what about the engines used in the TDI's now... arent those US legal (i know ntohing about VW's)

remember people that the original CR-V used a b20, you dont need a really big engine to pull a smaller SUV....

 

AFAIK, VW's current NA and turbo diesel engines are not legal for sale in California. I think it has something to do with particulate emissions. :dunno:

It's a shame really, because the new generation of turbodiesel taxis that I rode in over in Spain in '03 were amazingly quiet and refined. I'd like to see these new TD engines come to the US not only in small SUVs, but in sedans and sports coupes as well. IMO, the timing could not be better.

 

Oh btw, I would like to point out that these pictures are of a test mule for the Beduin running gear in a modified Golf Plus body shell. So the styling is most likely not indicative of the final product.

 

good!!

 

Good. My earlier skepticism was well-founded, then. h:

 

The biggest concern of CARB was the fact that due to the high levels of sulfur compounds in diesel fuel, those compounds could act like sulfuric acid and damage the delicate fuel delivery systems (common-rail pressurized direct fuel injection) and exhaust emission control systems (catalytic converters that also "burn off" diesel particulates). But with the EPA mandate of only 15 parts per million starting in September 2006, we don't worry about these issues anymore, so VW could make it possible to qualify their Pump Deuse PD130 and PD150 engines for 50-state sale. It will also make it possible to sell the V-10 turbodiesel engine found on the Touraeg in all 50 states, too.

In short, the new VW Beduin small SUV could be very popular with a 50-state legal PD150 engine.

 

Volkswagen is looking to secure a sizeable slice of Europe’s growing small off-roader market with a practical new five-door hatchback, tipped to be called Beduin. Wolfsburg’s junior mudslinger, shown here in our computer-generated image, aims to build on the success of the larger and more luxurious Touareg, providing Volkswagen with its first genuine rival to the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Land Rover Freelander.

High-end versions will be out to attack the BMW X3 and new entry-level off-roaders that are under development at Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Prices are expected to start at around £17,000 when UK sales begin in 2007.

Range-topping Beduins may get a powerful 280bhp 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine and an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system from Swedish transmission specialist Haldex.

The Beduin – a name registered for world-wide use by Volkswagen back in January – is a key component in a new model offensive overseen by the company’s straight talking chairman, Bernd-Pischetsrieder. He claims Volkswagen must lessen its financial dependence on traditional volume models like the Polo, Golf and Passat and significantly increase its niche models if it is to keep pace with the competition.

A production version of the Concept C coupé-cabriolet, which gets an airing at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, will join the new off-roader in an expanded range due to hit showrooms by the end of the decade. And there could be a four-door model that’s said to follow the example of Mercedes-Benz’s well-received CLS by combining the practicality of a typical saloon with the head-turning style of a coupé.

All three cars will be based on the same platform – a new structure using mechanical elements from the Golf’s PQ35 and Passat’s PQ46 underpinnings. It is said to combine the 2580mm wheelbase of the Golf with the 1540mm (front) and 1520mm (rear) track widths of the six-generation Passat, while retaining a MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension.

It’s too early to tell if the Beduin will follow the RAV4 in offering the choice between front- and four-wheel-drive models, although it is widely expected that the production versions of the Concept C and four-door coupé (which could be called Rivo and Levanto respectively) will get the option of both, depending on which engine is fitted.

The Beduin’s four-wheel-drive system is essentially the same as used by the Golf 4Motion, with an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch apportioning drive between the front and rear axles and braking intervention to control spinning wheels when traction is lost. It is a simple but effective arrangement that, in combination with the raised ground clearance and reduced approach and departure angles, promises to provide the new Volkswagen with Freelander levels of off-road ability.

Among the petrol engines under consideration for the Beduin are 113bhp 1.6-litre, 148bhp 2.0-litre and 197bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder FSI direct injection units – all offered in the Golf. They will be joined by a new 246bhp version of VW’s 3.2-litre V6. Also being readied is a new 276bhp 3.6-litre version of the V6 that should make its debut in the US version of the Passat early next year, although it is unclear when it will be offered in Europe.

