Auto News 5

Volkswagen Group on Friday said it delivered 5.73m vehicles, up 1%, worldwide in the first 11 months of this year. Full story...

Volkswagen's Czech unit Skoda will halt work on Fridays in the first half of 2009 due to the lasting financial crisis, Czech news agency CTK reported, citing a spokesman. Full story...

The automotive world is shrinking by the second. After Volkswagen, BMW is now selling diesel-powered cars in North America. A 3-Series sedan called 335d and a new variant of the X5 known as the xDrive35d are now part of the brand's portfolio. Wolfsburg's TDI monopoly will soon be no more. A new market segment is fast emerging and the 2009 BMW 335d, the first premium compact sedan to run on diesel in Canada, represents the tip of this iceberg. Full story...

Bringing back the old-generation Golf and selling it at a fire-sale price means one of two things, or maybe both. First, since Volkswagen currently has no subcompact ready for sale in North America, the company has got nothing to rival the recent surge of small-car offerings. At the same time, they might have figured that Canadians need or want basic transportation at a reasonable price, whatever the technology that's baked into the vehicle. Full story...

Bringing back the old-generation Golf and selling it at a fire-sale price means one of two things, or maybe both. First, since Volkswagen currently has no subcompact ready for sale in North America, the company has got nothing to rival the recent surge of small-car offerings. At the same time, they might have figured that Canadians need or want basic transportation at a reasonable price, whatever the technology that's baked into the vehicle. Full story...

This week, Auto123.com features the following road tests:We have a slew of reviews for you this week. Discover the 2009 Nissan 370Z, which replaces the 350Z and is more compact, more sophisticated and, above all, more powerful. The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V, the most potent luxury sedan ever produced by the American automaker. The Kia Borrego, a full-size,7-passenger SUV that stands out thanks to its careful construction. Don't miss our video on the 2009 Volkswagen City Golf road test, a versatile compact car that's fun to drive and sold for the price of a subcompact! Full story...

Volkswagen's finance operations have asked for German government loan guarantees for its banks. Full story...

Show star previews R20T due for 2010 with spectacular bodykit and Audi S3-sourced turbo Full story...

Volkswagen has sought state guarantees from Berlin for its financial services and banking units, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Tuesday, becoming the first manufacturer to take such a step in Germany. Full story...

Show star previews R20T due for 2010 with spectacular bodykit and Audi S3-sourced turbo Full story...

A German company with long-standing ties to Volkswagen AG and a minority-owned company in Michigan are among the first to supply a new mid-sized sedan planned for VW's factory being built in Chattanooga, Tenn. Full story...

Volkswagen used the Bologna auto show to roll out the Scirocco Studie R concept. And what we see is pointing the way to a car we expect to replace the Golf R32 in VW's lineup about a year from now. This new car is likely to be called the R20T. Full story...

2009 Volkswagen CC, 2009 Nissan Maxima, 2009 Mazda 6 - Midsize Sedan Comparison

Busting out of the thundering herd, the Volkswagen CC, Nissan Maxima, and Mazda 6 stand apart from the mid-size multitudes.

Many are the mid-size sedan offerings, and most are sold in large numbers. Naturally, whenever a product is produced in great quantities, its very popularity will cause a subset of its audience to seek an alternative. Something a bit sportier, or more luxurious, or more stylish. The Volkswagen CC, the Nissan Maxima, and the Mazda 6 all hail from mainstream automakers, yet all three address this desire for something more in a mid-size car.

Photo Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen CC, 2009 Nissan Maxima, 2009 Mazda 6 - Midsize Sedan Comparison - Automobile Magazine

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Volkswagen is to slash its production in Russia by 13% next year, a top executive said yesterday (4 December). Full story...

Volkswagen's Czech unit Skoda Auto will cut 3 percent of its workforce, or 870 employees next year, daily Mlada Fronta Dnes reported, citing a union chief. Full story...

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and four other executive board members earned 25 million euros ($32 million) on VW shares and will give 10 percent of their earnings to charity. They are donating a total of 2. Full story...

The European Commission has given Germany a legal final warning that if it does not liberalise its Volkswagen liberalisation law it will probably ask the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to impose massive daily recurring fines of Euro 1,000s. Full story...

Germany's upper house of parliament approved a revised law governing Volkswagen on Friday even though it fails to address a key European Commission objection that shields the carmaker from takeover. Full story...

Volkswagen's premium car unit Audi was upbeat on November sales, but could delay a decision on whether to build cars in the United States, where demand has dropped sharply, its CEO said. Full story...

A Hanover court has ruled against Porsche in a complaint designed to remove the state of Lower Saxony's 20% blocking minority in Volkswagen AG. Full story...