Auto Hold is an extension of our electronic parking brake system. It stops your car from accidentally rolling backwards when you're stationary, or setting off on a hill. That means you won't need to keep applying the parking brake manually, check whether you've applied enough braking pressure, or worry about rolling back as you prepare to move off.

It's convenient, more comfortable, and safer in situations where your car needs to be kept stationary with the engine running - in slow moving traffic, for example.

The system is operated via the ABS/ESP hydraulic unit. When you brake your car to a stop, Auto Hold keeps the braking pressure you last applied. You can take your foot off the brake pedal and all four wheel brakes will stay on.

If the ABS wheel speed sensors detect any rolling, the braking force is automatically increased until your car comes to a standstill again. This may be the case if, for example, you brake gently to a stop on a hill. As soon as you press the accelerator again and, in the case of manual gearboxes, release the clutch, Auto Hold reduces the braking pressure again.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

It’s commonplace to mark a new car launch with events and fanfare, but used cars don’t usually get invited to the party.  That’s not the case this month though as Volkswagen is holding its first used car event and inviting customers to join the ‘Golf Club’.  There is a range of offers available on used cars, meaning there’s rarely been a better time to buy a used Volkswagen.

From Friday 7 until Monday 17 November, all used Mk VII Golf S and SE models purchased on Volkswagen Financial Services’ Solutions Personal Contract Plan will be available with a £500 deposit contribution, free servicing for three years and a three year warranty**.  All used cars up to 18 months old purchased on Solutions are also eligible for three years servicing and £500 deposit contribution.

Full details of the offers can be found at www.volkswagen.co.uk, where you can also find your nearest participating Retailer.  More information on the cars available is easily accessible via the www.volkswagen.co.uk/used website.  This has recently been updated and is now more comprehensive and easier to use than ever, incorporating a fully responsive (for all devices) used car locator with a ‘make an offer’ function.

Searching cars is child’s play, and when you’ve found a car that suits, customers are given contact details and a map for the Retailer, full information on the car, its features and tech spec, a reminder of all the standard Das Welt Auto (Volkswagen’s used car ‘brand’) features and guarantees, plus the facility to generate a finance quote and understand what their monthly payments would be.  The website is a genuine one-stop-shop for used car sales and enquiries.

Part exchange is also often a key part of used car purchasing and to that end, Volkswagen has incorporated a new tool in association with BCA onto its sales staff’s iPads which are used throughout the showroom.

Such innovations ensure that used car customers are treated to a new car purchasing experience, and drive away with a high quality product which is then maintained to the highest standards through Volkswagen’s Retailer network during the course of their ownership.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Exhibited for the first time in March 1979 at the Geneva Salon de l'Automobile, the Golf Cabriolet sparked rumours that the Beetle Cabriolet was about to cease production (this actually occurred January 1980) - a difficult situation for the new soft-top Golf model, which had to be content with a powerful wave of nostalgia for the old Beetle Cabriolet. Common sense declared the Golf Cabriolet to be the more sensible, practical and safer of the two models. As time progresses, however, the Golf Cabriolet itself comes to be regarded as a fully viable substitute for the much loved older car, and by the time it is taken out of production in May 1993 no fewer than 388, 552 have been made.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Named Concept BlueSport to define its environmental and sporting aspirations, the two-seat roadster, combines a highly efficient, mid-mounted common rail diesel engine with a lightweight chassis structure to put the emphasis on simplicity and sharp dynamics.

The Concept BlueSport is fitted with a four-cylinder 2.0-litre TDI engine which produces 180 PS and 258 lbs ft of torque from 1,750 rpm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a six-speed dual clutch DSG gearbox and sees the Concept BlueSport accelerate from standstill to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds and go on to a top speed of 140 mph.

Despite its sporting focus the adoption of lightweight materials, coupled with a 45:55 weight distribution and multi-link rear suspension allows Concept BlueSport to strike a balance between agility and economy – the Concept emits just 113 g/km of CO2, while returning 65 mpg on the combined cycle. To improve fuel economy and emissions further the ‘Eco’ mode function can be engaged to activate an automatic Stop-Start system and braking energy regeneration.

Styled by a team led by Director of Design for Volkswagen, Klaus Bischoff and Director of the Design Centre in Potsdam, Thomas Ingenlath, Concept BlueSport combines an elegant profile with a purposeful stance, clean surfaces and innovative design details.

Finished in metallic ‘Flex Silver’ with a contrasting orange retractable fabric roof, Concept BlueSport marks an evolution of Volkswagen design with short front and rear overhangs complemented by a set of unique multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels. The rear features distinctive high-intensity LED light clusters above an aerodynamic diffuser which incorporates twin tailpipes...

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk

GTI – three letters that stand for two icons of the automobile world: the Golf GTI and the Polo GTI. Often copied, never equalled. The originals come from Volkswagen.

The German manufacturer launched the latest version of the Golf GTI in 2013, and now, in a world premiere at the Mondial de l`Automobile in Paris (2–19 October), comes the launch of its compact but powerful brother, the Polo GTI. With the Paris debut Volkswagen is continuing the tradition of the ultra-sporty Polo which began almost 30 years ago with the legendary Polo G40 in 1985 and which is now culminating in the fourth generation of the Polo GTI. Power is supplied by a new 1.8 TSI engine, which at precisely 141 kW / 192 PS is 12 PS more powerful than its predecessor (1.4 TSI) and comes close to achieving the performance levels of the most powerful series Polo of all time, the Polo R WRC – the road-going version of the Polo that won the World Rally Championship for Volkswagen Motorsport at the first time of asking in 2013.

GTI on a par with the R WRC. With a top speed of 236 km/h the new Polo GTI only falls 7 km/h short of the 162 kW / 220 PS Polo R WRC, which is sold out. With both transmission variants, the new Polo GTI accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, just a whisker short of the figure for the Polo R WRC: 0.3 seconds, to be precise. Yet the figures for the new Polo GTI's fuel consumption show just how amazingly efficient it is: 5.6 l/100 km (equivalent to 129 g/km CO2) in conjunction with the 7-speed DSG, and 6.0 litres (139 g/km CO2) with the 6-speed manual variant. And here the Polo R WRC (7.5 l/100 km) is finally overtaken by the new Polo GTI.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk