Volkswagen has introduced new models from time to time. The Grman auto giant, over the past decades created a secured space in the automobile market with its astonishing looks and features. In the new millenium, VW launched out models that continued its truimphin the world market. Volkswagen introduced an array of new models after Bernd Pischetsrieder took over the charge as Volkswagen Group CEO in 2002. The fifth generation VW Golf came out in 2004.

It fought with competing models including Fiat Panda,  SEAT Toledo, Škoda Octavia and Audi A3 hatchback ranges.

VW brought out Golf under the Rabbit name once again in the U.S. and Canada in June 2006. The fifth-generation Jetta, and the performance version, the GLI, also were seen in the United States and Canada market. The sixth-generation Passat and the fifth-generation Jetta both marked its debut in 2005. VW has announced plans to bring back the Scirocco by 2008. In November 2006 Bernd Pischetsrieder resigned as Volkswagen Group CEO, and was replaced by Audi worldwide CEO Martin Winterkorn at the beginning of 2007. Recently the sports car manufacturer Porsche has announced its plan to buy the majority of Volkswagen’s stock, thus becoming the new owner of Volkswagen. The fifth-generation Passat, has made a facelift from the 1998-01 model.

VW had to face a lot of challenges in North America, rising significantly between 1998 and 2001, VW’s North American sales fell sharply in 2005 of roughly US$1 billion. In 2002, Volkswagen announced the debut of luxury car Phaeton,  which was critically acclaimed but not well received. In conjunction with the introduction of new models, production location of Volkswagen vehicles also underwent serious changes.

Volkswagen is considered as one of the leading small diesel engine manufacturers, and has offered a number of its vehicles with a TDI Turbocharged Direct Injection engine.

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Volkswagen crossed the boundaries of Germany in the end og 1950’s to reach the Europen market. The attempt was a big success. While Volkswagen’s range of cars became a big hit in the European market, the Golf has been the mainstay of the Volkswagen lineup since its introduction. Thanks to its sophisticated features and looks. There have been five generations of the Volkswagen Golf. Its first version came out  in the summer of 1974. It was a common face in the market until 1983.

Its chassis also spawned the Volkswagen Scirocco sport coupe, Volkswagen Jetta saloon/sedan, Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet convertible, and Volkswagen Caddy pickup.

The second-generation Golf hatchback/Jetta sedan ran on the European and American roads between the years of 1983 to late 1991. The North American version was produced in Pennsylvania went on sale at the start of the 1985 model year. The production of the first-generation Golf went up annually in South Africa as the Citi Golf, with only minor modifications to the interior, engine and chassis, using tooling relocated from the New Stanton plant in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania .

But the eighties were gloomy years for Volkswagen in America. The sales in both the United States and Canada fell dramatically, despite the success of models like the Golf elsewhere. The Rabbit  developed a reputation for bad electrical systems and oil burning. The Japanese and the Americans were able to compete with similar products at lower prices. Later, VW launched the second-generation Golf, GTI and Jetta models which helped briefly in North America. VW’s American sales broke 200,000 in 1985 and 1986 before resuming the downward trend from earlier in the decade. VW brought the Czech car maker Škoda Auto the following year.

Volkswagen launched the second generation Volkswagen Polo, a stylish and spacious three-door hatchback in 1981 and sold as a hatchback and “coupewhich was a  big success. It was facelifted in 1990 and was in demand for long years  until its replacment by the third generation Polo in 1994.

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