On the diesel side expect 105bhp 1.9-litre, 138bhp 2.0-litre and 169bhp 2.0-litre pumpe düse engines – the latter should also appear in the new Passat this summer. Alongside a standard six-speed manual gearbox, there’ll also be automatic and dual-clutch DSG options.

While its mechanical make-up has been determined, secrecy continues to surround the Beduin’s appearance. The car is said to be 4320mm long, 1740mm wide and 1700mm high. Autocar sources said original design proposals for the new five-door have been placed on hold at the request of new Volkswagen brand boss Wolfgang Bernhard. He is said to be unhappy at the grille treatment that’s being applied to the latest Volkswagen models, and has ordered design boss Murat Gunak to come up with alternatives.

Prior to the arrival of the Beduin, Volkswagen will launch a new crossover model based on the recently introduced Golf Plus. Called Cross Golf, it follows the Polo Dune by offering body cladding, a raised ride height and unique interior trim, but no four-wheel drive. Set to make an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Cross Golf is planned to head into UK showrooms early next year with prices starting at £14,500. VW is also planning a 4x4 Touran called Cross Touran.

http://www.autocarmagazine.co.uk/new...p?na_id=214371

 

As part of its U.S. turnaround plan, Volkswagen will introduce an all-wheel-drive sport wagon based on the Jetta and built in Mexico.

VW expects to introduce the wagon in the 2007 model year. It will market the wagon as a distinct vehicle and not as a Jetta wagon, said Len Hunt, executive vice president in charge of the Volkswagen brand in North America.

Hunt spelled out VW's strategy last week during an interview at the New York auto show.

The new vehicle is a key part of VW's comeback strategy in the United States, where it lost 930 million euros, or about $1.20 billion, last year. To protect itself from currency fluctuations, VW will cut its reliance on vehicles imported from Germany while doubling production in its assembly plant in Puebla, Mexico.

This strategy calls for the Jetta and its wagon variant to be high-volume vehicles in the United States. The Puebla plant, which produces the Jetta and New Beetle, will double production to 300,000 units by 2007.

Most of Puebla's production will be earmarked for the United States, although some vehicles will be exported worldwide. Hunt declined to estimate how many of the new wagons VW plans to produce.

Meanwhile, the Passat sedan and wagon will go upscale. VW will position them as upscale flagships, with lots of features and more power. The automaker hopes that even if it sells fewer Passats, it can make a profit on those vehicles.

"I am desperately trying to do more with Mexican production," Hunt said. "I have to be sensible with my Passat."

In the United States, VW has struggled with aging products, shaky quality and rising competition from Asian brands. But the company's biggest headache is currency; as the dollar loses value, vehicles imported from Europe become more costly.

Currency fluctuations have forced Hunt to back away from his original turnaround timetable. VW division sold 256,111 vehicles in the United States last year, down from 302,686 in 2003.

The company had hoped to sell 300,000 units this year and 500,000 units per year later in the decade. But as currency losses mounted, VW Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder called VW's performance in North America last year "a catastrophe."

So Hunt said his top priority this year will be profits rather than market share. "I am pushing it out," said Hunt, referring to his sales targets. "When somebody was talking about sales of 500,000, they were not anticipating an exchange rate (dollar to euro) of $1.33."

VW is not likely to be profitable in the United States this year because of high launch costs for the Jetta and Passat, Hunt said. But VW should break even in 2006, he predicted.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102071

 

That quote from the Autoweek article sounds like that Volkswagen maybe wants to build the small Beduin SUV at their Mexican assembly line. Hopefully, with the availability of low-sulfur diesel fuel in the USA starting in September 2006 and the availability of new catalytic converters that use urea as one of the catalyst components, VW could bring over their Pump Duese turbodiesel engines (especially the 169 bhp engine that has just started to appear in Europe) for the Beduin.

 

Do you post about anything other than freakin low sulfur diesel fuel?