Polestar wins the FIA World Touring Car Championship, and releases special editions to celebrate.

Polestar celebrates winning the FIA World Touring Car Championship with Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar Performance World Champion Editions

Last week, Polestar Cyan Racing won the FIA World Touring Car Championship in a Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 race car, and the team’s Thed Björk secured the Driver’s Championship – the first Swede ever to win a motor racing world title. Polestar has today unveiled the Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar Performance World Champion Edition to celebrate Polestar Cyan Racing’s win.

“The engineers from Polestar and Cyan Racing have worked collaboratively on engineering developments for existing Polestar road cars for many years. It’s therefore fitting that we celebrate the remarkable achievement of securing our maiden World Championship by adding more performance to the cars that have been instrumental this season. With the Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar Performance World Champion Editions, we’ve created an accessible piece of history for many Volvo car owners,” said Christian Samson, responsible for Product and Development at Polestar.

The Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar Performance World Champion Editions are available on all D4, D5, T5 and T6 models and include all available enhancements offered by the Polestar Performance Parts programme, being the 19” bespoke Polestar light alloy wheels plus performance-focused tyres, a free-flow stainless-steel exhaust system and sports air filter as well as uprated suspension dampers and springs. Visually, the car is differentiated internally thanks to interior highlights such as the Polestar gear lever, and exterior details such as a rear diffusor and rear spoiler.

All cars also receive the Polestar powertrain optimisation that increases power by up to 10hp and 50Nm of torque, as well as delivering faster gearshifts and improved throttle response.

The Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar Performance World Champion Editions are available from any Polestar retailer globally, where the Polestar Performance Parts can be fitted to new or pre-owned cars. For more information, visit: engineered.polestar.com

USA - Volvo announces pricing & some specification for the all new 2018 XC60 SUV.

Volvo Car USA has released pricing for the highly anticipated all-new 2018 Volvo XC60. The mid-sized luxury SUV will be available with a T5 turbocharged gas engine producing 250 horsepower with all-wheel drive; a T6 turbo and supercharged gas engine producing 316 horsepower with all-wheel drive and a T8 Twin Engine Electric Plug-In Hybrid producing 400 horsepower with electric all-wheel drive. 

Pricing for the T5 starts at $41,500, the T6 starts at $44,900 and the T8 starts at $52,900. The 2018 XC60 is the first of the all-new 60 series cars and includes elements of the new Volvo design language. 

All XC60s will come equipped with a class leading level of standard equipment including a panoramic moonroof, leather seats, Thor’s Hammer LED headlamps, and Apple Carplay / Android Auto integrated into the 9 inch center touch screen.  

Optional features such as soft Nappa Leather seats with ventilation and massage, Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound and four-corner air suspension bring a new level of luxury to the mid-sized SUV market.

The XC60 features Lane Keeping Aid standard and will debut with Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which will provide steering input to mitigate head-on collisions. 

This function will also join the standard Intellisafe City Safety system, which includes pedestrian, cyclist, vehicle and large animal detection with automatic emergency braking. Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) will now use Steer Assist functionality to prevent drivers from changing lanes into other vehicles.

Customers may configure their vehicle online at volvocars.com/us or order from their local Volvo retailer. The first XC60s are set to arrive in the U.S. this fall.

Business Van Awards - Volkswagen takes a triple win at this years awards.

• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles scoops three awards at 2017 Business Van Awards
• Transporter named overall Business Van of the Year for 2017
• Transporter awarded ‘Best Large Trades Van’
• Kombi wins ‘Best Crew Van’ third year in a row

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has scored its second hat-trick in two days, having claimed a further three trophies at the 2017 Business Van Awards earlier today. The Transporter was named ‘Best Large Trades Van’, the Transporter Kombi took the honours for ‘Best Crew Van’ for the third year running, and the Transporter was named overall Business Van of the Year.

The Transporter is renowned for its reliability, excellent build quality and efficient engines, all of which were factors in the judges’ decisions. The Business Van judges were also impressed with its size and notable load capacity, making it the ideal vehicle to claim the accolades.  

Equally as impressive was the Transporter Kombi, awarded ‘Best Crew Van’ for the third year in a row. Business Van judges noted its fresh design, host of engineering and safety features and all-new infotainment system key.

The sixth generation Transporter is available as a panel van, kombi, shuttle or Caravelle, as well as with chassis cab and dropside variants. It also comes with a comprehensive list of safety equipment, including Driver Alert and Automatic Post Collision Braking Systems.

