• Newly expanded 23,000 square metre facility manages parts for Volkswagen, ŠKODA and Audi
• Warehouse on-site at Volkswagen Group Australia Head Office in Chullora, Sydney

Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA) has cut the ribbon on a brand-new extension to its Sydney parts warehouse in a gala event with VGA staff and executives from the partnering property management and construction companies in attendance.

The Sydney parts warehouse at VGA's Sydney Head Office in Chullora, expanded its existing 16,000 square metre footprint to 23,000 square metres; providing further parts growth for the Volkswagen, ŠKODA and Audi brands in the coming years.

During normal operation, the Sydney warehouse holds some 58,000 individual part numbers, with on average 90,000 parts distributed to the dealer network each month.

Speaking at the parts warehouse opening event, VGA Director of Aftersales, Mr. Mark Fowler, stressed the significance of the parts business to VGA, and the company's investment in the future.

"The parts network really is the backbone of our industry, and indeed one of the most significant areas of our business at Volkswagen Group Australia," he said.

"VGA is proud to be investing in the future of the business, and its people, by expanding operations of the parts warehouse in Sydney, to better support our customers and dealership partners," Mr. Fowler continued.

The warehouse was officially opened by Mr. Fowler and VGA Managing Director, Mr. Michael Bartsch, who invited a number of VGA's junior staff members to cut the blue ribbon, as a nod to the generations of future employees who will forge careers with the Volkswagen Group in Australia. Currently VGA employs over 200 people in its head office, and further thousands within its national dealer networks.

Space, the final frontier: Specification details of the new Tiguan Allspace
 

• Bigger version of the award-winning Tiguan, with 5+2 seating configuration
• Full range of petrol and diesel engines on offer
• Overall length of 4,701mm is 215mm more than Tiguan
• Two model grades: Comfortline and Highline, with optional R-Line, Driver Assistance, Luxury and Sound and Vision packages

 
Sydney - Volkswagen Australia has today announced specification details for its highly-anticipated seven-seat Tiguan Allspace, which will bring with it a raft of standard features and a range of safety and infotainment highlights when it goes on sale in July.
 
Bigger, more capacious and luxuriously appointed, the Tiguan Allspace is more than just a utilitarian choice for families who need the occasional use of third row seating – it is a style statement too. Designed in parallel with the award-winning Tiguan, the Tiguan Allspace is instantly recognisable by body features that include a wider rear door, a raised bonnet above the radiator grille and a unique side window design that rises above the C-pillar.
 
Overall, the Tiguan Allspace is a bigger vehicle than the standard Tiguan, with an overall length of 4,701mm (+215mm), as well as an additional 106mm more rear overhang, which allows for the addition of two seats in the third row and, most impressively, a boot of 230 litres with the seats up. The Tiguan Allspace also sits on a wider wheelbase, stretching 109mm beyond the length of the original Tiguan.
 
When it launches in July, the Tiguan Allspace will offer customers a choice of petrol and diesel engines, and feature-packed equipment grades. The range begins with the Comfortline grade, which will be available with either 110kW/250Nm turbocharged petrol engine with a 6-speed DSG and front-wheel drive, 132kW/320Nm turbocharged petrol engine with a 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION all-wheel drive, or 110kW/340Nm turbocharged diesel engine with a 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION all-wheel drive.
 
Moving up to the Highline grade, the Tiguan Allspace ups the ante with two sporty engines – the Golf GTI-derived 162kW/350Nm turbocharged petrol engine with 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION, and the 140kW/400Nm turbo diesel mated to a 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION AWD. 

Standard model specification is as follows:
 
Tiguan Allspace 110TSI, 132TSI and 110TDI Comfortline:
Front Assist with City EB, Pedestrian Monitoring, Lane Assist, Park Assist, Multi-collision brake and Rear View Camera 
Tiguan Allspace 162TSI and 140TDI Highline (above standard Comfortline specification):
Adaptive Cruise Control

Optional Packages:

Driver Assistance Package (Comfortline only)Luxury Package (Comfortline only)Sound and Vision PackageR-Line Package (Highline only)The Allspace range, including Highline models equipped with the optional R-Line Package, will be available in a choice of six hues: Pure White, Platinum Grey Metallic, Deep Black Pear Effect, White Silver Metallic, Blue Silk Metallic and Ruby Red Metallic. 

The Tiguan Allspace will be launched locally in July, with local pricing to be announced closer to launch.

