Spied: Volkswagen Preparing Touareg II for its First Makeover

In less than 12 months from now, the second generation of the Volkswagen Touareg SUV will hit the four-year mark, and we all know what that means for modern-day German cars: yes, it's facelift time, which is why the Wolfsburg-based company is taking out disguised prototypes for testing.

The strategically placed black camouflage of this Touareg hints at a redesign for the front and rear ends, but we won't be able to say for sure until VW begins to peel back the layers of plastic wraps. A light touch up of the interior and its equipment features and gadgets could also be in store.

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Scoop: Is VW Working on a Facelift for the Polo or is it Testing Something Else?

It’s no secret that German carmakers usually update their cars around the four year-mark after launch, so when our spies nabbed a Volkswagen Polo Mk5 (released in 2009) fitted with testing equipment in Europe, a facelift was the first thing that crossed their minds.

The prototype featured no camouflage whatsoever with the only cosmetic change said to be the styling of the front apron. So, what does that mean?

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Spied: Watch 2015 VW Golf R Mk7 Prototype Run Some Hot Laps Around the 'Ring

Unless Volkswagen gives the green light to the likes of the sizzling Design Vision GTI Concept, the Golf R will remain the ultimate production model in the compact hatchback's range. We've already seen spy pictures of the car and now, a video of a prototype Golf R Mk7 has surfaced on YouTube from the crew at MonsterChannle24.

Just like the outgoing model, the new Golf R will rely on a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for its motivation, connected to a standard six-speed manual or an optional dual-clutch DSG transmission and a Haldex 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

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Spy Shots: Volkswagen Turns the Wick on the New Golf R Mk7

If you were wondering what's next for the new Volkswagen Golf Mk7 family after the launch of the GTI (in Europe, as North America will get it in 2014), you're looking at it in these pictures.

VW engineers may have placed red GTI badges on the front fenders of the prototype, but a quick look at the back and the quad exhaust pipe arrangement as well as the visibly larger front and rear brake discs leave no doubt that this is the new Golf R.

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New VW Golf Variant or Jetta SportWagen Scooped Undisguised, Debuts in Geneva

According to the most recent version of the Geneva Motor Show's official list of world premieres, the next generation of the Volkswagen Golf Variant will join the Cross Up and four more Golf debuts, the GTI, GTD, EcoFuel and BlueMotion.

Thanks to our spies, you won't have to wait until VW or some Eastern European website release the pictures to get a glimpse of the station wagon model that will likely continue to be marketed as the Golf Estate in the UK and Jetta Sportwagen in North America.

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Spied: Volkswagen Puts 261mpge XL1 to the Test Under Freezing Tempatures

You really have to appreciate what photographers go through sometimes to bring us spy pictures of future models.

It's one thing standing on the side of the Nürburgring waiting for testers to run by, and another when you're doing so in an arctic climate at temperatures as low as -30 Celsius / -22 Fahrenheit, as was the case with this Volkswagen XL1 pre-production prototype.

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Scoop: MQB-Based 2013 VW Golf Estate or 2015 Jetta SportWagen

This fresh spy video from Spain shows the station wagon version of the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf that will be named the Golf Variant (Estate in Britain) when it is introduced in Europe in 2013, and Jetta SportWagen when it arrives in North America within the next two years. Read more »

Spied: Volkswagen Preparing Cross Up! Mini for Production

It's been a little over a year since Volkswagen stormed the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with a group of six concept models based on its new Up! city car, each sporting a different subject.

One of those studies showed how the Up! would look like with a tougher, SUV-like makeover, and was subsequently displayed in different colors at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year.

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Spied: Meet the New VW Golf Variant or Jetta Sportwagen

One of the first derivatives of the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf family after the launch of the three- and five-door hatchbacks will be a more practical and roomier estate body style, a prototype of which was nabbed by our scoop photographers testing on European roads.

Volkswagen will likely release the new station wagon model under different names in various markets, such as Golf Variant in mainland Europe, Golf Estate in the UK and Jetta Sportwagen in North America.

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Spied: Volkswagen Filmed Trying Out XL1 Diesel-Electric Hybrid

The XL1 is Volkswagen's vision of a plug-in hybrid car that returns an amazingly low combined fuel consumption of 0.9lt/100km, equal to 261 mpg US and 313 mpg UK, or to be precise, MPGe (Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent) since this figure includes the use of both the internal combustion engine and the battery.

The two-seater model was presented as a concept last year and is now heading for very limited run production starting from next year - if all goes according to plan. VW's engineers were filmed in Spain completing new tests with the car as they prepare for its introduction.

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Spy Shots: 2014 Volkswagen Touran MPV Test Mule Wears New Model's Fascia

The onslaught of MQB-based models has just begun for the Volkswagen Group that has already introduced the new Audi A3, Seat Leon and VW Golf Mk7, all of which share the same modular platform and a brand-new family of diesel and gasoline engines.

