Fiat marketing chief & Alfa Romeo CEO Luca de Meo defects to Volkswagen

Luca de Meo was charting a course to rise to the top of the Fiat group, but if reports emanating from Europe are accurate, he's changed directions as the promising young auto executive has reportedly left Fiat to become the new head of marketing for the Volkswagen group.
De Meo took his biggest step up the Fiat ladder when group CEO Sergio Marchionne handed over the reins of the Fiat auto division to him. De Meo then took on the additional task of re-launching the Abarth performance sub-brand before switching from the Fiat division to assume the leadership of Alfa Romeo as well as marketing for the entire group, including its automotive, agricultural and commercial divisions. Poaching Marchionne's protege is undoubtedly a huge coup for Volkswagen, whose leaders are evidently banking on De Meo's talent for marketing small, cheap cars – having masterminded the 500's success and most recently formulated the plan for Fiat's new budget-oriented division – to imbue the up! project with success while giving the entire Volkswagen automotive empire and the 100 new projects on which it is reportedly working a youthful Latin flair.
De Meo joins a roster of Italians who've recently come to VW, Europe's largest automaker, and another list of talented young executives who've left Fiat, Europe's third largest (after PSA Peugeot-Citroen). Alfa's longtime marketing director and Fiat group veteran Sergio Cravero is tipped to take over as CEO of Alfa Romeo, Maserati CEO and group chief technical officer Harald J. Wester will assume responsibility for Abarth while the group's marketing role will be split into several different jobs. No word yet on what effect this will have on Volkswagen's current sales and marketing director Detlef Wittig, however.

[ Via: Automotive News Europe ]
[ Tag: alfa romeo, AlfaRomeo, de meo, DeMeo, fiat, fiat group, fiat marketing, FiatGroup, FiatMarketing, luca de meo, luca de meo alfa, luca de meo alfa romeo, luca de meo fiat, luca de meo volkswagen, luca de meo vw, luca meo, LucaDeMeo, LucaDeMeoAlfa, LucaDeMeoAlfaRomeo, LucaDeMeoFiat, LucaDeMeoVolkswagen, LucaDeMeoVw, LucaMeo ]

2009 Volkswagen CC Luxury VR6 4Motion

  

Wow, the base MSRP for a front-wheel-drive CC 2.0T is $2000 LESS than a similarly equipped Passat? It seems that the Passat range has been reduced only to front-wheel-drive models equipped with the 2.0T turbocharged four-cylinder engine; all-wheel-drive 4Motion and VR6 models have been nixed, yet reappear in the CC range.As old as it is, the VR6 is still a smooth, strong engine. Combined with the six-speed "tiptronic," it responds swiftly and smoothly to throttle input. And with the CC's supple ride quality and quiet cabin (wind noise, even with frameless windows, is virtually nonexistent), it really does feel like a more premium product than the regular Passat. But why must this be a four-seater? The pointless slide-open center console in the rear could be better served by a third (if not small) seat.On the surface, the four-door coupe exercise seems silly in a sub-$50,000 vehicle. But to be honest, if I were shopping for a new car, I'd definitely consider one of these attractive four-door coupe things, especially now that Volkswagen has pulled the price out of the stratosphere (for the base CC, that is, which starts at $27,480 in attractive 2.0T/stick-shift spec). The nearly $43K sticker price for this particular vehicle, however, is very expensive for a swoopy Passat.Granted, that money goes toward a completely fresh interior that's quite nice, pleasant, and impressive. Still, I'd be enticed by the 2.0-liter turbo version of the CC not only because of its much lower price, but also because I prefer the 2.0T to the 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 anyway. If you've got the money, though, the all-wheel-drive, six-speed-automatic, VR6 model is a fine car. The brakes felt quite touchy, though, and took more getting used to than those of most new cars.The CC's lines are slick, but I hit my head on the roofline twice - and I'm only 5' 6"! The back seats are extremely comfortable once you're in, though. My final observation: you've gotta love those Germans. Why? The acronym for the backup system is one letter away from oops - OPS ("optical positioning system," I believe).It's hard to believe our Four Seasons Jetta TDI and this CC are made by the same company. The TDI is a nondescript looking little car featuring terrific engineering and interior quality head and shoulders above anything else in its class. The CC, on the other hand, is a stunning exercise that falls a bit short in the details.The CC is, no doubt, a looker. I drive a different car into my apartment complex every night, but this is the only one that's ever gotten any attention. "That thing a Volkswagen?" my neighbor asked in amazement. Clearly, this is the new style leader in the mid-size segment.The one thing that does not quite come across in pictures is the CC's size. It looks massive in person, and drives accordingly. The VR6 provides strong acceleration and its handling is well balanced, but the car never lets you forget how big it is. This won't bother buyers coming from SUVs or other large sedans, but those accustomed to VW's engaging smaller products will be disappointed.VW aficionados will likewise be shocked by the interior quality, or lack thereof. Most of the plastic trim is rough, and hard. The trim surrounding the HVAC unit was flimsy and already coming loose - not what one expects from a $40,000 car. Again, this is all the more incomprehensible given that our $23,000 Jetta has a flawless interior that puts many more expensive vehicles to shame.The CC's competent performance and jaw-dropping looks should attract plenty of buyers. But I would prefer to see VW bake in a bit more of that German engineering they've been advertising as of late.

