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First drive: Volkswagen Golf Hybrid. Image by Volkswagen.

First drive: Volkswagen Golf Hybrid
As the sun sets on the Golf Mk8 range’s life, Volkswagen goes and gives it an entirely new drivetrain. Is this HEV worth consideration?
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VW Passat W8 review. Image by John LeBlanc.

VW Passat W8 review
2002 Volkswagen Passat (Road test - B5 W8)
Whether it's a plebeian four-cylinder sedan, or a fully decorated V6 all-wheel-drive estate, every Volkswagen Passat I've ever driven has been at the head of its class among affordable family cars. All Passats are roomy on the inside, handle well, and offer credible performance and stylish looks without removing too much from your wallet.
2004 VW Lupo GTi review. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

2004 VW Lupo GTi review
2004 Volkswagen Lupo (Road test - GTI)
Would you believe that the VW Lupo has been on the market, practically unchanged, since 1999? The Lupo takes its name from the Latin word for wolf. The wolf may be a wilder animal than most of the Lupo range, but perhaps not the GTi version reviewed here, which looks as fresh now as the day it was born in December 2000.
2004 VW Polo Dune review. Image by VW.

2004 VW Polo Dune review
2004 Volkswagen Polo (Road test - Mk4 1.4 TDI Dune)
At first glance, the VW Polo Dune is a bit of a caricature, with its big wheels, raised suspension and body cladding giving it a sort of "off-road" look, clearly in response to the Rover Streetwise, which was aimed at the younger driver. So how does it stack up after a brief drive?
2004 Volkswagen Touareg 2.5 TDI review. Image by VW.

2004 Volkswagen Touareg 2.5 TDI review
2004 Volkswagen Touareg (First drive - Mk1 2.5 TDI 174)
Earlier this year, VW released an entry-level version of the mighty Touareg: the 2.5 TDI. The 5-cylinder engine is essentially half the V10 Diesel engine used in the top of the range Touareg model, and at just under £31,000 on the road poses a considerable saving on the larger engined model.
The VW Phaeton W12 is inverted snobbery at its best. Image by VW.

The VW Phaeton W12 is inverted snobbery at its best
2004 Volkswagen Phaeton (W12 5-seater brief drive)
An interesting configuration for an engine, the 'W' designation is a little misleading, suggesting a pair of V6 engines mounted side by side. In fact for this engine, VW has effectively joined two of its narrow angle VR6 engines onto a single crankshaft. Aside from being cheaper to make (existing tooling can be used), the main advantage of this configuration is size - or more to the point, the lack of it.

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