Volkswagen is tuning in to customer demand and fitting DAB radios as standard on all models from the Polo to the Phaeton, giving buyers not only a wider choice of radio stations but also a higher quality of sound.

The change means all 2013 model-year Volkswagens, from the Polo to the Phaeton, will be ready for the UK’s switch to digital radio.  Digital radio not only offers listeners clear, crackle-free sound, but it also gives them a bigger choice of radio stations than is available through conventional FM or AM broadcasts alone.  Listening options range from specialist music stations to comedy, current affairs and, of course, the all-important cricket coverage.

Naturally, all of Volkswagen’s audio systems will still be able to pick up conventional FM or AM analogue radio signals, as well as play audio CDs (including MP3 files), while every model in the Volkswagen range comes with an aux-in socket, to allow the connection of external audio devices such as an iPod or MP3 player.

To make the most of the higher quality of digital audio, every model from the Polo S upwards now comes with at least six speakers (the majority of models have eight speakers), connected to a standard RCD 310 audio unit or better.

Upgrade options include the MDI multi-device interface, which allows easy connection of iPods or USB sticks, which can then be controlled via the car’s audio system; Bluetooth connection of compatible telephones; Bluetooth music playback; audiophile-pleasing speakers and amplifiers from Danish specialist Dynaudio; higher-power audio systems with colour touchscreen controls and an SD memory card slot; and touchscreen satellite navigation systems, including with built-in HD memory.  Beetle models may also be optionally ordered with an audio system developed in conjunction with legendary guitar and amplifier manufacturer, Fender.

The 2013 model-year vehicles can be ordered from your Volkswagen retailer now. To find your nearest Volkswagen retailer please visit http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/find-a-retailer.

This year, the Volkswagen Group will be introducing the Modular Transverse Matrix – the German acronym is MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten) – for the Volkswagen, Audi, ŠKODA and SEAT brands. The MQB strategy represents a turning point in the design and production of future automobiles with transverse-mounted engines. The Modular Transverse Matrix standardises many vehicle component parameters – across brands and vehicle classes. At the same time, it offers access to new technologies.

The MQB extends from the A0 to the B segment. At the Volkswagen brand, for example, it covers the following models: Polo, Beetle, Golf, Scirocco, Jetta, Tiguan, Touran, Sharan, Passat and Volkswagen CC. In the future, all of these models could theoretically be produced on the same assembly line – despite their different wheelbases and track widths. It will be possible to produce MQB models of different brands together. The first new vehicles to be produced based on the MQB will be the successor to the Audi A3 and the next generation Golf.

One of the prominent characteristics of the Modular Transverse Matrix is the uniform mounting position of all engines. Two systems integrated in the MQB strategy which play a key role here are the modular petrol engine system (MOB) with the new EA211 engine series (60 to 150 PS) – this range includes the world’s first four-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivation (ACT) – and the modular diesel engine system (MDB) with the new EA288 engine series (90 to 190 PS). In one fell swoop, the new engine series will reduce the Group’s engine and gearbox variants in the MQB system by approximately 90 per cent, without a detrimental effect. On the contrary; in addition to standardising conventional internal combustion engines, the MQB also enables an identical mounting position for all current alternative drive concepts without limitations – from natural gas and hybrid versions to the pure electric drive. Volkswagen has already announced the launch of the latter within the MQB in 2013 in the new Golf Blue-e-Motion.

The MQB opens up new opportunities at the Volkswagen Group, allowing it to produce high-volume and niche models at the highest quality and extremely competitive costs over the long term and worldwide – vehicles that are individually tailored to the requirements of very diverse markets such as Europe, China and America, as well as emerging markets such as India. In parallel, the Volkswagen Group will significantly reduce vehicle weights with the launch of the first MQB model series and will introduce 20 innovations in the areas of safety and infotainment, which until now were reserved for higher vehicle segments.

They include the new multicollision brake; after an initial collision, it helps to reduce the intensity of secondary collisions by automatically initiated braking. Very recently, ADAC awarded this system the ‘Yellow Angel’ award for innovations. The multicollision brake will be standard equipment in the next generations of the Audi A3 and the Golf.

