s latest wave of engineering and design is resonating with both the public and the experts.

The Golden Steering Wheel—jointly awarded by AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG since 1976—is easily among Europe’s most respected automotive accolades. This year, 72 new models faced off across 17 criteria ranging from chassis tuning and drive technology to sustainability and overall value. After a broad reader poll, the top contenders were evaluated at the Lausitzring by a jury of auto journalists, pro racers, and well-known car aficionados.

The verdict? Volkswagen walked away with a trophy in nearly every direction you look—performance, EV innovation, family practicality, and attainable everyday motoring.

Golf GTI EDITION 50: Compact-Class Dominance

The GTI turns 50 next year, and Volkswagen is celebrating with what might be the greatest production GTI ever built. The Golf GTI EDITION 50 stormed through the compact segment, outpacing a pair of electric rivals—no small feat in an era where EV torque usually steals the show.

Under the hood, the anniversary GTI pushes 239 kW (325 PS) and 420 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful GTI to roll off a factory line. But this isn’t brute strength for its own sake; the EDITION 50 is dialed-in, responsive, and unmistakably GTI in character. It’s an enthusiast’s tribute wrapped in modern performance and design flourishes that nod respectfully at the badge’s heritage.

ID.7 GTX Tourer: Volkswagen’s Electric Performance Wagon Arrives

Wagons might be fading in some markets, but Volkswagen is determined to prove there’s life left in the body style—especially when you electrify it. The ID.7 GTX Tourer, the brand’s first fully electric estate, took top honors in the upper midsize category, beating out two premium German competitors.

With its 250 kW (340 PS) dual-motor AWD setup, the GTX Tourer blends EV refinement with real-world practicality: abundant cabin space, long-distance comfort, and the seamless traction that makes electric performance feel so effortlessly composed. It’s a compelling entry for drivers who want utility without giving up excitement.

Tayron: The New Family SUV Favorite

Volkswagen’s all-new Tayron claimed the title of best family car, rising above SUV offerings from the Czech Republic and Sweden. Slotting between the Tiguan and Touareg, the Tayron hits that sweet spot where space, features, and price converge.

It offers available seven-seat configuration, a towing capacity of up to 2.5 tons, and a tech suite that brings modern connectivity and safety to the forefront. Comfortable, versatile, and thoughtfully packaged, the Tayron feels engineered for the realities of busy family life—without sacrificing refinement.

T-Roc: Best Under €40,000

Rounding out Volkswagen’s four-trophy run is the reinvented T-Roc, which earned the editorial prize for Best Car Under €40,000. It’s more than a minor update: the latest T-Roc arrives with a sharper, sportier exterior, a roomier interior, elevated material quality, and a new hybrid lineup that pulls tech from VW’s higher-tier models.

The result is a compact crossover that punches well above its price point—precisely the sort of car that earns loyal followings in European cities.

A Strategic Win for VW’s Future

Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer was direct in his reaction: “Four Golden Steering Wheels at once – we are the first brand to achieve this.” He emphasized that the awards validate Volkswagen’s BOOST 2030 roadmap, which aims to position the brand as a technology leader among volume manufacturers.

With six new models slated to debut next year, this victory lap may be only the beginning of VW’s next great era. For now, though, four Golden Steering Wheels make it clear: the brand is firing on all cylinders—electric and otherwise.

Source: Volkswagen

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Volkswagen Restores Its Wildfire Survivor: Meet the Reborn Azul Bus

Earlier this year, as wildfires tore across Los Angeles and reduced entire neighborhoods to ash, one surreal photo spread across social media like a miracle in the smoke. In it, a sky-blue Volkswagen Type 2—nicknamed Azul by its owner—stood untouched in front of the charred foundations of its Malibu home. Everything around it was gone. Yet the van gleamed as if it had simply pulled in from a beach cruise.

The image, captured by Associated Press photographer Mark J. Terrill, instantly became a symbol of resilience. It also caught the attention of a few very determined people at Volkswagen of America’s Oxnard facility—the same place that maintains the company’s historic fleet.

“From the moment we first saw Azul, our goal was to ensure the vehicle’s story wasn’t erased by the fires,” says Gunnar Wynarski, a vehicle technician at the facility. “Restoring it—bringing it back to life, reuniting it with its owner, returning it to the road—that mattered more than the technical challenge. The soul of the vehicle had to survive.”

And the technical challenge, it turns out, was enormous.

