The 50,000th VW Passat rolled off the assembly line this week at the company’s manufacturing facility in Chattanooga Tennessee.

A little under one year ago Volkswagen built its first vehicle in Tennessee, and the company announced this week that a white, 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower Passat SE would roll off the line and mark the 50,000th vehicle to be produced at the plant.

“An incredible amount of care goes into each vehicle we produce in Chattanooga,” said Frank Fischer, chief executive of VW’s Chattanooga operations, in a press release. “Producing 50,000 cars at this level of quality is a huge accomplishment for our team.”

The VW plant at Chattanooga was the first auto plant in the world to receive platinum certification from the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

With the newest version of VW’s iconic Beetle already on sale, Volkswagen is expanding the car’s product range and appeal with a diesel powered model.

Unveiled today at the Chicago Auto Show, the Beetle TDI makes use of a familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged engine to make 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. Along with that big torque number, fuel economy is high, with a 29 mpg city rating and a 39 mpg highway rating. Buyers can choose from either a six-speed manual or VW’s DSG dual-clutch automatic.

Three trim levels will be offered: TDI, TDI with sunroof and TDI with Sunroof, Sound and Navigation. That top-trim level gets a five-inch touch screen and a Premium audio system.

With both gas and diesel versions of the coupe now available, look for a convertible version to bow at the New York Auto Show in a few months time.

GALLERY: 2013 VW Beetle TDI

Volkswagen will transform one of its many concept cars into a reality at this year’s Geneva Motor Show with the reveal of a high-performance version of the Golf Cabriolet.

The Golf GTI Cabriolet, which was previewed at the Worthersee GTI meet last year (along with a Golf R Cabriolet), will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 208 hp. In addition, the drop-top GTI will get an upgraded suspension and interior, a choice of six-speed manual or DSG transmission, 17-inch wheels and VW’s impressive electronic limited slip differential.

While VW does offer the same engine in the Eos convertible, this is the first time a full GTI package has been offered with a convertible option since the original GTI.

With the big reveal announced, the only question remaining is whether the Golf R Cabriolet will also see production.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Did you think that every automaker’s secrets were revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit? Think again.

At least ten new models will debut at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, which kicks-off this Wednesday, February 8th. Here’s a quick round up of what to expect:

Acura

The ILX Sports Sedan will debut, and replace the TSX. The new ILX will be based on Honda’s Civic platform, and share the powertrain choices. Additionally, the ILX will show off three engines, including a Hybrid. The ILX will be targeted towards a younger crowd, and is being called a “gateway” to the luxury brand lineup.

Joining the ILX will be a new RDX. The popular SUV will be redesigned and will show off a wider track, a longer wheelbase and a new V6 engine. The RDX will be showing off some new technologies as well, including Pandora Internet Radio, and a Text-to-Speech SMS voice texting.

See the rest of our Chicago Auto Show preview below:

Chrysler

Mopar will take most of the show, debuting Mopar models of the Fiat 500, Dodge Dart and Jeep Compass. Additionally, a few kits of the Mopar Chrysler 300 will be shown off.

Ram Trucks will also make an appearance at the show, with the Laramie Limited editions of their pickups, that showcase a comfortable interior decked out in high gloss and leather.

Ford

Ford will bring out a convertible of its ultimate pony car, the GT500. The same 650-hp V8 that’s in the standard GT500 will still be here in the convertible, but we’ve yet to hear if the 200 mph top speed will stick around.

General Motors

GMC’s Acadia will be showing off its new look in Chicago. This 2013 version will be the crossover’s first major styling change since it first appeared in 2006. The Acadia will be the first of many new 2013 GMC models to get a new grille, and will likely be kitted with the new Intillilink infotainment system.

Two other GM crossovers will be redesigned in the same vein: the Buick Encore, and Chevrolet Traverse.

Hyundai

A new Elantra Coupe will be Hyundai’s latest showing at Chicago. This would mark the first time the Elantra has ever been made as a coupe, and will be based on the sedan, and will likely be a bit sportier. Sales could begin as soon as spring.

Additionally, a new version of the Elantra wagon will be seen at the show. The new wagon, will be based on the European Hyundai i30 is expected to launch this summer in North America.

Kia

Imagine a Soul with some sport. What you’ve got in mind is Kia’s Trak’ster, a concept that was designed by Kia’s California team, and will be seen and explained in Chicago. Many details of the car are still in limbo, hopefully Chicago will help clear things up.

Nissan

Fans of the sporty Z cars will be happy to know that the 2013 refresh of the 370Z will be at the Show.

