2015 Volkswagen Golf and GTI at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla
• Looks like: A longer, lower and wider Golf
• Drivetrain: Choice of three four-cylinder engines in 1.8-liter turbo, 2.0-liter turbo (GTI) or 2.0-liter diesel trim; six-speed manual or dual-clutch automated manual transmission
• Hits dealerships: TBD

The seventh generation of one of the longest-running nameplates in the automotive world is making its North American debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. Both the 2015 Volkswagen Golf and GTI high-performance variant sit on a new structure, designed to be lighter and less expensive than the current Golf. The 2015 Golf is 2.2 inches longer than the current one but 1.1 inches lower, with increases to both rear-seat legroom (which was already copious) and shoulder room.

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Power comes from a choice of three revised engines: The base engine is now a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 170 horsepower and 184 pounds-feet of torque, replacing the old 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. It's mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. An optional diesel engine is available; the new 2.0-liter TDI turbo makes 150 hp and 236 pounds-feet of torque and is mated to either a six-speed manual or DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. The top engine, available in the GTI hot hatch, is a new turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 210 hp and 258 pounds-feet of torque; it also comes with six-speed manual or DSG automatic transmissions.

2013 Volkswagen Beetle Earns Five Stars from NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested another batch of new or redesigned-for-2013 vehicles and out of the four newbies, only one was awarded the agency's highest score.

The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle received an overall rating of five stars. The coupe earned four stars in frontal testing, five stars in side-crash testing and a four-star score in rollover tests; the convertible model has not yet been tested. The three others recently tested earned four stars overall: The plug-in Ford C-Max Energi, the tiny Toyota Prius c hybrid and front- and all-wheel drive versions of the Toyota Sienna minivan.

NHTSA plans to crash-test 54 model-year 2013 vehicles — 33 passenger cars, 16 SUVs, one van and four pickup trucks. NHTSA says that the crash-testing will account for about 85% of the volume of new vehicles sold for the year.

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Volkswagen Could Build Full-Size SUV in Tennessee

Volkswagen could build a new full-size SUV in its 2-year-old Chattanooga, Tenn., plant. The Detroit News reports the automaker is mulling an expansion in Chattanooga, which produced around 180,000 Passat sedans in 2012, to assemble an SUV designed specifically for the U.S. market. That new three-row vehicle would compete with the likes of the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse and Honda Pilot. The automaker's current Tiguan battles their smaller siblings — the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox and Honda CR-V — while Volkswagen prices the five-seat Touareg against luxury SUVs like the Lexus RX.

The new SUV is a long time coming. Volkswagen Group of America CEO Jonathan Browning told us in 2011 that a full-size crossover would be "a very natural extension to the brand." And at January's North American International Auto Show, VW showed a three-row CrossBlue concept SUV (above) that looks close to production ready.

2015 VW Golf to Debut at 2013 New York Auto Show

Volkswagen's updated GTI bowed at the 2013 Geneva International Motor Show earlier this month, and its Golf counterpart will meet the public at the 2013 New York International Auto Show later this month.

The 2015 Golf will grow in size but be lighter and more fuel efficient than its predecessor. New safety features include collision avoidance and lane departure warning systems; an updated multimedia system will also join the cabin. 

The base TSI model, diesel-powered TDI version and the sporty GTI variant will be unveiled at the show and go on sale during the first half of 2014. The TSI and GTI will use a new version of the VW's turbocharged four-cylinder. No word yet on when the U.S. will see the Golf Variant announced last week.

Auto show organizers claim there will be "more than 60 newly revealed cars, trucks and concepts" at the show; press days start March 27.

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Volkswagen Golf Variant: First Look

• Competes with: Subaru Impreza, Ford Focus hatchback, Hyundai Elantra GT, Mazda3
• Looks like: A new, practical small wagon without much style
• Drivetrain: Likely turbocharged 1.8-liter and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engines; turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine
• Hits dealerships: August in Europe, TBD for U.S.

This is an actual new station wagon from a major automaker. As wagons start to disappear from the automotive landscape, Volkswagen announced today it will release one based on the all-new Golf compact hatchback that goes on sale later this year.

We don't know when this wagon version will hit dealerships or even what it will be called, but we do know that it is similar to the current VW Jetta SportWagen in size.

