All posts tagged: Volkswagen

Volkswagen T-Roc: Class action | The Independent

Volkswagen T-Roc: Class action | The Independent

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get our weekly Drive Smart newsletter for motoring news, reviews and advice from EV editor Steve Fowler Get motoring news, reviews and advice from EV editor Steve Fowler Get our EV editor’s weekly Drive Smart newsletter Essentially, the Volkswagen T-Roc is a taller, slightly roomier, more practical version of the newish Mk 8 VW Golf, with which it shares many of its components and basic engineering architecture. As a “compact SUV” or “crossover” – it’s not a serious off-roader – it is also fashionable, and sits squarely in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the market, while this latest iteration of the line looks just as smart as its predecessor, this being only the second generation since 2017. It deserves its success, and I would fully expect it to be a real sales winner for VW this year, back in the Top 10 of UK bestsellers, and approaching, if not exceeding, the popularity of the VW Golf itself. The Volkswagen Group has its problems, but models such as this conventional front-wheel-drive, petrol-based mild hybrid model …

Xpeng spends 0M/year on AI training to beat Tesla FSD

Xpeng spends $500M/year on AI training to beat Tesla FSD

Published by skeptic

Xpeng’s head of autonomous driving told Electrek that the company is spending roughly 300 million RMB (~$41 million) per month on AI training alone and believes it has already reached parity with Tesla’s FSD v13 — with v14 within reach before the end of summer. I sat down with Dr. Xianming Liu, head of Xpeng’s General Intelligence Center, the day after he delivered a keynote at CVPR 2026 in Denver — sharing the stage with Tesla’s Ashok Elluswamy and leaders from Nvidia and Waymo at one of the world’s top computer vision conferences. The conversation covered Xpeng’s VLA 2.0 architecture, the company’s sensor strategy, its Volkswagen licensing deal, and why Dr. Liu believes the entire autonomous driving industry needs to stop treating language models as the answer to self-driving. Here’s the full interview: Advertisement – scroll for more content ‘Language is poison’ Dr. Liu has become known for a provocative statement: “language is poison” when it comes to autonomous driving. In our interview, he explained the nuance behind that headline. Xpeng’s first-generation VLA (Vision-Language-Action) model …

Volkswagen reveals first electric GTI hot hatch for $45K [Images]

Volkswagen reveals first electric GTI hot hatch for $45K [Images]

Published by skeptic

The first electric GTI is finally here. Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Polo GTI, a sporty 222-horsepower EV hot hatch that will start at around $45,000. Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI debuts as first electric hot hatch 50 years after launching the first Golf GTI in 1976, Volkswagen is taking the iconic badge into a new era with the ID. Polo GTI. The ID. Polo is “100% electric and 100% GTI,” Volkswagen declared after introducing it for the first time on Friday at the 24h race at the Nürburgring. Volkswagen said the first electric GTI “feels like a quintessential GTI,” equipped with a front-mounted electric motor delivering 222 hp (166 kW) and 290 Nm of max torque, enabling it to sprint from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 6.8 seconds. Advertisement – scroll for more content While it’s not the fastest, the ID. Polo makes up for it in other areas, delivering an authentic hot-hatch drive. The ID. Polo GTI features a front differential lock, adaptive DCC sports suspension, and progressive steering, specifically to give you more control …

Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI leaks as spicy new EV hot hatch [Images]

Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI leaks as spicy new EV hot hatch [Images]

Published by skeptic

The ID. Polo GTI is Volkswagen’s first electric GTI. A day before its official debut, images leaked online, revealing the EV hot hatch for the first time. First images of the Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI leak While its world premiere is scheduled for May 15, we are already getting a sneak peek at Volkswagen’s first all-electric GTI. The ID. Polo GTI “takes the GTI into the electric future,” arriving 50 years after the first Volkswagen Golf GTI was launched in 1976. While we will learn all the details on Friday, we do know it will be the most powerful Polo yet with a front-mounted electric motor delivering 222 hp (166 kW). The EV hot hatch will use the same 52.2 kWh battery as the standard 155 kW drive ID. Polo, providing a WLTP range of up to 282 miles (484 km). Advertisement – scroll for more content Leading up to its debut, Volkswagen has shared plenty of camouflaged near-production prototypes, but now we are finally getting our first look at the production version uncovered. The …

Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI leaks as spicy new EV hot hatch [Images]

Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI leaks as spicy new EV hot hatch

Published by skeptic

The ID. Polo GTI is Volkswagen’s first electric GTI. A day before its official debut, images leaked online, revealing the EV hot hatch for the first time. First images of the Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI leak Update 5/15/2026: Volkswagen officially unveils the ID. Polo GTI (see the full details and images here). While its world premiere is scheduled for May 15, we are already getting a sneak peek at Volkswagen’s first all-electric GTI. The ID. Polo GTI “takes the GTI into the electric future,” arriving 50 years after the first Volkswagen Golf GTI was launched in 1976. Advertisement – scroll for more content While we will learn all the details on Friday, we do know it will be the most powerful Polo yet with a front-mounted electric motor delivering 222 hp (166 kW). The EV hot hatch will use the same 52.2 kWh battery as the standard 155 kW drive ID. Polo, providing a WLTP range of up to 282 miles (484 km). Leading up to its debut, Volkswagen has shared plenty of camouflaged near-production …