One of the first variants of the 2013 Golf family will be the next Touran minivan that was spied in test mule guise while running around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

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Spied: New 2014 Volkswagen Golf R Sheds All of its Camouflage

The regular versions of the brand-new Volkswagen Golf Mk7 are fine and dandy, but what we really want to see is the performance editions and more specifically, the GTI and of course, the R-branded models of the series.

Just a couple of weeks ago, our spies nabbed a prototype of the next Golf R, but it was armed up to the teeth in camouflage – which was logical since Volkswagen had yet to uncover the Mk7.

Now that it did, however, VW engineers made away with the swirly wraps giving us an unobtrusive view of the prototype Golf R.

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2013 VW Golf MK7: The Don't Believe Everything You See and Read Edition

Being one of the most popular models in the world, it's only natural that the next generation of the Volkswagen Golf has captured the attention of readers/consumers and the motoring press.

Volkswagen itself has not yet officially shown the Golf Mk7, but the automaker has confirmed that the global reveal will take place on September 4 at the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) of modern art in Berlin, Germany, before we have the opportunity to see the car in detail at the Paris Motor Show on September 27.

With only a few days left for the unveiling of the Golf Mk7, the online motoring world is scrambling to break the news and, let's be honest, to win readers – truth, integrity and ethics be damned in some (select) cases, proving that some people are practicing the wrong line of work in others...

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Scoop: Volkswagen's Super-Efficient XL1 Diesel-Electric Hybrid Getting Ready for Production

Volkswagen is moving ahead with the development of the production version of the XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) diesel-electric hybrid concept, which we first laid eyes on at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show

Set to be one of the most radical production cars ever to wear the Volkswagen badge, the XL1 was confirmed for launch late last year by VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn. "We will start small series production by 2013 – in Germany," he told reporters.

Our spies captured two prototypes of the XL1 on separate occasions while testing in Spain. The only difference between them was that one vehicle was fitted with exterior mirrors and had an unpainted body.

The styling of both the exterior and interior has remained true to the concept, including the 'Gullwing' style doors – though, both prototypes were missing the rear wheel cover and were fitted with different rims for testing purposes.

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First Official Teasers of New 2013 Volkswagen Golf Mk7

The countdown for the unveiling of the all-important seventh generation of the Volkswagen Golf officially started this week with a media presentation in Germany where the automaker outlined the most important features of the compact model.

While we've already reported on the highlights of the Golf Mk7, we now have several high-resolution photos that were released during the presentation and which include a teaser sketch of the car (unfortunately still) under covers, its new MQB platform / body structure and some images from VW's factory that will produce the car.

We also discovered a video on YouTube with some additional screen shots including one that shows all seven generations of the Golf with bullet points emphasizing the most important new features introduced by each model.

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Spy Shots: 2013 Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet Breaks Cover Without Any Camo

The last time we saw Volkswagen engineers testing the Golf R Cabriolet, they were trying out a prototype that used the GTI's body.

Now, our man with the long lens snagged a prototype wearing its production-ready body complete with the distinctive "R" style front bumper and alloy wheels, and even the "R" logos on the front grille and the lower part of the trunk.

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Scoop: 2014 Volkswagen Golf R Prototype Makes its First Appearance

With all the commotion and news going around about the regular versions of the seventh generation of the Volkswagen Golf that will premiere at the Paris Motor Show next month, it's easy to forget that the Germans are also working on several other variants including a flagship sports model with the 'R' moniker.

Our spies didn't forget and kept a lookout for any suspicious looking Golf prototypes. Their diligence paid off this week as they snagged the first photos of a Golf R prototype while testing in Europe.

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2013 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet Revealed in…1:43 Scale by "Dealer Edition" Toy Model

Is this another future car previewed by a die-cast model? It seems so.

After a Hot Wheels toy model gave us our first look at the 2013 SRT Viper GTS a couple of months before Chrysler revealed the car at the New York Auto Show, a die-cast model of the upcoming 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible was up until recently, available for sale on the web.

The 1:43 scale version of the drop top Beetle was made by German toy carmaker Schuco Modell and sold as the "Dealer Edition 1/43 2013 VW Beetle Cabriolet Convertible" in a choice of three shades, including Light Blue, Black and White.

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Scoop: Volkswagen Golf R Prototype Makes Video Debut

The same Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet test car captured by our scoop photographers last month has now been filmed in and around the Nürburgring.

While the R prototype model appears to be based on the Golf GTI Cabriolet, the distinct wheels and massive disc brakes give it away.

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Spy Shots: Volkswagen Testing Golf R Cabriolet Prototype?

If the new Golf GTI Cabriolet has already gone sale in Europe, what could Volkswagen be possibly testing with this undisguised prototype model?

Well, we believe that what we are looking at here is a test car for the upcoming production Golf R Cabriolet that was previewed as a concept last year.

This prototype model features the same styling cues and parts as the GTI Cabriolet in all areas except for the larger and distinctly styled five-spoke alloy wheels and the much larger disc brakes up front (see the GTI's brakes in photo No18 here).

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