The VW Passat is one of the world’s, and Oman’s, most recognisable cars. With its signature large roundel and a new tweak in the tail, The Passat packs in many surprises, none so intriguing as the 1.8-litre TSI engine.

Volkswagen has a series of firsts to its name. It was the first company to make a world wide volume success of a rear engine car in the form of the venerable Beetle. VW also gave us the rear engined VW Bus and some iconic best sellers - the Golf, Polo and Passat being the cars in question. But in today’s day and age, with fuel prices hitting and staying at 120 dollars a barrel and with no end in sight for the energy and environment nightmare, Volkswagen like other car makers wants to be top of mind for doing the right things. And if you look at the series of new engines and the related technologies that VW is introducing in its range, you will be impressed.

Volkswagen Middle East has completed its fourth year in the region with a steady continued growth in market share despite the challenges of the current climate in which the automotive industry has been operating through last year.

During 2009, Volkswagen Middle East recorded positive sales growth in some Middle East markets with sales increasing overall by 18 percent in Lebanon and 15 percent in Kuwait compared to 2008.

Torch Relay

The 20-kilometre long torch relay route stretched along the coast passing Al Alam Palace, old Muscat, Muscat Gate, Mutrah Souk and Qurm Flyover until it reached Qurm Natural Park.  Over 10,000 people were present at the occasion which also included Dignitaries, Ministers and Members of the Royal Family from the different Gulf States.

Sohraab Hasnain, Volkswagen Brand Manager for Wattayah Motors LLC commented, “The relay in Oman was an unprecedented success with thousands of people bracing the streets to watch the torch bearers pass through the city of Muscat.  It was a great honour for Wattayah Motors LLC, partners of Volkswagen Middle East in Oman, to be chosen as the official automobile partner of the Olympic Torch Relay in Muscat. We are very proud to have participated and supported a historic event of this kind.” 

Suzuki Motor Corporation (Hamamatsu, Japan “Suzuki”) and Volkswagen AG (Wolfsburg, Germany “Volkswagen”) have reached a common understanding to establish a comprehensive partnership. A framework agreement has been signed by representatives of both companies.

Volkswagen Middle East presented its new compact Sports Utility Vehicle, the Tiguan, in a regional launch in the magnificent landscapes of Jordan. The two-day event included both on-road and off-road test drives amidst some of the most spectacular scenery

The test drive kicked off on-road in central Amman with a drive through the city. This was followed by a challenging off-road leg through the first phase of the Jordan Rally beside the Dead Sea where the terrains were rocky and steep and provided a staggering number of narrow twists and turns on-route boasting the sophisticated technologies of the Tiguan in its full diversity and glory.  The end of the off-road route took drivers to the top of Dead Sea Mountain where they were treated to a beautiful panoramic view of the area.  More on and off-road test drives of the Tiguan were carried out throughout the day and concluded at the Mövenpick Hotel Dead Sea where we media were able to relax after a fun filled day of adventure in the hotel’s spa facilities and were provided the opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea.

For the third time, the Volkswagen dual charged TSI engines have won the “International Engine of the Year Award” in the “1 litre to 1.4 litres” category.  It is no coincidence that the 103 kW (140 PS) and 125 kW (170 PS) TSIs, which are charged by both a turbocharger and a supercharger, are among the most efficient petrol engines in the world. The motto for these engines is “maximum dynamics with minimum fuel consumption”. This is also how the jury, comprising of 65 journalists from 32 countries, saw it. According to one jury member, “this engine does everything right and fits into the most diverse types of vehicles.” Moreover, the new 122 PS TSI obtained second place in the same category in its first attempt.

Dr. Rüdiger Szengel, Head of Petrol Engine Development, accepted the award for Volkswagen commenting, “Our TSI engines have set the standard since their introduction in the performance class of 90 kW to 125kW. They achieve new levels of economy for petrol engines while providing performance that offers real fun. We take it as a compliment to the entire development team that our TSI has won again in the displacement class of 1.4 litres.”

Customers in the Middle East can now embrace the most powerful Passat in the Volkswagen series, the Passat R36, which has recently been unleashed on the streets around the region.  Under the hood, a 220 kW / 300 hp 3.6 litre six cylinder direct injection gasoline engine powers this high-class sporty sedan. With a top speed electronically regulated at 250 km/h and power transmission handled by a direct shift gearbox (DSG) with permanent four-wheel drive (4MOTION) as standard equipment, the Passat R36 is a unique demonstration of the hallmarks of German innovation and engineering.  In terms of speed, the Passat R36 outstrips every other Volkswagen, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds (5.8 seconds for the Variant).

This July, in Mumbai, Volkswagen began market introduction of the Jetta in India. The sedan – eight million of which have been sold since 1979 – will be available in three versions. At market launch the innovative 6-speed DSG dual clutch transmission will be offered. Other comfort and convenience features round out the program.

The Jetta will be offered in three equipment lines in India. For the entry level model, the Jetta 1.6 Trendline (75 kW / 102 PS), prices start at the currency equivalent of € 18,970. The Jetta 1.9 TDI Trendline (77 kW / 105 PS) is the entry-level variant for diesel engines, costing about € 21,176. The top model, the Jetta 1.9 TDI Comfortline DSG, will sell for about € 24,411.

These engine/transmission combinations, which have enjoyed worldwide success, are linked to equipment packages. Even entry-level models have features such as Climatic or Climatronic, alloy wheels, metallic paint, power mirrors and RCD 300 radio with up to 8 loudspeakers. The top version is rounded out by additional comfort, convenience and infotainment features. These include, power leather seats, rain sensor, cruise control system, an extensive infotainment system (RCD 500 radio with 10 loudspeakers, CD changer, multifunctional display) and additional side airbags in the rear.

Next to the Passat, the Jetta is the second vehicle of the Volkswagen brand to be produced in the Aurangabad plant for India. The Phaeton and Touareg continue to be marketed in India. There is a continued push to expand the dealer and service infrastructure, which is an integral part of the schedule.

Volkswagen Middle East, with the partnership of SAMACO, hosted a month long football competition, the Volkswagen University Football Tournament in the main three cities of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar.

The tournament, which ended on last week, saw over 500 students participating from Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz University in Riyadh, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, King Faisal University and Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University in Khobar and College of Business Administration and King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah. The event also offered the participating students the chance to test drive and experience the high performance of the latest Volkswagen models: Passat CC, Scirocco and Golf VI.

The 3-on-3 football matches took place in a special cage, designed as a football pitch and gave the opportunity for Saudi football enthusiasts to prove their skills and a chance to win the Volkswagen University Football Cup 2009. Sixty four three-player teams participated from each city and competed to acquire the title. Only the top three teams were honored from each city.

Stand by for action as the sixth generation 2010 VW Golf GTI hits the roads in our region. This GTI is one of few most desirable hot hatch models of German origin, and probably among the fastest mainstream models in the segment’s history. Automan was given exclusive access to the car

2010 VW Golf GTI