Within the Group, the MQB developed under the auspices of the Volkswagen brand is supplemented by the Modular Longitudinal System (MLB) from Audi, the Modular Standard System (MSB) with Porsche as the competence centre and finally the ‘New Small Family’ – the most compact vehicle model series with the Volkswagen up!, SEAT Mii and ŠKODA Citigo.

One indicator of the pioneering significance of the modular systems strategy and the innovative potential realised by these new vehicle and production architectures is that Volkswagen was selected as one of five finalists for the ‘Innovation Award of the German Economy – The World’s First Innovation Award®’ for its Modular Transverse Matrix. This prestigious award for outstanding technical, scientific and intellectual achievements has been awarded annually since 1980 by the Economics Club of Rhein-Main and since 2011 in conjunction with the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. On 11 February, the prize winners will be announced at the Palais 'Thurn und Taxis' in Frankfurt, Germany, by Günther Oettinger, EU Commissar for Energy.

The latest Beetle might be ‘more power, less flower’, but that doesn’t mean that it’s anything other than environmentally conscientious, and that’s especially the case with the E-Bugster concept, which is powered purely by electricity.  

Revealed this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the
two-seat E-Bugster continues the latest Beetle’s sporty theme.  An electric motor provides 85 kWh of power, which can propel it from 0 to 60 mph in 10.9 seconds, and yet offer a range of at least 110 miles from the 28.3 kWh lithium-ion batteries.  Even in a country as large as America, that’s sufficient for the majority of commuters’ needs, while if the E-Bugster needs a top-up, a fast-charging function allows complete recharging in just 35 minutes.

The quick charging is possible thanks to a new Combined Charging System that was developed in co-operation with Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche, Ford and General Motors/Opel.  This allows charging via single-phase AC sources (for example a 120-Volt US or 230-Volt European domestic outlet) or via ultra-fast DC sources at specific charging stations.  To succeed, this will require the development of a uniform industry standard for sockets and plugs and also for the charge controller, so that all charging types can be handled.

Of course, the E-Bugster doesn’t charge only when plugged in: as soon as the driver’s foot leaves the accelerator pedal kinetic energy is transformed into electricity and stored in the battery.  Applying the brakes increases the intensity of regeneration, a function that is indicated to the driver in the instrument panel.  Other instruments include driving range and battery state indicators, and a meter that shows how much energy the driver is requesting via the accelerator pedal.

At 4,278 mm long and 1,838 mm wide, the E-Bugster is the same length as a standard Beetle but 30 mm wider, while the new roof lowers the height by around 90 mm to 1,400 mm.  This helps to give the E-Bugster its more dynamic and sporty look.  The low, swept-back windscreen ensures maximum visibility, as does the wide rear screen, which shows that speedster-style vehicles need not be impractical.

Both front and rear bumpers have been substantially modified from those of the production Beetle.  At the front, LED daytime running lights at the outer edges of the central air intake form a C-shape on the left that is mirrored on the right – a signature feature of Volkswagen’s electric vehicle concepts.  This is also true at the back, where reflectors take the place of LEDs.  Beneath the flared wheel arches sit 20-inch alloy wheels that are adapted from the 18-inch ‘Twister’ alloys of the production car, with 235/35 tyres.  Around the bottom edge of the side windows is a chrome strip that loops around the vehicle from A-pillar to A-pillar.  From this chrome strip to the top of the E-Bugster’s hard top the height is a low 400mm.  

Inside, the two-seat interior reflects the E-Bugster’s blend of high-tech and sportiness, with sports seats nestling either side of a continuous centre console, plus aluminium door handles and seatbelt guides.

Starting the E-Bugster is pure theatre: upon pressing the Start button the interior is bathed in white light, then blue light.  It starts with a light pulse in the instrument cluster, from where the light emanates in a millimetre-wide strip, coursing into the doors and around the air nozzles.

If the E-Bugster’s name is familiar, it should be: it takes some inspiration from the Ragster concept that made its debut at the 2005 Detroit Show, and which itself inspired the current Beetle.  The ‘E’ of the name signifies the vehicle’s electric power, and the ‘Bug’ part of the name should need no explanation.

The E-Bugster is only a concept at this stage.  The petrol-powered production Beetle is available to order now, with first deliveries due in April.  For more details click here.

Volkswagen is the first manufacturer in the world to implement cylinder shut-off on a four-cylinder TSI engine in high-volume production.  The primary goal of the high-tech system is to reduce fuel consumption significantly by temporarily shutting off two of the four cylinders under low to medium loads.  In fact, cylinder shut-off reduces fuel consumption of the 1.4-litre TSI by 0.4 litre per 100 km in the NEDC driving cycle. When Start/Stop functionality is integrated, which deactivates the engine in neutral gear, the savings effect adds up to about 0.6 litre per 100 km.

The greatest benefits of the cutting edge technology are realised while driving at constant moderate speeds.  At 50 km/h, in third or fourth gear, savings amount to nearly one litre per 100 km.  This new fuel efficient TSI will therefore also fulfil the future EU6 emissions standard.  High efficiency does not exclude driving comfort: even when running on just two cylinders, the 1.4-litre TSI – with its excellent engine balance – is still very quiet and low in vibration.

Cylinder shut-off is active whenever the engine speed of the 1.4-litre TSI is between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm and its torque is between 25 and 75 Nm.  This applies to nearly 70 per cent of the driving distance in the EU fuel economy driving cycle.  As soon as the driver presses the accelerator pedal sufficiently hard, cylinders 2 and 3 are reactivated imperceptibly.  The system takes its information from the accelerator pedal sensor to detect the mode of driving.  If the driving exhibits a non-uniform pattern – for example, while driving in roundabout traffic or in a sporty style on a country road – shut-off functionality is automatically suppressed.

NILS, a single-seat electric concept vehicle that offers a glimpse of a new form of minimalist mobility, has been unveiled ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.  This concept car – which features an aluminium space frame, wing doors and free-standing wheels – has the dynamic performance of a sports car, yet travels silently, and with zero emissions. 

The NILS project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, and is designed to be both technically realistic and economically supportable.

‘NILS anticipates the future.  The goal of the NILS project is to research a technically concrete and economically feasible vehicle concept for micromobility which restructures individual transportation to make it more efficient and environmentally compatible based on electric drive technology,’ said Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the Board of Management and Head of Development for the Volkswagen Brand.

With a range of 65 kilometres (40 miles) and a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) NILS would be the ideal vehicle for the majority of commuters in Germany.  According to the German Bureau of Statistics, 73.9 per cent of all commuters residing between Berlin and Munich cover less than 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) on their way to work. 

Cars have always been mirrors of their times – their design styles and technological standards reflecting a particular era – and NILS is no different.  It uses emissions-reducing electric drive technology to fulfil the specific requirements of commuters.  In Germany, for example, about 60 per cent of all commuters travel by car, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics; of these over 90 per cent travel alone.  Zero-emissions vehicles like NILS will offer these frequent drivers a new eco-friendly mobility solution.

NILS is a very compact car that requires extremely little space in traffic.  It is only 3.04 metres long – making it about 50 cm shorter than the new Volkswagen up! – just 0.39 metres wide from wheel to wheel, and a mere 1.2 metres tall.

NILS has the same basic layout as a Formula 1 race car, with the driver in the middle, the engine in back, and free-standing outboard wheels.  The 17-inch alloy wheels are equipped with 115/80 (front) and 125/80 (rear) tyres optimised for low rolling resistance. 

Though its inspiration may come from Formula 1, the styling has its origins at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Potsdam, Berlin.  Designer Thomas Ingenlath, the centre’s director, said: ‘NILS was designed to make a visual statement and transport a vision of the automotive future to the present.  I am especially pleased that we managed to implement the concept of the two glass wing doors.  This allowed us to create large transparent surfaces and simultaneously to make entering and exiting the vehicle very comfortable, even in the most cramped of parking spaces.’

