This Week:

• The All New 2002 BMW 7 Series: BMW's New Flagship Sets New Benchmarks for Performance, Luxury, Design and Safety
  .

• Qvale Automotive Group Agrees to Sell Assets to MG Rover
  .

• Ford Motor Company Fund Gives Grant to New Muhammad Ali Center
  .

• Estima Hybrid - Gleaming Example of Automotive Evolution Tokyo
  .

• Jim Queen Named Vice President - GM North America Engineering
  .

• The New Vaneo mini-MPV from Mercedes-Benz
  .

• Award presentation at the 48th Advertising Festival in Cannes: Audi multitronic commercial "The Fan" wins Silver Lion
  .

• Toyota Motor Sales de Mexico Names New Managing Director
  .

• The first series-production car with Internet access is a Volkswagen Golf
  .

• Firestone Wilderness AT Tread Separation Claims Data for Non-Ford Vehicles
  .

© 1998 - 2001 Copyright & 
Disclaimer
Automotive Intelligence,
www.autointell.com
All Rights Reserved .
For questions please contact
editor@autointell.com  

News of  June 27, 2001

The first series-production car with Internet access is a Volkswagen Golf

Photo: VW

• A full range of mobility services in the “eGeneration” Golf

• Internet in the Golf - and the Golf "eGeneration” only on the Internet

Wolfsburg - Volkswagen has now brought together the automobile and the range of multimedia services available via the Internet. With its "eGeneration” Golf, Volkswagen will be the first manufacturer in Germany from July onwards to offer a passenger car" with Internet-compatible technology. This will enable the car's occupants for the first time to call up online information in the course of a journey on the weather, traffic conditions, stock exchange information, e-mails, Internet banking or route planning. From this time on the occupants of a Volkswagen will be able to what was previously only available on their home computer: surfing the World Wide Web. An MP3 player is also integrated.

All these new departures become possible as a result of the special equipment installed in the "eGeneration” Golf, which is available ex-factory with a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). This 'pocket PC' (an HP Jornada 548) is housed in a specially designed holder on the Golf's centre console. In the armrest between the two front seats there is also a modern mobile phone (a Nokia 6210) combined with a hands-free operating system; this phone is linked to the PDA.

This form of integration, suitable for mobile purposes, gives access via the Internet to the mobility services developed by Volkswagen's cooperating partners MSN and gedas (by logging on to www.volkswagen.de/mobileservices - thanks to the development of "eGeneration” software by Volkswagen's IT subsidiary gedas, these services can now be used in the car during the journey.

To keep the service straightforward and ensure rapid access to it, the PDA in the "eGeneration” Golf has its own screen display with very simple menu guidance. No time at all is needed to locate information on the current traffic situation, the weather at the start of the journey or the destination and possible routes with alternatives.

The PDA's large-area touch screen can also be used to dial numbers on the mobile phone, which greatly simplifies this task in the car. A hands-free system is standard, so that the mobile phone does not have to be removed from its holder and both hands can remain on the steering wheel.

In terms of its visual impact, the "eGeneration” Golf, which is available only with four doors, also pursues its own individual path. It is always supplied with a Ravenna blue metallic paint finish; alloy wheels with 195/65 tyres are standard. The interior also emphasises the individual character of the "eGeneration” Golf: new sports seats with a special upholstery and door-sill décor sheet marked "eGeneration” are among the particular visual highlights.

The "eGeneration” Golf also has Climatronic air conditioning, a "beta” radio and the technical electrics package as standard equipment. This package includes central locking with radio-operated remote control, electric windows at front and rear, electric remote-control outside mirrors and a multifunctional display (MFA).

The "eGeneration” Golf, the first with ex-factory Internet connection, comes with a choice of two engines. As well as the 2.0-litre, 85 kW (115 bhp) spark-ignition engine, it can be obtained with the new 96 kW (130 bhp) pump-injector diesel engine.

The "eGeneration” Golf's list price will be 22,450 Euro (43,908.39 DM when it is launched at the beginning of July 2001. It will only be available via the Internet (www.volkswagen.de). This fast, direct means of communication will ensure rapid delivery of the "eGeneration” Golf, which is being produced as a limited edition.

(June 15, 2001)

[Homepage] [ News] [ Companies] [ Management] [ Publications] [ Events] [ Careers]
[Services] [Discussion] [ Guestbook] [ Search]