2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Facelift: Is this the first Official Photo?

The facelifted 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has said to have made a brief stint on the automaker's German web site today before the company hastily removed it. We found the aforementioned page but now it redirects to a 404 error.

Unlike the supposedly leaked brochure of the refreshed Tiguan we showed you last summer, this photo showing the standard and possibly the more off-road capable Track & Field model, appears to be real. The most notable difference is of course the new front fascia styled in line with VW's latest family face. Word has it that the updated Tiguan SUV will make its world premiere at the Geneva motor show. We'll be sure to keep you updated on any new information that comes up.

China Market 2012 Volkswagen NMS Unwrapped?

Chances are you've already seen a set of pictures, supposedly depicting the U.S. market version of the 2012 Volkswagen New Midsized Sedan (NMS), floating around on the web-o-sphere this week. As always, we looked around and tried to find the original or one of the original sources of the photos. Turns out that these pictures originated from a Chinese car site called Autohome. If we are to believe the report, what you see here is the China-market version of the NMS. Even so, we would like to note that we're not entirely convinced of their authenticity as the photographs could very well be fabricated.

Either way, it won't be long before we find out what the North American market spec NMS looks like as Volkswagen recently confirmed that the car will get its world premiere at next month's Detroit Motor Show, with U.S. sales to begin in the third quarter of 2011.

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Spy Video: 2012 New Beetle Caught Testing on the Road

We've shown you the spy shots and told you about the Oprah gig where the famous TV host gave away 275 examples of the yet-to-be-revealed New Beetle to her audience. Now, the 2012 model was caught on video towing a pretty big trailer during a series of tests carried out in Europe. VW has promised that the new generation of the retro-styled hatch, which will arrive in May next year, will be a “driving machine" but did not elaborate further. Video after the jump.

Paris Show Debut for Redesigned 2011 Volkswagen Passat Confirmed

The Paris Motor Show organizers have confirmed the world premiere of the facelifted Volkswagen Passat in both sedan and Estate body styles. Expect the first photos and intel on the revamped Passat to go up just before the grand opening of the show on September 30.

From what we've seen in the spy photos and videos, VW's offering in the mid-size segment will receive significant styling changes to the front and rear ends, including a new hood and grille, plus redesigned bumpers and head lamps / tail lights, for a crisper and more dynamic look.

A plusher cockpit with higher quality materials and a refreshed design is also in the cards. Other changes inside will include new audio and navigation systems as well as the introduction of new extras.

It is believed that for the most part, the current lineup of engines, including the four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline and diesel units, will be carried over to the facelifted model.

(Video via: Youtube/AMS)