Volkswagen Reconsidering Scirocco and Phaeton for the U.S. Market

Earlier this month, Volkswagen announced that it’s going to expand its North American SUV lineup in order to catch up to GM and Toyota and triple its U.S. sales by 2018. However, the automaker also wants to boost its image, so it may bring back the Scirocco coupe and Phaeton sedan to the States.

In an interview in Washington, Jonathan Browning, head of Volkswagen’s U.S. operations, told Bloomberg News that the company is exploring the idea of selling the two models in the U.S. “We will reconsider bringing the Phaeton back to the U.S. in the next product cycle,” said Mr. Browning who added that no final decision has been made yet.

While not a bad car, the Phaeton had a short-lived career in the U.S., which ended in 2006. It seems that American buyers just couldn’t get used to the idea of a Mercedes S-Class rival with a Volkswagen badge. On the other hand, the Scirocco was successful in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s, so to this day, many are wondering why VW chose not to import the latest generation of the coupe model. In Europe, the Scirocco is offered with a variety of powertrains ranging from a 52.3 mpg 140HP diesel to a 265HP 2.0-liter turbo in the sporty 'R' model.

The Scirocco and Phaeton are not expected to offer a lot in terms of sales, but rather to provide an image boost for the company. The real “earners” will have to be models such as the new Jetta and Passat.

“VW wants to capture U.S. buyers by rolling out more emotional cars and the Scirocco certainly fits that category,” said Frank Schwope, a NordLB analyst in Hanover. “In terms of volume sales, the Scirocco and Phaeton are only decorative accents, they won’t be crucial for VW’s goal to greatly increase deliveries”.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Bloomberg

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VW Scirocco R: Now with Optional Racing Bucket Seats

Further twisting the knife on American buyers who can't get the Scirocco R on this side of the pond, Volkswagen today announced the introduction of race car-like bucket seats for the driver and front passenger.

The delicious-looking body huggers get seat sides and headrest trimmed in "Vienna" leather with the central parts clad in "San Remo" micro fiber. In addition, the seat back is painted in a glossy black finish, while the R logo is placed on the integrated head restraint.

The price for having your tushies treated like motorsports stars [in Germany] is €3,180 or about US$ 4,400 at today's exchange rates.

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Design Proposal for a New VW Corrado from the Imaginary World of "What If?"

Wait; isn't Volkswagen's new Scirocco supposed to be the spiritual successor to the long-gone Corrado coupe? Sure it is, but the folks from Miranda Media wanted to give an answer to the purely theoretical question of what would the Corrado look like in 2010 if Volkswagen designed a direct replacement for the fastback coupe.

The answer came from Patrick Moczarsky, a professional designer and graphic artist from Miranda Media, that sketched these design proposals for a new generation Corrado that modernizes the lines and styling elements of the original model.

"We realize, of course, that Volkswagen will not present such a car right now, but the flight of imagination is so fascinating that it won't give us a moment's rest", said Patrick Moczarsky as he was preparing for liftoff.

VW Scirocco gets Entry-Level 122HP 1.4 TSI Engine and New Styling Pack in the UK

Starting from January 2010, buyers in Britain will be able to order VW's new entry-level version of the Scirocco coupe that's powered by a 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine producing 122-horsepower and 147 lbs ft of torque, channeled to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Volkswagen says that the Scirocco 1.4 TSI 122HP accelerates from 0 to 62 mph (100km/h) in 9.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 124 mph or 200km/h while returning a combined fuel economy figure of 44.1 mpg UK (36.7mpg US or 6.4lt/100km) and CO2 emissions of 146 g/km

Prices for the new base Scirocco start at £18,860 RRP on the road, or £800 less than the 1.4 TSI 160HP model. Standard equipment includes a six-CD changer with iPod preparation, rain and dusk sensors, a multifunction computer, air conditioning and 17-inch alloy wheels as well as a host of safety features including ABS, ESP and six airbags.

In addition to the new entry-level model, VW's UK division also announced a new optional styling pack for the 2010 Scirocco GT. Dubbed "Lugano Black", the new package costs £950 and includes 19-inch 'Lugano' alloy wheels finished in gloss black and Piano Black decorative inserts throughout the cabin.

VW Launches New Scirocco R Racing Game for iPhone and iPod Users

You may not get a chance to drive the real Scirocco R at the Nurburgring race track but Volkswagen is giving iPhone and iPod uses the chance to take the hottest version of its coupe for a virtual spin at the legendary Nordschleife through a new racing game that is available now to download for free from the Apple App store. We haven't had the chance to play the "Scirocco R 24 hour Challenge", but according to VW, users can pick from three different play modes aka a qualifying mode, a 24 hour mode and a multiplayer mode via Bluetooth.

As with other available games for the iPhone, playes can choose to control the Scirocco R by touchscreen or by tilt sensor.

The real life Scirocco R is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine producing 265 HP and 350 Nm of torque that are channeled to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or optionally, VW's double clutch DSG transmission. The Scirocco R hits 100km/h (62 mph) from standstill in 6.0 seconds with the stick shift and in 5,8 seconds with the DSG.

At this past week's Frankfurt Motor Show, VW also presented an "R" version of the latest Golf which comes with a slightly more powerful version of the 2.0-liter turbo with 270HP and an all-wheel drive system.

VW Scirocco R with 265HP 2.0 TSI: Official Photos and Details

The high-performance 'R' version of the Scirocco that was previewed as a concept study at last year's Bologna Motor Show has finally been revealed in production form. The new Scirocco R is powered by a reworked version of the previous Golf GTI V's 2.0-liter engine boasting a higher pressure turbocharger as well as other modifications such as new intercooler that help boost output to 265HP and 350Nm or 258.2-lbs/ft of torque. The reason why VW chose the older generation 'EA113' four-pot over the Golf GTI VI's newer 2.0 TSI codenamed 'EA888' is said to concern the lower development costs.

Expect to see the same direct-injection four-pot replacing the previous Golf R32's 250HP 3.2-liter V6 in the still under-development, Golf R sport hatch or as it may be called, R20. Not surprisingly, the 265HP 2.0 TSI is mated to a standard six-speed manual gearbox and optionally, to a twin-clutch DSG semi-automatic transmission.

Marking a departure from the other 'R' models, the hot Scirocco is not equipped with an all-wheel drive system as VW preferred to retain the coupe's front wheel drive layout. This solution helps keep the weight down to around 1,330 kg or 2,932 lbs.

According to the German firm, the Scirocco R hits the 100km/h (62mph) mark in 6.5 seconds (6.4'' with the DSG) and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h or 155mph. In comparison, the the 0-100km/h sprint times for the 2010 Golf GTI and the last Golf R32 4Motion are 6.9 seconds and 6.5 seconds respectively.

Beneath the sheetmetall, Volkswagen's engineers upgraded the standard Scirocco's chassis with a lower suspension that features new dampers and springs, beefier brake discs all around measuring 345mm up front and 310mm at the back plus a new electronic XDS differential as found in the latest Golf GTI.

The mechanical upgrades are complemented by a new aero package that may be less aggressively styled than the one featured on the concept study, but nonetheless, it does its job to distinguish the coupe from its less sportier siblings. The bodykit consists of a chunkier front bumper that houses larger air vents as well as LED daytime running lights, side skirts, new grille, roof spoiler, restyled rear bumper and smoked tail lights. The R model sits on newly designed 18-inch five-spoke rims while customers can also opt for 19-inch alloys.

Inside, the hot Scirocco sports a set of front bucket seats, a three-spoke steering wheel with a flattened bottom featuring the 'R' logo, aluminum decorative trim here and there plus subtly restyled instrument dials.

The new Scirocco R is scheduled to arrive in European showrooms in the beginning of fall 2009. Sadly for U.S consumers, Volkswagen has no plans at the moment to import the sports coupe in the country.