Patrick Olsen of Cars.com has managed to get up close to the new Beetle as it was showcased at the New York Auto Show. About to enter its third generation the latest model has been beefed up from its predecessor, in an attempt to make it appeal to the more masculine amongst us.

This new design is wider than the old model with a longer front hood. The windshield is further back than before and also has a steeper incline, and the body is six inches longer. Inside there was a totally new feel in the driver’s seat, with a more focused feel to the driving position. The dashboard has been improved and could have come out of a sporty coupe.

The backseat is still mainly for children or adults you are not too fond of. VW brand design Chief Klaus Bischoff said “All of the customers who have seen it have reacted positively to the changes.”

You will find the backseat is still mainly for children or adults you are not too fond of. VW brand design Chief Klaus Bischoff said “All of the customers who have seen it have reacted positively to the changes.”

The latest Beetle is expected to hit the US either in September or October, and at the moment Volkswagen have not revealed their pricing plans. Hit the link above to see more images of the 2012 Beetle. Do you like the look of the next Beetle?

More About: 2012 VW Beetle, Volkswagen

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

According to the NHTSA Volkswagen reported the recall on March 25, the components at fault are some of the car’s circuit breakers and fuses. The recall summary says the electrical wiring and fuse layout shares the same fuse for the signal horn, anti-theft alarm system and converter box, which could mean that if the fuse is blown the engine management system, wipers and lighting system could all cut out.

Apparently this problem affects certain Jetta models which were manufactured between March 2010 and March 2011, Volkswagen worry that if power was cut out to these important components a crash could be caused.

If you think that you may be affected by the recall you can contact Volkswaken on 1-800-822-8987, dealers will soon get repair kits to correct the condition, it is thought that the safety recall will begin in May 2011 and will be free of charge to the car owner.

Hopefully this problem will not cause any crashes between now and May, if you have any concerns you can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on their hotline 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to the SafetyCar website.

Is your vehicle affected by this recall, if so do you think it is acceptable having to wait until May for the repair?

More About: nhtsa, Volkswagen, volkswagen jetta, VW Jetta

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The problem is due to a wiring fault, a pretty bizaare one actually, as it has been revealed that using the horn on the new jetta models can cause the motor to turn off suddenly due a short circuit, increasing the risk of a serious accident or injury.

To go into more detail, Volkswagen has stated that the recall affects Jetta models produced between March 2010 and March 2011, and the exact problem lies in the fact that a fuse secures both the anti-theft alarm system and horn that could become faulty – although no injuries or accidents have been reported yet, according to WSJ.

If you own one of the latest 2010 or 2011 Volkswagen Jetta models, you don’t need to do anything as Volkswagen will be notifying you with details on the recall and when they will take your motor in for service. However, if you have any questions right now, you can call Volkswagen on 1-800-822-8987. Let us know your thoughts on this recall – are you surprised that this has been caused by a wiring configuration issue?

More About: cars, Volkswagen, volkswagen jetta

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The first thing you will notice is that it will not come with that noisy engine from the past. Instead those clever German’s has decided to make this one electric. No longer will you have to shout when going on trips to the beach with your surfing buddies, as there will be no sound from that powerplant.

That electric motor has an amazing range, 186 miles – much better range than the Nissan Leaf. The minivan will get from 0 to 62mph in 11.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 87mph – has that taken into consideration the drag factor from the surfboards on the roof? Those figures looks very impressive, so how far away are we from production?

As yet Volkswagen has yet to state if this will stay a concept, and it they do produce it then will there be any changes? The jury is out on this design, but we have seen much worse (view images on Autoblog). The concept that they had on show was more like a minivan, but there is certainly potential there for different configurations, such as a sink, cooker or even a TV and games console in the rear.

Do you think that the VW Bulli Microbus will be the next camper van?

More About: Minivan, Volkswagen, VW

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

I say successfully, as in the past attempts of making the iPad a part of the dash have been pretty bad according to Auto Spies. They were lucky enough to be at the event in Geneva and were able to see the demonstration, taking lots of pictures as well.

They say that VW ‘stunned’ the show with the reveal of their Microbus but what was more shocking was how well the iPad integration worked. The tablet is accommodated in a cradle designed especially for it central to the dashboard. It sits on a pivot so the passenger can also use the device if needed.

It allows for navigation of course, music playing and climate control. Gives heads up display of the speedometer, other display icons, communicates with Bulli’s Bluetooth and even lets you read e-mails.

Check out the VW concept over at Auto Spies by clicking the link above, where you will find some awesome pictures from the Geneva Motor Show. Do you think this van will ever make production? What do you think of the VW Bulli design? Share your thoughts with us below.

