Luc Donckerwolke is Volkswagen Group's new head of advanced design, reporting directly to Walter de' Silva. Like VW AG design chief de' Silva, Donckerwolke moves into the new corporate job after heading design for the troubled Spanish Seat division, the brand charged with chasing Alfa Romeo buyers

It's Simple: Be the World's Largest Automaker by 2018

The Volkswagen Group is one of the best examples of the new mega-manufacturing machines of the automotive industry. As a family of nine automotive brands, it has the ability to fill just about every mainstream, enthusiast, and barely scratched market. There are several advantages to this combined manufacturing force. One, economy and emissions ratings for smaller efficient models like the Golf and Polo can be used to offset less-efficient models like Aventadors and R8s in corporate averages. Two, technology used to make supercars from Lamborghini and Audi lighter and faster can be used to make Volkswagens lighter and more efficient. Bringing composite and aluminum-alloy manufacturing technology from low- to larger-volume cars also spreads the cost out, bringing prices down.

Will feature the XL1 powertrain

Volkswagen's quest to become a leader in fuel-efficiency is about to take a major leap forward as a new report is indicating the Up! Blue E-motion will have an average fuel consumption of 2.97 L/100km (95 mpg imp / 79.1 mpg US).

Minor styling tweaks, upgraded engines

VW Motorsport chief Wolfgang Duerheimer says he could see one of the VW Group brands entering the sport in 2018

You might dispute whether Volkswagen is a premium brand or not, but few could dispute whether the Touareg is a true premium SUV. Based on a platform shared with the Porsche Cayenne, this off-roader runs with the best; modesty was never its strong point. In Europe and Asia, there is a gasoline W-12 version, rated at 450 horsepower, and the V-10 TDI with its 310-hp engine producing 553 pound-feet of torque was the king of diesel SUVs until its sibling, the Audi Q7, changed the rules with a titanic 500-hp V-12 TDI with 738 pound-feet of torque.

If you still identify Volkswagen with the uncomplicated—and mechanically simple—original Beetle, it’s time to update your thinking. Times have changed, and the focus at VW is now on technology and modern design. The recently launched Golf VI provided a strong hint of where VW is headed with its high-volume cars, but it’s this new Polo that really lights the way. See, the Golf VI is burdened with many carry-over parts from the Golf V, a.k.a. Rabbit, whereas the Polo is the first all-new car from the latest leadership group at the helm of Vee-Dub. “What you see here is VW design for the coming 10 years,” the company told us at the car’s launch in Sardinia. “This car we designed from scratch. A simple, crisp design leading to the future—which will be a lot different from the present.”

It was the Rabbit, then it was the Golf and now it's the Rabbit again. Same car. Five generations. Two names. But Volkswagen's name game with its least expensive model has only taken place in the American market. In the rest of the world it was the Golf, it is the Golf and it will remain the Golf.

BMW 325xi Touring. Too small.

Audi A4 Avant. Way too small.

Audi A6 Avant. Too expensive.

BMW 530xi Touring. Way too expensive.

Mercedes-Benz E350 Touring. Way, way too expensive.

Dodge Magnum R/T. Too plasticky.

Subaru Outback. Too gimmicky.

Volvo V70. Too safe.

Mazda 6 Wagon. Too monochromatic.

Volkswagen Passat Wagon. Just right.

We hope you've enjoyed your trip through the mind of the average Volkswagen Passat Wagon buyer. Please watch your step when debraining.

Next time you're feeling a little groggy at the start of your commute, forget Starbucks. We've found that a good smoky burnout will produce the same effect as a triple macchiato. We're not sure if it's the smell of melting Michelins or the neighbors screaming for you to grow up, but a good spin of the tires always leaves us feeling quite wide awake — and it doesn't cost four bucks either.

When we set out to photograph the 2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T we had several hip urban locations in mind. Our first choice was the Disney Concert Hall, a strikingly modern structure worthy of serving as a backdrop to the newly redesigned sedan, but we were chased away by a film crew already setting up shop at the Downtown L.A. landmark. Welcome to Tinsel Town.

Fun. It's what's been missing from the recently redesigned Volkswagen Jetta. VW gave the car new lines, a bigger cabin and more power across the board, but somewhere along the way, the Jetta got a bit too serious. So far there have been just two models, the entry-level 2.5 and the frugal TDI.

Why We Bought It
The question we hoped to solve by including the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta in our long-term fleet was this: Did that special quality in previous generations of Jettas carry forward into this redesigned, larger and very different model? Another way to put it was: Is there still German-car feel in this German car?

The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta got off to an inauspicious start. When we first drove the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL we said, "The reason it's hard to love and fully recommend the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is because it's a step backward in a number of ways. The cost-cutting scissors were out in force this time around and it's all too obvious where money was saved."

Executive editor Ed Loh recently used the Routan as a tour bus, lugging six friends to major tourist spots in the Los Angeles area, including Philippe's the Original (best French dip sandwiches in town), Olvera Street, and Chinatown, plus Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive, and the Farmers Market.