• Original 1951 split-screen Beetle unveiled at Volkswagen Australia headquarters in Chullora
• Volkswagen MD, Michael Bartsch, unveils surprise museum piece in the presence of staff and former and original owners

Sydney: Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA) Managing Director, Michael Bartsch, has today unveiled a rare and unique gift to the Volkswagen community – an original, German-produced and NSW-registered 1951 Beetle, believed to have been produced prior to the introduction of right-hand drive – in a packed, Volkswagen Love-themed event at Volkswagen Australia's headquarters in front of staff, dealership partners and international guests.

Best of all, also in attendance at the 'love-fest' was the previous owner of 'The Little Car', Volkswagen enthusiast and collector, Andy Roberts and his family, and Dieter Regel, son of the original owner of the Beetle, who had the car produced in Stuttgart in right-hand drive configuration and shipped to Australia when his family emigrated in the early 1950s.

Both Mr. Roberts and Mr. Regel spoke to guests about the Little Car's amazing local history in what became quite an emotional moment for both men.

Mr. Bartsch, who had personally secured the vehicle late in 2017 and had kept the Little Car's arrival a closely-guarded secret until today, spoke of the significance the little blue Beetle has not just for Volkswagen in Australia, but for himself personally.

"I was first brought home from the hospital as a baby in a Volkswagen, and for as long as I can remember, my family has always had a Volkswagen in it," Mr Bartsch said.
"Bringing this amazing vehicle home to VGA has brought me great joy; and to me, is a part of the legacy I'd like to leave for the company," he continued.

The pristine Beetle, the first piece in a planned museum collection of historic Volkswagens, is now on display in Volkswagen's headquarters in Chullora, where it will remain permanently for all to see. Fans and customers alike are invited to visit VGA and see the Beetle in the metal, and learn more of its amazing history in Australia.

Volkswagen and Liqui Moly forge new partnership for 2018 Bathurst 12-hour


Volkswagen has announced its sponsorship of Australia's premier endurance race, the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12-Hour.

As part of its sponsorship of the Bathurst 12-Hour, Volkswagen's 550Nm V6 Amarok will serve as the official recovery vehicle of the race.

Volkswagen will also bring its one-of-a-kind, track-ready Amarok V6, built by Volkswagen apprentices. The modified Amarok will perform a number of high-speed, manufacturers' laps on Friday, 2nd February.

The car made its debut at the World Time Attack event in Sydney last year, lapping Sydney Motorsport Park in under two minutes thanks to a range of performance upgrades to brakes and suspension, and a weight reduction process. The vehicle features the standard V6 turbo-diesel engine producing a best-in-class 165kW and a monster 550NM of torque.

The Amarok V6 will be on display at the Volkswagen stand in merchandise alley as well as taking part in a number of fan experiences throughout the race weekend.

"We're very excited to be partnering with the Bathurst 12-Hour and giving racing fans a unique experience with our new Amarok V6 and apprentice-built Amarok race car," said Volkswagen Australia's Commercial Vehicles Marketing Manager, Nicholas Reid,

"With a massive 550Nm on tap, the Amarok V6 is the most powerful ute in its class – which means it'll be right at home on Mount Panorama."

The Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour will be held at Mount Panorama this weekend, from 2nd – 4th February.

• Volkswagen Modern Apprenticeship team achieves best time of 1:57.01 best time recorded at Eastern Creek
  
• 'World's Fastest Amarok': proclaims World Time Attack Challenge commentary team

Sydney, 16th October 2017 – Volkswagen Australia's top tier apprentices have claimed victory at the World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park over the weekend, beating the 1:59sec
challenge set by the iconic  Golf GTI hot hatch, in a modified V6 Amarok ute of their own construction.

Assembling in Volkswagen's Australian headquarters in Sydney recently, the team, comprised of top-tier apprentices from Volkswagen's own head office workshop and dealer network, spent a week dismantling and rebuilding a stock V6 Amarok Highline.

Working with a team of mentors from Volkswagen and its supplier network, the team stripped the Amarok of weight, added a custom-built suspension package dubbed 'The Big Bad Wolf' by engineers at Bilstein; and fitted an AP Racing brake setup in collaboration with V-Sport technicians. When the vehicle was track-ready, it was wrapped in custom vinyl, laid by Shane's Signs, and fitted with a set of semi-slick Michelin tyres.

The Amarok's award-winning powerplant, which boasts 165kW of power (180kW on overboost), and 550Nm of torque, was left as standard: proof of its track-blazing credentials.

The national apprentice team was on-hand at the WTAC, presenting the ute to the eager crowd of motorsport fans, and to get their concept car ready for its four high-speed track sessions on the Friday and Saturday.