Because NILS is so compact and lightweight (460 kg), it is a lot of fun to drive.  It has a top speed of 130 km/h, and can accelerate to 100 km/h in less than 11 seconds.  This is achieved using an electric motor with a reasonably small 15 kW nominal power and short-term peak power of 25 kW.  A lithium-ion battery supplies the electric motor with energy.  The battery capacity (5.3 kWh) enables driving ranges of up to 65 km, depending on the style of driving.  A battery of this size is relatively inexpensive, and can be charged either via a conventional 230-volt electrical outlet (maximum charging time two hours) or at an electric vehicle charging station.  The socket is located at the back underneath the rear lighting module.

The centrepiece of the electric drive system is the lightweight 19 kg electric motor together with its transmission and battery.  Energy management is via a high-voltage pulse inverter, which – together with the 12-Volt DC/DC converter for the vehicle electrical system and the charger – forms an integral drive unit.  All drive unit components are located compactly in an aluminium housing at the rear of NILS; drive is to the rear wheels.

The motor, battery and all other components are so compact that there is still space for a small but practical bootspace.  The body-coloured area above the rear lighting module swings upward, revealing space suitable for items such as a case of drinks and a bag. 

Optimal weight distribution helps to ensure that NILS allows drivers not only to commute with zero emissions, but also to have fun while doing so.  The lightweight NILS drives like a go-kart.  The steering is purely mechanical (the low weight means power assistance is unnecessary), while the electric motor produces its maximum torque of 130 Nm from standstill, via a one-speed transmission.  Suspension is by double wishbones front and rear; while ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) helps to tame any over-exuberance on the part of the driver. 

Safety is of course even more important than fun, and NILS is fitted with an automatic distance control system.  This uses radar sensors to scan the space in front of the vehicle over a distance of about 200 metres and uses brake interventions to ensure that the distance to vehicles in traffic in front of the car does not drop below a specified minimum value.  The system can even automatically brake the car to a stop, depending on the situation.  Not only are the four disc brakes used to brake; electric traction by electric motor and battery regeneration can be used to brake as well.  Last but not least, Front Assist is integrated in the automatic distance control system.  This continually active system warns the driver of a potential collision; at speeds below 30 km/h (18 mph), automatic braking can avoid a collision under some circumstances.

The instrument cluster is a seven-inch TFT display.  The vehicle’s speed is shown digitally in the middle, while energy flow is represented by bars.  Another graphic display offers information on the driving range.  The second central instrument is a mobile multifunctional device like the one used in the new up!: the Portable Infotainment Device (PID).  It is snapped into the A-pillar to the right of the instrument cluster.  Via touchscreen, the driver controls functions related to Navigation, Radio, Media, Telephone, Trip computer and – to preconfigure the driving range – ‘Eco.  The PID computes the expected driving range, then it not only displays the route on the map display, but also the radius and thereby the destinations that can be reached using the current battery charge.

To save on weight and costs, certain functional elements and controls do without electrical assistance.  The side mirrors, for example, are adjusted manually.  The heating and ventilation system has full electronic control, and there is seat heating.  Located to the right of the steering column is the motor start-stop switch; this round switch is also used to select D, N or R.

The aluminium space frame body was designed to be a highly effective safety cell.  The body in white is produced from extruded aluminium, cast aluminium and sheet aluminium.  The roof frame together with the door mounts, a roll bar, the bootspace and the front bulkhead consist of high-strength sheet aluminium.  Extruded aluminium is used in the side sills, the transverse profiles and the front and rear car sections.  The front and rear side body are aluminium.  Parts made of high-strength plastic include the bumpers and the trim panels on the side sills.

The frames of the wing doors consist of three main elements: an inner section, a crash reinforcement section and an exterior part.  When closed, they offer optimal crash safety.  The door windows are made of lightweight, scratch-resistant, layered polycarbonate, while the front window is made of laminated safety glass.

The headlights are striking bi-xenon modules, while the indicator lights and daytime running lights are white and yellow LEDs.  In the acrylic glass of the rear lights – integrated in the rear section like small wings – the light generated by LEDs is routed via transparent semiconductors which (appropriately for an electric vehicle) consume minimal amounts of power.