Also, a new version of Nissans commercial truck, the NV will be seen. The NV200 will be a five passenger model to be used primarily as a taxi. The bigger NV1500/2500 and 3000 also be on the floor, including a version for up to 12 passengers.

Toyota

The 2013 Land Cruiser will be launched this month, and we’ll get a preview of the floor-room model in Chicago. The new model will show off a new headlights, side mirrors, taillights, as well as new chrome side molding.

Volkswagen

A new diesel powered Beetle will hit the show floor at Chicago. The new Bug will have three trim levels, and VW tells us it will get 29-mpg city, and 39 mpg highway.

To stay up to date on the latest Chicago Auto Show news, visit our coverage page here.

The Super Bowl only comes once and year, and it brings with it a heated advertising race between car companies to try and captivate the huge audience that watches the big game with eye catching commercials. These are AutoGuide’s picks for the 10 best commercials of this year’s Super Bowl in order from worst to best. And lucky you, there are so many this year we actually left the bad ones out.

Volkswagen first showed off its XL1 Concept at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show, and the futuristic-looking coupe will be making its way to production, albeit in a limited run.

The XL1 will be will be built on Volkswagen’s new modular MQB platform and even though no official photos of what the production model will look like has been released, sources believe that it will closely resemble the concept pictured above. What has been confirmed – at least as confirmed as rumors can be – is that the XL1 will have a new 800-cc, two-cylinder diesel powerplant with 48-hp and 88 lb-ft of torque and will be mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission.

The diesel engine will work with a 27-hp electric motor putting out 103 lb-ft of torque with the electricity being stored in lithium-ion batteries. The XL1 will be able to travel up to 24 miles in all-electric mode and is expected to go 0-62 mph in 11.9 seconds with a top speed limited to 99-mph.

It is believed that the XL1 will be delivered starting next year but Volkswagen did not confirm how many they will be producing or its cost.

GALLERY: Volkswagen XL1 Concept

[Source: Autoweek.nl]

The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI will be going on sale this summer and will make its official debut at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show. VW has fed us some information ahead of its debut, however, revealing that it’ll be available in three trim levels and is expected to get 29-mpg city and 39-mpg highway.

The Beetle TDI will be powered by a 2.0L turbocharged diesel engine with 140-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The engine can be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or Volkswagen’s innovative, dual-clutch DSG six-speed automatic. For the inside, the TDI models feature an extra instrument pod with oil temperature and boost gauges along with a stopwatch.

The three models the Beetle TDI will be available in are TDI, TDI with Sunroof, and TDI with Sunroof, Sound and Navigation. The upgraded models are pretty self-explanatory, with the base model coming with 17-inch wheels standard while the Sunroof model also adds a Premium VIII audio system with a full-color touchscreen display. Lastly, the top-of-the-line model has an RNS 315 navigation system with a five-inch touchscreen display and Fender Premium audio system.

Pricing has not yet been announced.

GALLERY: 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI

See AutoGuide’s complete 2012 Chicago Auto Show Preview Here

Volkswagen‘s Super Bowl ad was teased last week with a musical performance of  dog’s barking the imperial march, which was very entertaining by itself, but it was not evident how VW would tie together both dogs and Star Wars. Well now we know as the company just released the entire commercial for our viewing pleasure.

It is actually two commercials rolled into one, a clever trick to keep both the dog and star wars theme alive. While the dog is cute, it’s only fitting that Volkswagen kept their Star Wars ties strong following the success of last years Super Bowl ad featuring the “Vader kid.”

Well done Volkswagen, well done.

Watch the ad after the jump and tell us what you think in the comments section below.

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Americans are saying “yes” to the 2012 Volkswagen Passat and the German giant is responding in kind by boosting production and adding jobs.

200 more positions are being created at the Chatanooga, Tenn. plant that already manufactures the car. According to Automotive News, the company will achieve this goal by increasing the number of cars produced per hour from 31 to 35. The plant opened in 2011 as part of VW’s plan to boost American sales to 800,000 by 2018.

We’re certainly not complaining about more Passats being available. Changes to the 2012 model make it feel a lot more like a luxury car. Some folks may struggle with the $33,000 price tag for the top-end model, but the base S starts at just $19,995. Read our review here and decide for yourself.

GALLERY: 2012 Passat SEL V6

[Source: Automotive News]

In 1989, Rick Moranis played a nerdy dad who accidentally downsized his children to an insect scale in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. He probably wouldn’t have believed it if someone told him that 23 years later automakers would be doing the same thing to their cars.

For those of us living in the North American 2012, there are increasingly large swarms of little cars buzzing around the streets. The din their tiny engines makes isn’t overwhelming yet, but just wait.