More About: Apple iPad, Volkswagen, VW

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

We have embedded the 2011 Beetle ad at the end of this post and it doesn’t reveal anything too exciting that said it is pretty cool, the ad lasts 30 seconds and shows a beetle with racing stripes (insect not the car) in what appears to be a rainforest, towards the end of the video you see a very brief glimpse of the 2011 Beetle’s shape.

We have embedded the image below showing the 2011 Volkwagen Beetle’s shape, the picture doesn’t show you a lot, however to me it looks much sportier than last year’s Beetle, it also looks different to the 2012 Beetle spy shots we posted previously.

As you can see “The 21st Century Beetle” will be available “This Fall”, hopefully we will find out more about it soon, when we do we we will be sure to keep you-up-to-date with all of the important and interesting information.

Remember the ad can be seen below, is it your favorite ad from this year’s Super Bowl?

More About: 2011 Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid is available now, it is VW’s first vehicle to pair a 3.0 liter supercharged V6 engine with an electric motor, this combined provides 380hp and allows you to hit 60mph in just 6.2 seconds, as Engadget point out this is pretty impressive for a 5,000lb SUV.

You can see a full gallery of Touareg Hybrid photos here, according to AutoWeek it retails for roughly $61,000, you can see their fully detailed review of this SUV here following 7 days of usage here, overall they seem happy with it, however they were quite unimpressed by the 20.8 mpg it delivered.

If you are seriously considering purchasing the Touareg you should check out the official information from the Volkswagen site, also this video gives you a look at the car’s many features following one lucky person’s test drive.

Will you buy the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid?

More About: 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Touareg, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

You can see a full gallery of photos here, recently AutoBlog got to test drive this car, you can see their fully detailed first-drive review here, they have also put together a full gallery of images which can be seen here.

There are three different modes you can drive theblue-e-motion in, Normal, Comfort+ and Range+, these are pretty self-explanatory and when AutoBlog got to test drive the Blue-e-motion they got a max speed of roughly 135 km/h (about 84 mph) out of the prototype vehicle, they were impressed by its handling at city speeds and how quiet it is when compared to other electric vehicles.

With an estimated range of 80 miles I am sure that there will be a lot of interest surrounding the car when it arrives in 2014, it will be interesting to see what other car manufacturers come up with to compete with it.

Do you like the look of the 2014 Volkswagen Golf blue-e-motion?

More About: 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The car is pretty nice to look at and almost looks Jetta-esque, we have embedded a photo of the Chattanooga Passat below, however if you check out KickingTires you can see a full gallery of images.

Volkswagen recently previewed the new Passat at the annual Detroit-based show, one YouTube user has uploaded a video showing the official preview, you can watch it here, VW’s Jonathan Browning mentions that last time round they lost their way in the North America despite thriving in Europe, however hope that the new Passat will get them back on track.

As with most vehicles these days there will be different engines and transmissions options available, such as a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine (170-hp) with either a five-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic, alternatively you can choose a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine (140-hp) with a six-speed direct-shift gearbox. Finally if you are a bit of a petrol-head there is a 3.6-liter V-6 engine which will deliver 280-hp, this is paired with a six-speed DSG as well.

Full pricing and release details are currently unknown, however we are led to believe that prices will start at $20,000 and will arrive at dealerships later this year.

A recent Bloomberg post suggests that VW has forecast a 5 percent sales growth in 2011 and say that expansion in the U.S., India, China, Russia and Brazil will be needed to achieve this target, if the 2012 Passat is a success we could potential see Volkwagen become the World’s largest automaker rather than just being Europe’s largest automaker.

It will certainly be interesting to see if the 2012 Chattanooga Passat will bring Volkswagen success in the U.S., what do you think?

More About: Volkswagen, Volkswagen Passat

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

We have yet to see the new vehicle, but we were treated to a little reveal on the show – well a silhouette of it. However, Oprah has seen the car, but her 275 audience members and us have not. According to Chris Paukert from Autoblog, he believes that VW will unveil the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle sometime in the Spring.

Not much is known about the new vehicle, but we do know that it will come with all the latest technology inside, such a touchscreen and Bluetooth. The last car that the chat show host gave away was a Pontiac G6 in 2004.

There have been sightings of the new vehicle though, Kirby from Top Speed reported last month that one was spotted, and you can see that there are a few subtle changes – but not many. However, we do know that there will be bigger rear seats, which we discussed back in October 2009.

What do you hope to see changed with the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle?

More About: Volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle, VW

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad