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U.S. opens probe into whether VW vehicles infringe Jaguar Land Rover patents

WASHINGTON — The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) said on Monday it is opening in investigation into whether Volkswagen AG infringed on patents held by Jaguar Land Rover for a system used for off-road driving. In November, Jaguar Land Rover, a unit of Tata Motors, filed a complaint with the ITC seeking to prevent the import of some VW Porsche, Lamborghini and Audi models with "certain vehicle control systems" that allegedly infringe on it patents held for its Terrain Response system. The models include the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne and AudiÂ’s Q8, Q7, Q5, A6 Allroad, and E-Tron vehicles and the VW Tiguan. The ITC said it has made no decision on the merits. VW said in a statement it was examining the action and determining its next steps. "We will of course cooperate with investigating authorities. While we cannot comment on any details of the proceedings, we strongly believe that the claims have no merit and will robustly defend our position," VW said. Many automakers offer a suite of off-road powertrain controls, but JLR claims Volkswagen's tech is more than just similar.  Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said the vehicles "have used JLRÂ’s patented inventions without payment or permission" notably a patent for an "improved system for driving a vehicle on different driving surfaces, in particular off-road." JLR says its Terrain Response technology uses the patented technology to maximize performance on off-road driving surfaces, including grass, snow, mud, sand and rocks.

VW promises 7-seat CUV for America in 2016

On the eve of the Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn has confirmed the imminent arrival of a new crossover. The model, previewed at the same show last year by the CrossBlue concept pictured here, will be unique to the North American market when it arrives here in 2016. The new three-row, seven-seat crossover is part of an ambitious expansion plan on the part of Volkswagen and Audi in North America, where the two brands aim to sell a million vehicles by 2018.
That's a mighty big increase over the 600,000 vehicles which the Volkswagen Group sold here last year, but it's moving in the right direction: That number is already a 100-percent increase of what it sold here just five years ago. At that rate, VW should have little trouble meeting its goals, particularly with the arrival of the new crossover and the introduction of Golf production at its assembly plant in Puebla, Mexico. Read the full statement below for more.

VW recalling 38k Jettas, Passats, Golfs and Beetles for fuel leak

Earlier we reported on a recall issued for the 2015 VW Jetta regarding a problem with the headlights, and now Volkswagen and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have issued another recall for a separate issue affecting not only the Jetta, but several other models as well. The issue revolves around a sealing cap in the fuel rail, which could leak fuel into the engine compartment and potentially cause a fire. The problem affects an estimated 37,979 vehicles in the United States, including the 2014-15 Jetta (manufactured between March 28 and November 24, 2014), the 2014-15 Passat (April 7 to November 18), the 2015 Golf and GTI (July 1 to November 20) and the 2014-15 Beetle and Beetle Convertible (March 31 to November 27). That covers pretty much the entire range offered by Volkswagen of America, short of the Tiguan and Touareg crossovers (and the discontinued Eos convertible). Considering, though, that VW routinely sells around 30,000 vehicles in the US each month, the small number of vehicles being recalled (relative to the quantity out there) tells you this recall really only affects a specific cross-section of models. Owners of the affected vehicles can expect to be contacted by their dealers to have the fuel rails replaced. RECALL Subject : Fuel Leaking Into Engine Compartment Report Receipt Date: DEC 22, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V809000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 37,979 Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, certain 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, certain 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and certain 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24Bi.