Ralph Morton, editorial director of Business Vans, said: “The Transporter once again has shown itself to be a consistently formidable vehicle and proved to be the ideal choice for tradesmen to use across the country to progress their businesses.”

He continued: “The Transporter Kombi also remains an essential vehicle for small business and trade needs. Doubling as a dual-use vehicle, it is utilised as a working van during the day, but can accommodate the family at the weekend due to its extra seating practicality with sliding rear windows, leaving owners in the comfortable position of not needing an additional vehicle.

“The Transporter won our first Business Van of the Year Award in 2014, and the new sixth-generation version continues in the same vein. For those in the trades and small businesses, the Transporter really is an iconic van.”

Head of fleet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Chris Black, collected the awards for the brand and said: “This is a fantastic result which builds on what has been another fantastic year for the Transporter. Backed up by our Working With You promise and fleet aftersales support, we’re really proud of the van and all it has to offer.”

FLEET WORLD - Volkswagen is named manufacture of the year for its commercial side.

• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles claims top Van Fleet World Honours award
• Brand is named Manufacturer of the Year in 2017 awards
• New services and initiatives aimed at fleets are key to success
• Crafter wins first UK awards: named ‘Best New Van’ and ‘Best Large Van’

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has taken home the triple crown from the 2017 Van Fleet World Honours, with the brand winning the ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ award and the new Crafter claiming the ‘Best New Van’ and ‘Best Large Van’ accolades.

Van Fleet World judges commended Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ work over the past 12 months, with a number of initiatives piloted by the brand now being adopted by the Van Centre network.

Commenting on the win, Dan Gilkes, editor of Van Fleet World, said: “Volkswagen has worked hard over a number of years to develop an outstanding Van Centre network that delivers a dedicated service to fleet and retail customers across the UK. However in the last 12 months the brand has piloted a number of initiatives that are now being adopted by the network, all aimed at improving service for fleet customers. It seems to be working too. 

Volkswagen is number two in the UK light commercial vehicle market with sales having doubled since 2009. More importantly, the company recorded record levels of customer satisfaction in 2016, making it a worthy winner of our Van Manufacturer of the Year Award.”

Initiatives introduced include head of business development support at every Van Centre, with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles ensuring the needs of trade customers are being fully met through business experts employed at each location. An extended hours offer is also being rolled out across all Van Centres, along with Mobile Service Clinics.

The new Crafter also picked up two key awards – its first in the UK after being named International Van of the Year in September 2016. In awarding the Crafter its Best New Van and Best Large Van accolades, the Van Fleet World judges said: “It’s not often that a van manufacturer has the chance to create a new vehicle, not just from a clean sheet of paper, but with a completely new factory dedicated to its production. Volkswagen has grabbed the opportunity with both hands, to meet the needs of large van users in every sector.”

Praising its wide range of drivetrains, bodies, engines and driver assistance systems, Gilkes concluded: “Volkswagen had one chance to get new Crafter right and it seems to have hit the spot first time.”

Chris Black, head of fleet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, collected the awards on behalf of the brand at the ceremony in London.  He said:  “We’re overjoyed to be named Manufacturer of the Year and for all of the brand’s hard work to be recognised. It’s also great for the all-new Crafter to have its first two UK awards, reinforcing the strength of the brand and quality of our products.”

The AA takes a further 158 VW Transporter vans over and above the 500 they took in 2016.

• Vehicles will be used across AA’s renowned recovery service fleet
• AA’s order of 500 Transporters last year is bolstered by further 158 vehicles
• New deal continues close relationship between AA and Volkswagen

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is extending its working partnership with the UK’s largest motoring organisation, The AA, with an order to supply 158 Transporters. 

The additional vehicles come on top of The AA’s order last year for around 500 Transporter vans, which were fully converted at The AA’s conversion site in Oxfordshire.

The Transporters will be used as roadside and recovery vehicles, specially-equipped with warning beacons, racking and a deployable recovery trolley. 

They will allow The AA’s engineers to provide a premier roadside breakdown repair and recovery service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Twin batteries and a higher spec driver’s seat, among other options, have been added to each vehicle. Out of the 158 Transporters, 24 have a DSG gearbox, allowing for a smoother drive and better fuel economy.

Like all Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, The AA’s new Transporters benefit from Volkswagen’s award-winning aftersales programme, and with 72 dedicated Volkswagen Van Centres and 24 Authorised Repairers across the UK, patrols will never be far away from support.