Working with the project mentors from Volkswagen Australia and its supplier network, the team took feedback from the Amarok's pilot, race driver Ben Porter.

Throughout the weekend, Porter took the modified Amarok through its paces, first meeting the challenge's 1:59sec lap time set by the stock Golf GTI and then, beating the time altogether. The team of apprentices, mentors, technicians and Volkswagen staff were ecstatic when the Amarok V6 crossed the finish line with a best lap time of 1:57.01sec.

World Time Attack Challenge's track commentary team summed it up best, proclaiming it 'The World's Fastest Amarok'.

Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia, Carlos Santos said: "We're enormously proud of our Amarok V6, which we've always seen as the leader of the pack in terms of power.

"Thanks to this incredible team of Volkswagen apprentices, we've been able to show just how much power is under the hood of the Amarok – 550Nm is great for towing a boat or caravan; and now we can add smashing lap times to that list."

Project lead, PR and Brand Experience Manager, Kurt McGuiness added: "It's fantastic that this team of young apprentices not only met the challenge head-on, but far surpassed it on the track," Mr McGuiness said.

"It's important for us at Volkswagen to offer unique learning experiences to our apprentices. Our Big Bad Wolf Amarok track car is not only an example of our superior engineering, it's also a way for us as a business to support the lifeblood of our industry in Australia."

With history made, thoughts have turned to next year's challenge – perhaps the next class of apprentices will square off against the 213kW AWD Golf R at Eastern Creek?

High-performing apprentices from Volkswagen's head office and dealer network selected

The challenge: build a race-ready Amarok V6 to beat the iconic Golf GTI around Eastern Creek

New lap time to be set at World Time Attack Challenge in October

Sydney – Volkswagen Australia has challenged its top-tier apprentices from its head office workshop team and dealer network to build a unique, race-bred performance concept car, with the goal of beating a lap time set by the iconic Golf GTI at Sydney's Eastern Creek raceway.



Assembling at Volkswagen's Australian headquarters in Sydney on Monday 25th September, the team comprises of three high-performing apprentices from Volkswagen's 100+ strong national dealer network, and VGA's own inaugural class of workshop apprentices.

Luka Popovac, National Customer Experience & Capability Manager, was pleased to be offering this unique opportunity to Volkswagen's best apprentices.

"It's great to be able to give our best apprentices a chance to take on such a challenge and, in the process, give them priceless experience working with a range of technical experts from within Volkswagen and the motorsport community," Mr Popovac said.

The challenge is straightforward enough: build a car to beat a previously-set lap time of 1minute, 59 seconds, completed at Sydney's Eastern Creek raceway in a standard Golf GTI. However, unbeknownst to the eager team of technicians when they arrived at Volkswagen for the build's commencement, their chosen car is two-tonnes of 4x4 Volkswagen ute.

Of course, the donor car in question is Volkswagen's latest Amarok V6 Highline, with a maximum torque of 550 Nm available at less than 1,500 rpm, and 165 kW of power.

Project lead, Public Relations and Brand Experience Manager, Kurt McGuiness, explained the concept behind the build.

"Volkswagen has a long history of building apprentice concept cars for the annual GTI Conference at Lake Worthersee, Austria, and the cars have always been met with much excitement and fanfare. But, this is Australia – the biggest export market in the world for the Amarok – why not up the ante and have our apprentices build something that will excite and inspire Australian fans?" Mr McGuiness said.

"The decision to build our own super ute was an easy one," he continued. 

The apprentice team is being led by a group of mentors from Volkswagen Australia's workshop team who will be on-hand to assist with the build, along with a group of generous external partners who will provide their parts and expertise throughout the week.

Bilstein Suspension, Michelin, V-Sport, AP Racing and Shane's Signs have all volunteered their time, expertise and products to assist in the build.

With the build now underway, the apprentice team has the remainder of the week to finish to complete their work. Once completed, the vehicle will be presented at next month's World Time Attack Challenge at Eastern Creek, where fans will be able to see the modified Amarok up-close and watch the new lap time be set.

The project will feature on Volkswagen's digital and social media channels in the coming weeks, along with media test drives available following the World Time Attack Challenge.  

About Volkswagen's Modern Apprentice Program
Volkswagen's Modern Apprentice Program is an industry-recognised trade qualification, and offers apprentices a range of pathways and career development opportunities from within the national dealer network and Volkswagen's head office. Those who complete their apprenticeship and go on to achieve the Master Technician qualification receive an Amarok work vehicle, provided by Volkswagen Australia.