2009 (VW518) R-Class Crossover News Thread

[Yperion]

R-Class Reprise? VW Aims High With New Crossover

WOLFSBURG, Germany — Volkswagen boss Wolfgang Bernhard has given the production green light to an upmarket crossover vehicle in the mold of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class.

The new seven seater, to be positioned between the Passat and the Phaeton, will be based on an upcoming modular platform structure under development at Audi. It is tentatively planned to go on sale in 2009, according to a report published today by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Part of an upmarket product offensive masterminded by Bernhard, the new Volkswagen crossover will join second-generation versions of the Phaeton and Touareg due out in 2010, with which it will share key components such as drivelines, at the top end of the German carmaker's lineup.

The new crossover is a separate project from Project-M, the North America-based minivan project Volkswagen is working on with Chrysler. It's likely to offer a choice of front- and four-wheel drive and come with V6 and V8 gasoline and diesel engines. Auto Motor und Sport reports that an entry-level version of the new vehicle may also be sold with an uprated version of Volkswagen's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine — as used in the Golf GTI.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=116185

 

[bmer]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

I wonder how this will be accepted by the public. Is the VW brand enough strong to interest the R-Class customers?

 

[Choleric]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

Im sure if they marketed it as a minivan it would sell quite well in the US

 

[MB_AD]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

I wonder how this will be accepted by the public. Is the VW brand enough strong to interest the R-Class customers.

No problem with this because R-class is the ugliest mercedes car

 

[Osnabrueck]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

So, why would anybody want to aim at the R-Klasse?

( Although I wouldn't mind if this VW was also sold with insane incentives )

 

[Yperion]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

The price will be between Passat and Touareg so this car will be a nice alternative to both station wagons (like the Chrysler 300C Touring) and vans (like the Pacifica).

 

[Merc1]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

The Pacifica isn't a van though.

I don't see why VW would waste precious time and money on trying to go after the R-Class which just so happens to be the only Mercedes flop of the past 10 years!

VW already has a van planned for 2008 to be twinned with the next generation Chrysler minivans (not the Pacifica). If VW builds another high-end product after the Phaeton flop they've got mush for brains.

M

 

[Yperion]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

The VW crossover will be a lot cheaper than R class so that's why i mentioned the Pacifica.

 

[Zafiro]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

I don't see why VW would waste precious time and money on trying to go after the R-Class which just so happens to be the only Mercedes flop of the past 10 years!



M

Is the R-class a flop? do you mean in sales?

 

[Yperion]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.



Source: http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/d/118969

 

[Snake Vargas]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

That chop should be ashamed of itself.

Nevertheless, I don't have a problem with a crossover itself if they aim more for Pacifica than R-Class. The Pacifica may be ugly (though so is the R), but IMO it's a good size.

 

[bmer]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

That chop should be ashamed of itself.

LOL

Placing it clearly under the R-Class makes more sense. However I'm not so sure if this is a good move from VW.

 

[siko]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

I don't know... considering VW could'nt make the high-end market work, this is not a good idea. It should be aimed at the Pacifica at best.

<sarcasm>Plus add the fact that the R-class is selling sooooo well!</sarcasm>

 

[vw12]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

honestly, i don't think this new crossover will make it to north america. if ever it does, vw will be sure to set their sights a bit lower with the pacifica than target the r-class. vw is just in a different level in europe that maybe perhaps it can compete with the r-class but never in the US. it would be much easier to entice people from their pacificas than their r-classes.

 

[Merc1]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

Is the R-class a flop? do you mean in sales?

Yes, it has never met MB's sales projections here in the U.S. The concept I think is brilliant, but the execution is way off. Mercedes can't blame gas prices either because the even thirstier GL was launched way after the R and has outsold the R quite easily every since.

M

 

[Merc1]

Re: VW Aims at R-Class with new Crossover.

honestly, i don't think this new crossover will make it to north america. if ever it does, vw will be sure to set their sights a bit lower with the pacifica than target the r-class. vw is just in a different level in europe that maybe perhaps it can compete with the r-class but never in the US. it would be much easier to entice people from their pacificas than their r-classes.

Exactly. VW is nuts for even considering another high-end product after the Pheaton flopped around so badly.

M

 

[Yperion]

2009 VW Sportvan.



VW Sportvan: the lowdown

Volkswagen will launch a sleek MPV in 2009, as its niche model offensive gets into full gear. For so long reliant on its volume staples, the people's car maker is finally branching out into popular, growing segments. In 2008, the Scirocco coupe and Tiguan SUV arrive; a year later, the Sportvan follows, to take on Ford's S-Max.

The 4.85m-long space cruiser will land in the range between the Sharan II and the Phaeton saloon. It shares key components with today's Audi A6 Avant, runs four- and six-cylinder engines and has two rows of seats. Expect the base car to cost a few quid less than £20,000.

How it looks

Insiders are buzzing about the Sportvan, which is codenamed VW518. One source described it as dynamic and elegant – 'an R-class that really works'. Visually, Wolfsburg's new niche model is less slab-sided than the Touran but nowhere near as ornamental as Merc's R-class. As for its size, the Sportvan is pretty close to the six-seater Merc.

Under the skin

It's an unusual step for Volkswagen to use Audi hardware. But the Passat platform wasn't big enough for the Sportvan, so the R&D team had to look elsewhere within the group. They found the answer in Ingolstadt, where the current A6 will be phased out in 2010. Instead of scrapping the tools, VW decided to adopt and transfer them for the Sportvan. This approach saves time and money, and it proves that even in the highly competitive intra-corporate environment synergies do exist.

Thanks to the Audi connection, four-wheel drive and the MMI control interface will be readily available. Adding more powerful engines would be easy, and interesting high-tech options like height-adjustable air suspension could be offered at relatively short notice.

Power will be transmitted via a six-speed manual, stepless multitronic auto (front-wheel drive) or a seven-speed DSG 'box on four-wheel drive models.



Source: http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/secret_new_car.php?sid=208&page=1

 

[PanterroR]

Re: 2009 VW Sportvan.

Front: 2 thumbs up!
Rear: 2 thumbs down!

 

[siko]

Re: 2009 VW Sportvan.

Don't like neither the front nor the back... but I think there's potential though.

 

[Osnabrueck]

Re: 2009 VW Sportvan.

The general thrust of these renderings is very good. Overall, I'd be very happy to see this in production.