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Bentley is recalling just 88 Bentaygas for loose screws

The Basics: Bentley is recalling just 88 2017 Bentaygas for loose screws. That may seem like a small number, but it's a sizable portion of the 378 possibly affected vehicles. The vehicle has only been on sale for a very short while. The Problem: According to Bentley and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some Bentaygas left the factory with seat and instrument panel joints improperly tightened. Essentially, the big, expensive SUV has a few screws loose. This was discovered when a routine systems check revealed missing torque data for 88 vehicles. The improperly tightened parts can work themselves free over time, increasing the risk of injury. Injuries/Deaths: The Bentayga hasn't been on sale long enough for these improperly tightened parts to be a threat, so no injuries or deaths have been reported. The Fix: Bentley will notify affected customers starting this month. Owners can take their Bentayga to a Bentley service center where a technician will inspect and adjust the parts free of charge. Concerned owners may contact Bentley customer service at 1-800-777-6923. Bentley's number for the recall is RE16/32. If you own one: Sit tight, or as tightly as you can on your loose seat. Your Bentayga hasn't been on the road long enough for the parts to work themselves free. Wait for Bentley to issue you the recall, then go take your quarter-million-dollar SUV to your local dealer. Ask nicely, and Bentley will probably come pick it up. Related Video: Recalls Bentley Ownership Safety SUV Luxury bentley bentayga

Coronavirus prompts VW to stop production throughout Europe

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group, the world's biggest carmaker, is suspending production at factories across Europe as the coronavirus pandemic hits sales and disrupts supply chains, the company said on Tuesday. The German carmaker, which owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands, also said that uncertainty about the fallout from coronavirus meant it was impossible to give forecasts for its performance this year. "Given the present significant deterioration in the sales situation and the heightened uncertainty regarding parts supplies to our plants, production is to be suspended in the near future at factories operated by group brands," Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Tuesday. Volkswagen's powerful works council concluded it was not possible for workers to maintain a safe distance from each other to prevent contagion and recommended a suspension of production at its factories from Friday. Production will be halted at VW's Spanish plants, in Setubal in Portugal, Bratislava in Slovakia and at the Lamborghini and Ducati plants in Italy before the end of this week, Diess said. Most of its other German and European factories will prepare to suspend production, probably for two to three weeks, while Audi said separately it would halt output at its plants in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Mexico. Volkswagen's vast factories in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Puebla, Mexico, and plants in Brazil were not affected, but that would depend on how the coronavirus spreads, VW said. Volkswagen has 124 production sites worldwide of which 72 are in Europe, with 28 in Germany alone. "2020 will be a very difficult year. The coronavirus pandemic presents us with unknown operational and financial challenges. At the same time, there are concerns about sustained economic impacts," Diess said.   Production in China resumes Volkswagen Group sold 10.96 million vehicles last year, putting it ahead of Toyota based on the latest figures from the Japanese carmaker. Globally, VW employs 671,000 people and it delivered 4.86 million vehicles to European customers in 2019. Only last month the car and truck maker based in Wolfsburg, Germany, predicted that vehicle deliveries this year would match 2019 sales and forecast an operating return on sales in the range of 6.5% to 7.5%. "The spread of coronavirus is currently impacting the global economy. It is uncertain how severely or for how long this will also affect the Volkswagen Group.

Baby Bentley studied for 2020, but it might not be cheaper

Bentley may step down a segment with a new, smaller luxury car that it hopes to have ready by 2019. The British luxury marque's fifth model line, assuming that its SUV ever makes it to market, though, is still in the earliest planning stages.
Kevin Rose, Bentley's head of sales and marketing, spoke with Autocar at the Geneva Motor Show about the proposed new vehicle. "At the moment, our line of thinking is for a smaller car. But smaller doesn't necessarily mean cheaper," he said. The brand believes the price floor of its models should be 100,000 pounds ($167,240).
The smaller Flying B isn't the only project being worked on. Rose hinted that it is considering an even more expensive model above the Mulsanne priced at around 300,000 pounds ($501,735) that would compete with the Rolls-Royce Phantom. "The twin pillars of the Bentley brand are performance and luxuriousness. Any car that offers something unique, with both of those bases well covered, is on the table," he said.