A Survivor, but Not Unscathed

From the angle seen in the now-famous photo, Azul looked uncannily untouched. But once technicians got close, reality set in. The far side of the van had baked in extreme heat long enough to blister paint, melt plastics, and cook electrical components. Glass had shattered, lights had liquified, and brake drums were literally filled with wind-blown ash.

Finding replacement parts for a 1977 Volkswagen Bus isn’t exactly an afternoon errand. The team combed through inventories, sourced hard-to-find components, and rebuilt everything that had suffered fire damage—mechanical, cosmetic, and structural. Bodywork was entrusted to GE Kundensport, a shop better known for concours-level Porsche restorations, which treated Azul with the same meticulous care it gives six-figure German metal.

Reborn for Los Angeles

Now fully restored, Azul returned to public view at the Los Angeles Auto Show—its first appearance since surviving the fire. Volkswagen says the intent is not just to show off a well-executed restoration, but to offer a symbol of optimism to a city that endured another brutal wildfire season.

In a clever nod to the van’s cult following, Volkswagen partnered with vintage-inspired toy maker Candylab to build wooden replicas of Azul. The tiny blue-and-white buses are being sold at the VW stand during the show, letting fans take home a piece of the story.

More Road Ahead

Azul isn’t headed home just yet. After the auto show wraps on November 30, the van will move to the Petersen Automotive Museum, where it will remain on display from December 4 through January 11. Volkswagen has also announced an additional contribution to the California Firefighters Foundation, closing the loop on a project rooted in gratitude and community.

For a vehicle that once looked like a miracle survivor, Azul now stands as proof that even when the flames take everything, some things can be restored—body, soul, and all the stories carried in between.

Source: Volkswagen; Photo: Associated Press

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Volkswagen’s Wallet Problem: Inside the €11 Billion Gap Stalling the Group’s Future

Volkswagen is staring down a financial pothole deep enough to rattle even the world’s second-largest automaker. Sales are cooling, costs are climbing, and the aftershocks of Trump-era U.S. tariffs still echo through Wolfsburg’s balance sheets. The result? A full-blown cash crunch that’s forcing VW to slam the brakes on spending at the exact moment it needs to floor it.

A Multibillion-Euro Lifeline… Stuck in Neutral

Every November, VW’s supervisory board typically signs off on a massive five-year investment plan—think of it as the company’s nutritional IV drip for future models, EV platforms, and the factory upgrades needed to build them. But this year, the drip has stopped.

The board was expected to approve the new plan last week; instead, it quietly pushed the decision into limbo. Insiders say confidence has dipped so low that the group isn’t willing to green-light a cent until the financial fog lifts.

That hesitation freezes plans across nearly 100 factories worldwide, from Europe to Latin America to China. No approvals means no modernized plants, no locked-in model allocations, and no clear path forward for the next generation of Volkswagens, Audis, and Porsches.

Suppliers—already jittery—now find themselves parked in a holding pattern. Development projects are slowing, and some may stall entirely if VW doesn’t get its war chest sorted.

How Big Is the Hole? Try €11 Billion.

According to Bild, Volkswagen is facing an €11 billion ($12.7 billion) shortfall in its 2026 investment plan. And that’s within a broader five-year spending outlook of €160 billion ($185 billion)—a budget that suddenly looks a lot tighter than it did when the board drafted it.

VW’s sprawling product portfolio, from entry-level Skodas to flagship Audis and Bentleys, is expensive to feed. Electrification and digitalization don’t come cheap, either. But without the investment plan, all of that hangs in the balance.

Audi Feels the Heat

Audi might end up the biggest collateral damage.
For years, the brand has floated the idea of a U.S. factory—something its rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz already use as leverage to soften the blow of American tariffs. With its own U.S. plant, Audi could build high-margin SUVs stateside and dodge some geopolitical turbulence.

But Wolfsburg can’t write that check right now. And unless the board releases the investment funds, that dream plant stays exactly where it’s been for a decade: hypothetical.

Will December Save the Day?

There’s chatter that the supervisory board could convene a special meeting in December to revisit the investment plan. But sources warn that optimism is fragile. If the financial outlook doesn’t improve, this decision could easily slip into next year.

For now, one of the world’s largest carmakers is sitting in its own waiting room—watching precious time drain away while competitors press ahead with their next chapters.

VW may not be out of gas, but it’s definitely running on reserve.

Source: Bild