General Motors’ German subsidiary, Opel, is planning to release a micro car they’re calling the Allegra (or, tentatively, Junior). No, not the allergy medication, though the thing is small enough to be mistaken for a bee in ragweed season, at least compared to the standard American palate. When the Allegra hits Europe in 2013 it will probably stand to compete against cars like the Volkswagen Up, MINI Cooper and Fiat 500.

In fact, it’s a solid 3.3 feet longer than the Mercedes-Benz spawned Smart ForTwo, which looks like a cross between a golf cart and an alien space pod. Our spies caught the Opel Allegra on camera during winter testing, but what’s the big deal? Opel cars aren’t sold in North America, right?

Well, not necessarily. Rumors are floating around that the not-so-smallish micro car might make it overseas rebadged as a Buick. (Why not? It’s not the first Buick to come from Opel). And with the recent launch of the Fiat 500 and the Scion iQ on our shores, the market for mini-cars is growing.

Of course, the name will likely change to keep big pharma happy.

GALLERY: Opel Allegra/Junion Spy Photos

Hyundai has made incredible gains in the global market, challenging larger automakers in markets they once dominated. While Volkswagen has globally sold a record number of vehicles in 2011, Hyundai Motors and its Kia affiliate have exceeded VW’s numbers in the United States. According to senior analyst of auto website Edmunds.com Jessica Caldwell, “Hyundai offers compelling design at an affordable price– a win-win for must consumers. Brand exposure has long been the problem for Hyundai, but that has certainly eased.” The South Korean automaker has made some smart moves to gain publicity, including ads aired during the Super Bowl as well as the company’s sponsorship of the World Cup.

The pressure on Volkswagen doesn’t end at North America, however, as Hyundai intends to bring the fight to Europe as well. Chief operating officer Allan Rushforth for Hyundai Europe said, “It’s very important for Hyundai to be successful. Europe is a top priority because it affects how the company is perceived elsewhere.”

Just as European nations tackle a debt crisis and consumers face austerity measures, Hyundai looks to offer products that mix great value, reliability, European styling and handling. While Volkswagen focuses its attention on challenging GM and surpassing them for the title as world’s largest automaker, Hyundai sneaked up on the German Automaker as Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at Germany’s University of Applied Sciences, said, “Hyundai is one of VW’s most serious challengers. The mix of good value, quality and design is a solid basis, and they’ve been getting more innovative every year.”

During the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, a video was posted on YouTube capturing a concerned conversation between VW CEO Martin Wintekorn and his associates at Hyundai’s show floor. Upon studying the adjustable steering column inside the Hyundai i30, Winterkorn  noted, “Nothing rattles. Why can they do it? BMW can’t. We Can’t.”

Winterkorn adds, “It’s become increasingly clear that whoever’s at the front has a lot of opponents. Our competitors are attacking Volkswagen all over the world.”

For Hyundai’s European offensive, the South Korean automaker has prepared a $12.4 billion investment, intended for plant upgrades and vehicle technology development.  Meanwhile, Volkswagen steels itself against imminent competition by holding onto a 62.4 billion euro budget to invest in factories and new vehicles over the next five years.

GALLERY: Hyundai Elantra

[Source: Bloomberg]

Swedish automaker Volvo is looking to shack up with a new mate in the hopes of making a fresh set of small cars. Their current compact, the C30 (above), is based on technology from former parent company Ford.

However, Ford dumped Volvo almost two years ago, passing them off to Chinese Geely Holding Group for $1.8 billion, a fraction of what they originally paid. Now the company says the are welcoming partnerships with other companies to fill the void their former American partner left behind.

Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby told the Financial Times that the company is open to new partners who will be able to share in developing further compact models alongside Volvo in an effort to drive down production costs.

There isn’t an official decision yet about pairing up with any specific company, though it makes sense that Volvo would be looking for a new dance partner given that their current C30 line is nearing the time when a model typically gets a refresh.

The collaborative strategy is becoming increasingly common among automakers as profit margins start to wear thin. Last year Volvo agreed to work with German company Siemens to produce an electric vehicle.

Aside from business to business collaboration, Jacoby is taking Volvo in a similar direction as the last company he managed: Volkswagen. In an effort to cut costs, he’s taken the company from offering 10 engines to only two. He’s also implementing something similar to VW’s “modular box” approach to building cars, where multiple vehicles of different sizes are made in the same facility.

In the spirit of consolidation, Volvo is also expected to launch the compact V40 at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show this March. That car will replace the current S40 and V50 models.

[Source: Financial Times]