XPeng in talks to buy a Volkswagen plant in Europe as exports surge 62%

XPeng in talks to buy a Volkswagen plant in Europe as exports surge 62%

Published by skeptic

Volkswagen begins ID.UNYX 08 series production, its first EV developed with XPeng (Source: XPeng Motors) XPeng (XPEV) is in talks with Volkswagen about acquiring a factory in Europe as the Chinese EV maker’s contract production in Austria runs out of capacity. The company’s exports hit a record 6,006 vehicles in April, up 62% year-over-year. The move comes just one day after BYD revealed it is also pursuing European factory deals with Stellantis and other automakers, signaling a broader wave of Chinese automakers moving to localize production on the continent. XPeng outgrowing its Austrian production line Elvis Cheng, XPeng’s managing director of northeastern Europe, revealed the negotiations at the Financial Times’ Future of the Car summit on Wednesday. He confirmed XPeng is discussing with Volkswagen the possibility of finding a production location in Europe, according to a Financial Times report. XPeng currently builds vehicles for the European market at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria, which has been producing the G6 and G9 models since September 2025 to avoid the EU’s steep tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. …

Volkswagen brings ID. Buzz back for 2027, the ID.4 goes on hiatus

Volkswagen brings ID. Buzz back for 2027, the ID.4 goes on hiatus

Published by skeptic

The ID. Buzz is coming back for the 2027 model year. While the electric van is set to return, Volkswagen said the ID.4 is now going on a brief hiatus. Volkswagen reveals 2027 US lineup changes After a short absence, Volkswagen announced that the electric minibus will return to its 2027 US lineup. Volkswagen confirmed in December that the ID. Buzz would not receive a 2026 model year. Instead, it said it would use the resources to sell down 2025 models as it prepared for the MY27 transition. It’s official. Volkswagen is making good on its promise, bringing the ID. Buzz back for a 2027 model year, including a new Tourer model designed for overnight camping trips. The 2027 ID. Buzz will be available in Pro S RWD, Pro S 4Motion, Tourer 4Motion, and Pro S Plus 4Motion trims. Based on the European “Good Night Package,” the new Tourer model offers a fold-out mattress, window blinds, front-window ventilation panels, and a table and chairs for outdoor use. Advertisement – scroll for more content A new …

Volkswagen is about to reveal the first electric GTI

Volkswagen is about to reveal the first electric GTI

Published by skeptic

After five decades, Volkswagen confirmed the first electric GTI, the ID. Polo GTI will make its debut on Friday, May 15. When will Volkswagen’s first electric GTI debut? It’s been almost three years since Volkswagen first unveiled the ID. GTI concept at the IAA Auto Show in September 2023. This year marks the GTI’s 50th anniversary, and to celebrate, Volkswagen will launch the first all-electric GTI vehicle later this year. We got a sneak peek of it at last year’s Munich Motor Show after Volkswagen revealed the ID. Polo GTI, a prototype of the upcoming electric hot hatch. The company confirmed at the event that the ID. GTI will go into production later this year as the ID. Polo GTI. Advertisement – scroll for more content Volkswagen launched the standard ID. Polo in Europe just over a week ago, the first of its new family of entry-level EVs. Now, it’s preparing for the GTI version. Volkswagen brand design spokesperson Stepan Rehak confirmed the ID. Polo GTI will make its official debut on Friday, May 15, …

Volkswagen delays the Golf EV again — Will it ever launch?

Volkswagen delays the Golf EV again — Will it ever launch?

Published by skeptic

The all-electric Golf will not arrive in 2028 as expected. After another delay, here’s when you can expect to see the Volkswagen Golf EV now. When is Volkswagen launching the Golf EV? The Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle of all time, so it makes sense for an all-electric version, right? Apparently, it isn’t a priority. Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer confirmed the news on Wednesday morning: The Golf EV won’t launch in 2028 as initially planned. Schäfer told the media at the Financial Times Future of the Car event in London (via Autocar) that “We have a fantastic line-up now that we do not need an electric Golf in 2028,” adding “We are well set with what we have in our portfolio with our vehicles.” Advertisement – scroll for more content The German automaker launched the first of what it calls “True Volkswagen” models last month, starting with the updated ID.3 Neo and ID. Polo electric vehicles. Later this year, the ID. Cross, an electric alternative to the T-Cross, will join the lineup. Volkswagen ID. …

The 19 Most Exciting Cars at the Beijing Auto Show 2026

The 19 Most Exciting Cars at the Beijing Auto Show 2026

Published by skeptic

While major motor shows in Europe and the United States are being forced to downsize or change their format, those in China continue to expand. With 1,451 vehicles on display, including 181 world premieres, the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2026 (also known as Auto China 2026) has become the largest auto show in history—and that’s in terms of both exhibition space and the number of vehicles on display. This fact itself reflects a shift in the center of gravity of the automotive industry, but that’s not all. A much larger structural transformation is actually taking place in China today. Previously, the focus was on low-priced electric vehicle models, but now price is no longer the primary point of competition. At the show, not only were there many high-end EVs and large SUVs from Chinese manufacturers equipped with advanced driver-assistance technologies and AI functions, but these technologies are also rapidly spreading to the lower price range. Chinese manufacturers’ cars offer many technologically impressive features. Lidar sensors, which use lasers for advanced driver assistance, are now …