This Golf retains the clean, simple ... OK, boring look of recent VWs like the Jetta and Passat, but VW buyers have responded to those vehicles in big ways.

At 179.6 inches long, the Golf Variant — as it is currently called — is just a hair longer than the 2013 Jetta Sportswagen at 179.4 inches.

U.S. on-sale dates and specific engines haven't been released at this time, but we have learned that the wagon will likely be powered by the same engines as the 2014 Golf, which goes on sale later this year.

2013 Geneva International Motor Show: 2014 Volkswagen GTI Preview

Volkswagen has unveiled the latest incarnation of its iconic GTI hot hatch ahead of the March 2013 Geneva International Motor Show. In keeping with VW's tradition of updating the Golf on which the GTI is based, the new car is an evolution of the old one, with subtle changes and improvements to powertrains, fuel economy and driving dynamics. The models unveiled in Geneva are the European-spec vehicles; the U.S.-spec cars have not yet been announced, but this is a good peek into what we could expect here.

2013 Chicago Auto Show Winners and Losers

The Chicago Auto Show is traditionally big on floor space and short on new product debuts, and the 2013 edition is no different with just a handful of all-new production and concept cars making their premieres. Editors Mike Hanley, Aaron Bragman, David Thomas and Joe Bruzek crisscrossed the expansive show floor in search of the hits and misses.

2014 Toyota Tundra

Mike Hanley: Winner
It would have been nice to see some frame or powertrain improvements, but the styling changes nicely update the truck. The taller hood makes for a bold front end, and the stamped badge on the tailgate is something you'd typically see on a concept truck. On the show floor, the changes work. Whether it stands a chance in the real world with updated domestic competitors is another thing.

Aaron Bragman: Loser
Lots of us thought that the new 2014 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra updates were tepid, but this makes GM's changes look revolutionary. Two elements one can point to — the new grille and the new interior, and neither one looks good. The new headlights and body-colored grille make the Tundra look like a bigger Honda Ridgeline, which is not a positive change. The interior is practically a direct rip-off of the current Ford F-150, and with no changes to the structure or powertrain (a five-speed automatic transmission? Still?), one wonders why Toyota even bothered to change anything.

David Thomas: Winner
I like the updates to the Tundra because it maintains a modern look versus the traditional styling of the domestic trucks on the market. The Tundra is what you think a truck in 2013 should look like. The different treatments to the grille are interesting, too, and everyone seemed to love the stamped-in name on the tailgate. Inside may be a "ripoff," but it is well-executed.

Joe Bruzek: Loser
Is Toyota giving up on the Tundra? It looks that way with hardly significant styling improvements and rip-off of the F-150's interior styling plus no mechanical changes to the truck's capabilities. The Tundra's old interior at least differentiated itself from other pickups with a unique, clean and swoopy design instead of the blocky industrial look it now uses.

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR Video

If you thought Volkswagen's iconic Bug couldn't get any cuter, just wait. The automaker unveiled the Beetle GSR at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.

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Inspired by the Beetle GSR from the 1970s, the limited-edition 2014 version of the coupe wears yellow and black, inside and out. Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays gives us a closer look of it and the R-Line version of the Beetle Convertible in the video below.

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR: Photo Gallery

If the 2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR looks familiar, it should. The 2014 version of the yellow-and-black Bug is a nod to the past and reminiscent of the Beetle GSR from the 1970s.

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The 2014 version uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and has a matching bumblebee-inspired interior. The limited-edition coupe goes on sale this fall; VW plans to make only 3,500 of them; only about half of those are for the U.S. market.

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR: Up Close

I'm a little surprised to be writing this, but the Beetle GSR's yellow-and-black paint scheme works really well on the car's hatchback body style. In person, the yellow is much paler than I thought it would be, and it contrasts nicely with the glossy black paint.

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In place of a substantial boost in performance — the GSR's turbocharged four-cylinder is rated at 210 horsepower, 10 hp more than the Beetle Turbo — Volkswagen gives you lots of GSR badges inside and out. It's too bad the higher-output, 256-hp turbo four-cylinder from the Golf R didn't find its way under the hood. Apart from GSR-specific cues like yellow accent stitching and a special shift knob, the interior is mostly unchanged.