What Will Chattanooga-Made VW Look Like?

No one, except for a few Volkswagen designers, engineers and Board Members know what the new car to be produced at Chattanooga's VW plant will look like.

But during our trip to Germany we got some hands-on experience of the technology that will go into the vehicles.

One of our stops was in Oschersleben, about an hour-and-a-half east of Wolfsburg at VW's Motorsport Arena. There we found engineers and test drivers pushing the latest engine and transmission technologies to the limits on a twisting race track.

We rode along in a high-performance Scirocco, not yet available in the United States, and a Jetta TDI Clean Diesel four-door sedan.

Christian Haacke, Product Communications specialist for Volkswagen AG, said "we're trying to also convince American consumers now about the sportiness of TDI engines."

During a presentation by top Volkswagen engineers we learn more about turbo-diesel technology, what they call Clean Diesel. They say the technology removes at least 70% of the nitrous oxide emissions. It's part of their commitment to produce smaller engines that are more fuel efficient, more powerful, quieter and less polluting.

Volkswagen is also moving ahead with what they call DSG transmissions, with a double-clutch gear box they say delivers more power, more fuel efficiency and a smoother ride than a manual transmission.

Our experience in the Jetta TDI on the track proved to us just how quickly that engine can accelerate the car - maximum torque is achieved at low engine speeds of about 1,200 rpm and remains through about 4,000 rpm. Even though the Jetta TDI that raced around the track is equipped with a stronger suspension, brakes and racing tires the engine is pretty much what U.S. drivers can expect. Including about 40+ miles per gallon fuel efficiency.  

Haacke also showed us how Volkswagen is developing technologies like park assist. On a Tiguan SUV the bumper-mounted sensors connect with a computer that tells the driver what's behind. And yes, with hands off the wheel the vehicle backs itself into a tight parking space, making parallel parking easier.

Haacke said in the future technologies already being developed at VW will allow for cars to be driven in heavy traffic conditions automatically, as the driver sits back and relaxes. Haacke said the main obstacle to putting this kind of technology into production now is psychological - getting human drivers to accept and trust a vehicle in an "auto-pilot" mode.  

As for appearances, we asked if the new Chattanooga-made car will share some of the aggressive new looks of VW's Golf-6 that was released in Europe just last month. But that's being kept a secret, although VW's head designer, Walter de Silva, gave us a small taste of what's in store during our visit to Volkswagen's Main Design Center in Wolfsburg.

"The car is very, very clever and simple, looks very nice, very sporty in the same time elegant with good proportion, but I can't explain," de Silva said.

During our conversation de Silva said Volkswagen stays ahead five years in the designs of it's vehicles. He has the final say over hundreds of designers who work out of a dozen design centers around the world.