Chris Wiltshire, Fleet Engineer for The AA said: “We couldn’t be happier to continue the fantastic relationship The AA has with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. We have a vehicle that has been developed to suit our needs, and which is converted with specialist racking to accommodate The AA’s tow system, additional equipment and tools.

“The close working partnership provides services to The AA’s wider customer base and supports Volkswagen Group by providing the dedicated Volkswagen breakdown assistance service.”

The AA will continue to replace a proportion of its 2,200 strong fleet of breakdown vans, which are coming to the end of their operational life, with Transporters, which have proved to be dependable, right for the job and efficient.

A BlueMotion version of the 6th-gen Transporter panel van is available to order adding impressive economy to the award winner.

A BlueMotion version of the sixth-generation Transporter panel van is now available to order from Volkswagen Van Centres, adding impressive economy to the multi-award-winning van’s already long list of credentials.

The most frugal edition of the T6 short wheelbase panel van has at its heart the proven 2.0-litre TDI 102 PS Euro 6 common rail diesel engine. 

Even in standard Startline form with five-speed manual gearbox, this van returned impressive economy and CO₂ figures: 47.9 mpg and 153 g/km. The BlueMotion model is capable of returning 51.4 mpg on the combined cycle (a seven per cent improvement) and CO₂ emissions reduced to 145 g/km.

In order to achieve these improvements, the new BlueMotion Transporter adds aerodynamically improved wheel spoilers and lowered suspension, modified gear ratios, low friction tyres, cruise control and a speed limiter (to 62 mph) to the standard BlueMotion Technology modifications which come as standard on all T6 models. These include Stop/Start and battery regeneration systems.

The new Transporter BlueMotion has a gross vehicle weight of 2.7 tonnes, and a payload of 839 kg, which is up to 121 kg more than that of the short wheelbase T26 2.0-litre TDI 102 PS five-speed manual.

Costing £19,670 (basic price ex VAT), the Transporter BlueMotion is available to order now at all Volkswagen Van Centres. 

Basic price exc VAT	VAT	RRP inc VAT	OTR package	OTR exc VAT	OTR inc VAT
£19,670.00	£3,934.00	£23,604.00	£987.00	£20,540.00	£24,591.00

Fuel economy			CO2 emissions
Urban mpg	Extra-urban mpg	Combined mpg	145g/km
40.9	58.9	51.4

Performance
Power (PS@rpm)	Torque (Nm@rpm)	Top speed (mph)
102PS @ 3000-3750	250 @ 1,500-2,750	62

Volkswagen launches a new high spec luxury version of the T6, The T32 kombi Sportline

• High specification Sportline now available on Transporter T32 kombi model
• Equipment includes leather seats, Discover Media navigation
• Sporty looks with 18-inch alloy wheels and deeper front and rear spoilers
• Transporter Sportline panel vans and additional kombi models to follow in 2017

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is set to add a new Sportline model to its best-selling Transporter range – reintroducing a name that has become synonymous with sharp design, and high-tech features. Initially available on the T32 kombi model, the Sportline grade will be offered in Transporter panel van from early next year.

Based on the already generous specification of the kombi Highline model, the new Sportline combines sporty design features and a raft of additional equipment designed to give driver and passengers an even more comfortable and engaging ride.

The kombi Sportline rides on 18-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, and comes with lowered suspension and deeper front and rear spoilers for a more dynamic look. The exterior design package also includes trapezoid styling bars with puddle lights and carbon fibre mirror caps.

Inside, the Sportline delivers a first-class experience thanks to embossed leather interior trim, Climatic air conditioning, heated windscreen and Discover Media touchscreen navigation system. In addition, the first raft of kombi Sportline models also feature front parking sensors, LED headlights and tail lights, USB input and App Connect – a system that allows owners to seamlessly connect their smartphones to the infotainment system. Sportline badging and unique Sportline floormats complete the interior look.

The first Transporter available in Sportline trim will be the T32 2.0 BiTDI 180PS kombi model equipped with the brand’s acclaimed seven-speed DSG gearbox. Available to order now from Volkswagen Van Centres, it is priced from £36,295 (OTR exc VAT). First deliveries are expected in September.

Following its introduction on the T32 kombi, Volkswagen will expand the Sportline range further with panel van and additional wheelbase and transmission options available to order later this year for delivery in early 2017. These models will be available with a 2.0 BiTDI 204PS engine, along with a choice of two gearboxes – six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG – and a long-wheelbase variant.

For more details on the Transporter Sportline, please contact your local Volkswagen Van Centre or go towww.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.