[ Via: Automobilemag ]
[ Tag: ]

2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI

Volkswagen is continuing its diesel story in the United States with the 2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI. VW sold its first diesel vehicle in the U.S. way back in 1997 and introduced the turbo-diesel engine to the States in 1992. The latest chapter in this story is the 2009 Touareg with the 3.0-liter V-6, which will be available in the spring of 2009.You may remember Volkswagen's monster V-10 turbo-diesel Touareg, which churned out an incredible 310 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque with little regard for fuel economy. Thankfully, this time VW is bringing us a Touareg TDI that's all about fuel economy, a much better fit in the current economic and political landscapes. This V-6 should return 17/25 mpg. For comparison, the gasoline V-6 engine gets 14/20 mpg and the V-8 is rated at a mere 13/18 mpg. With 221 hp and 407 lb-ft of torque, the Touareg TDI V-6 doesn't sacrifice performance; a 0-60 mph sprint should take about 8.5 seconds.Perhaps more amazing than the increase in fuel economy is the reduction in emissions Volkswagen has achieved through the years. Emissions have been reduced by 90 percent when compared to the original VW diesels sold here and the Touareg meets the Tier 2, Bin 5 requirements, so it can be sold in all 50 states. The complex exhaust system, which uses a selective catalytic converter and AdBlue, removes 90 percent of the NOx emissions and 95 percent of particulates in the exhaust. There's no black smoke, soot, or smell associated with this SUV.Servicing the Touareg TDI is particularly important because of the AdBlue solution used to treat the exhaust. All diesel vehicles that use AdBlue (a mixture of 32 percent urea and 68 percent water) must have the solution onboard in order to start the engine (this is a federal mandate and also applies to Audi, Mercedes, and BMW vehicles using AdBlue). Volkswagen designed the AdBlue tank to accommodate up to 10,000 miles of regular driving, but that number could vary depending on individual driving habits. A warning light comes on when there is only 1500 miles worth of AdBlue left in the 4.5-gallon tank. Theoretically, there is enough AdBlue capacity to last the duration of a regular service interval.Driving the Touareg TDI is no different than driving any other Touareg. Those used to driving a V-8 Touareg may miss its horsepower on the highway, but the extra torque and fuel economy are worth the small sacrifice in high-speed passing prowess. Anyone with a trailer to tow will really benefit from the available torque and the tow rating is an impressive 7700 lbs. For road trips without a trailer, fuel stops will be scarce. It's possible to travel more than 600 miles on a single tank of diesel in the Touareg.

[ Via: Automobilemag ]
[ Tag: ]