VW Sees Production Stoppages Due To New Testing Rules
BERLIN/FRANKFURT, June 6 (Reuters) - Volkswagen faces production stoppages next quarter due to bottlenecks caused by new lab tests for emissions and fuel consumption, and will discuss the implications for workers in the coming days, it said on Wednesday. Carmakers are rushing to get models through WLTP tests on a limited number of exhaust emission test benches as they won't be able to sell new vehicles after Sept. 1 without the testing. At the German company's VW brand alone, more than 200 models require new emissions and fuel economy readings, it said. Production at the main Wolfsburg plant, which employs 62,000 staff and builds the Golf, Tiguan and Touran models, will be halted on certain days in August and September, group Chief Executive Herbert Diess told a staff gathering. Works council chief Bernd Osterloh called on management to find ways to cope with the effects of production disruptions, saying they couldn't be blamed on staff. Volkswagen's sports-car brand Porsche last week said it would temporarily limit the number of models it sells in Europe due to the switch to WLTP standards, without being more specific. When publishing its detailed 2017 financial results in March, the VW brand listed WLTP among the potential risks for 2018, alongside the costs for its electric-car programme and regulations to curb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Well, the TCR certainly delivers a dose more straight-line pace than the car on which it was based - though not a huge one. There is only 7lb ft of extra torque on offer here than in a GTI Performance, which probably isn鈥檛 enough to notice in terms of mid-range thrust - although the TCR doesn鈥檛 feel short on the stuff. Does the TCR drive better than every other hot Golf? Whether the TCR鈥檚 ride and handling keep it in that conversation, however, is unexpectedly open to question. From an engineering team that could so easily have simply duplicated the axles of the superb GTI Clubsport S here, but for some reason chose not to, that comes as a surprise to say the least. The car is totally at home on track, particularly so on the optional Michelin Cup 2 rubber on which we tested it - but with more notable precision and unflappable stability about its handling than balance and direction-changing vigour. It鈥檚 enormously capable and viceless when being driven fast, keeping its body supremely flat and working its tyres very evenly, and sticking as assiduously to a chosen line as a besieged British cabinet minister. On the road, though, where you expect a fast Golf to be nothing short of brilliant, the TCR鈥檚 ride is guilty of the odd stumble and stutter. Maybe. We'd be able to answer that in more emphatic fashion, however, if the suppleness and road-suitability that the GTI TCR has clearly surrendered had been traded for a more tactile, engaging, playful and vigorous dynamic character. But, while good, it鈥檚 not quite made it that far. Instead, and unlike its extra-special predecessor, the GTI TCR doesn't so easily escape the bounds of the ordinary.
The 2016 VW Golf R's interior is very similar to that of the GTI. It's characterized by a conservative design that makes use of high-quality materials and thoughtful placement of controls. The Golf R's interior will never be called exuberant, but if you like understated yet upscale furnishings, it hits the spot. Replacing last year's subpar infotainment system is a new setup with a slightly larger 6.5-inch touchscreen and advanced smartphone integration in the form of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink functionality. The graphics still aren't up to the standard set by the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works' optional 8.8-inch infotainment display, but in general this is a more satisfying system that improves the user experience for Golf R owners. Happily, VW has also discarded its unloved proprietary music interface, replacing it with a conventional USB port that complements the more permanent digital music storage provided by the SD card reader. In terms of comfort, the Golf R gets high marks. The standard sport seats offer suitable lateral support for aggressive driving, yet they're also comfortable on longer road trips. There's a wealth of front-seat space, even for larger drivers and passengers. Compared to other compact hatchbacks, the Golf R's rear seats are also quite generous, providing adult-size head- and legroom. The rear seat cushions are mounted a bit low, however, making them better suited to smaller occupants over long distances. With the rear seatbacks folded, the Golf R offers cargo capacity on par with some compact SUVs. Behind the rear seats, up to 22.8 cubic feet of luggage space is available, and there's certainly more than enough space here for day-to-day duties. Fold those seatbacks down flat and you've got up to 52.7 cubic feet, making the Golf R a cargo-carrying leader in the class.
If North-American consumers want compact SUVs that feature lots of interior space and don鈥檛 care too much about driving dynamics, Volkswagen was missing the mark with its first-generation Tiguan. The latter was often described as the 鈥淰olkswagen GTI of SUVs,鈥?which was actually pretty accurate. However, over the years, the Tiguan鈥檚 rivals grew in size, and although it was the most fun-to-drive compact SUV, something had to be done to keep a respectable market share. The second-generation, 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan was introduced and to make sure interior space wasn鈥檛 an issue for U.S. Canadian buyers, the company created not one, but two versions of the vehicle. In Europe, there鈥檚 the regular Tiguan, and there鈥檚 the bigger Tiguan Allspace. In North America, the latter is the only version we鈥檙e getting, which benefits from a wheelbase extension of 110 millimetres. This allows for more cargo space, but also the option of adding a third-row seat. It joins the select crowd of seven-passenger compact SUVs that includes the Dodge Journey, the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Nissan Rogue. So, could we buy a seven-seat Tiguan instead of the bigger Volkswagen Atlas if we鈥檙e frequently hauling more than five passengers?
