Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion

Following its unveiling at the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen has announced final specifications for the Passat BlueMotion.Available as a sedan or estate, the eco-minded family car is powered by a 1.6-liter TDI engine that produces 105 PS (77 kW / 103 hp) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. This enables the sedan to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 12.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 198 km/h (0-100 km/h in 12.2 seconds and a top speed of 196 km/h in the estate). More importantly, thanks to a start/stop system, improved aerodynamics and a lowered ride height, owners can expect to average 4.1 L/100km with CO2 emissions of 109 g/km (4.3 L/100km and 113 g/km in the estate). That's an improvement of 0.1 L/100km for both sedan and wagon.

Currently available at dealerships, the Passat BlueMotion is priced from €26,450 in Germany.

Volkswagen to announce WRC

One of the largest automakers in the world, VW's factory-supported racing activities are largely limited to Audi and its considerable Le Mans program and Volkswagen's own Dakar efforts, with a handful of lower-level initiatives and non-works entries in other series. We're still expecting a big shake-up, but the first step, according to reports, will see the Volkswagen brand launch a challenge for the World Rally Championship.The initiative was set to launch last month at the WRC Portugal Rally, but Germans being Germans, the launch was reportedly delayed because the papers had yet to be signed by the right people. With all the Johan Hanckonenshteins now apparently in place, the program is set to be announced next month at Italy's Sardegna rally.Volkswagen's WRC entry is expected to revolve around the Polo (pictured above in South Africa in S2000 rally spec), which will challenge select rounds in 2012 before going flat-out for the full season in 2013 – similar to the path which Mini and Prodrive have taken with their new entry. Norwegian driver Petter Solberg – who won the championship for Subaru in 2003

Volkswagen Golf

Except for the all-new 2011 Jetta, which has quite publicly been designed to cost both the company and the buyers less, Volkswagen continually offers high-quality interiors, German solidity, and luxury features not normally found on its competitors.It’s easy to spot the visual changes: the headlights, front fascia and grille mimic the style introduced on the Euro-only Scirocco coupe, while the rear gets more angular horizontal taillights and redesigned bumper. New wheels highlight every model, from 15-inch steelies with plastic covers up to 17-in alloys on more expensive trims.

Inside, the dash has been refined with subtle aluminum trim, a new three-spoke steering wheel and HVAC controls. The twin gauge pods follow the bright-white style of the CC, and they flank a driver information screen that’s legible and useful. The 2.5 comes with an eight-speaker sound system that’s better than average, but TDI’s get a touch-screen head unit with an in-dash six-CD changer, redundant audio controls on the steering wheel and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity.