Rabbit/golf US update 4 motion rabbit !

[audivwdave]

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Volkswagen headquarters has told Inside Line that the all-new sixth-generation GTI and Rabbit will go on sale in the U.S. by early September 2009. The new models start production for North America in late June. European buyers started taking delivery of the new Golf/Rabbit last month and will get the GTI next summer.


Of the roughly 42,000 Rabbits and GTIs sold in the U.S. during 2007, some 15,000 — or more than a third — were GTIs. That explains a quick schedule to get the new GTI to the U.S. after deliveries start in Germany next June. "In fact," a contact in Wolfsburg told IL, "in our desire to sell one million cars in the U.S. by 2018, there's no reason to doubt that over 100,000 of those need to be Rabbits and GTIs."


VW is also hinting at a very reasonable North American price increase for the new model compared with the current one — a decision in line with the pricing approach in the home market that adds the equivalent of only $250 to the base price of each model.


All North American GTIs will come with standard adaptive cruise control (ACC), adaptive chassis control (DCC) and 19-inch wheels. Base Rabbit engines will keep the current 2.5-liter in-line five cylinder. The GTI will get a 2.0-liter TFSI, and joining these will be the new 2.0-liter TDI. Word has it also that the 1.8-liter TFSI may come in to replace the old five-cylinder.
On the heels of the general North American market launch will be the arrival of a Rabbit 4Motion, the next incarnation of the R32, a TwinDrive hybrid version and a Rabbit running LPG natural gas.



As for full electric Rabbits, VW is known to be working on lithium-ion battery development with Münster University in Germany. "A truly desirable package that still leaves room for cargo and people, charges quickly and provides realistic range is perhaps seven or eight years off."



Inside Line says: With the Great Downturn in the world economy — led by the U.S. disaster — VW is getting its small wondercar to us more rapidly than it did with the last generation. — Matt Davis, Correspondent

[sprstu]

sweet. 2.0tdi ftw.

[gli_ryan]

awesome. i heard they might call the new r32 just the gti-r or something? no vr, just the 2.0t attached to 4motion. anyone else hear this?

[audivwdave]

Yeah like 2 months ago haha.

[shanetrain]

But the vr sounds like pure sex, don't get rid of it

[sgt snuffles]

please dont otherwise ill be stuck with my vr for the rest of my life since i love htem so much.
is the R42 still in works or will we never see it? the i-5 TT? how bout 4.2l vr6 TT

[gli_ryan]

Yeah like 2 months ago haha.

hey dont be a bitch!

I hope they don't get rid of the vr either, I would request a 6 speed manual option though.

[audivwdave]

Dont bother requesting anything cuz afterall this is volkswagen we are dealing with. They give us what they think we need....crap.

[gli_ryan]

for sure, they give what they want to give. i don't get it though, if they think what they are offering is good enough, GTI, why would they make something different but not offer it some places, scirroco. to my, what may be simple, mind it just doesn't make sense. thats just an example, but its like crippling me and my views toward their choices.