2006 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi Sedan 4-door 1.9l on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen says goodbye to Eos, Routan in 2015 updates

Usually automakers announce changes to their lineup individually on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis, but sometimes it all comes at once – especially when the changes are ones we either expected or might not otherwise notice. That's the path Volkswagen has gone with changes to its US lineup for 2015. The biggest change is what we already knew: that the new Golf arrives for the 2015 model year, bringing with it the new GTI, Golf R, e-Golf and Golf SportWagen (to replace the previous Jetta wagon). But there are some new details as well. For starters, Volkswagen has finally confirmed that both the Eos and the Routan – both long rumored to be on their way out – will be exiting this year. The Eos hardtop convertible, pictured above, will linger for one last year, its Sport trim replaced by a new Final Edition with 18-inch wheels, two-tone leather interior and enhanced equipment. Meanwhile the Routan, which hasn't actually been built in over a year, is finally dead, as VW confirms it has dropped the Chrysler-built minivan from its lineup for 2015 altogether. The German automaker has also confirmed that the Touareg is getting a facelift early in the new year, which we expect will closely follow the revisions revealed a few months ago ahead of the Beijing Motor Show. Finally VW has announced an upgrade to its 2.0-liter TDI. Fitted to the Golf, Jetta, Passat and Beetle, the updated diesel gets 10 more horsepower with output now up to 150 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque. Scope out the full list of announcements in the press release below. MODEL YEAR 2015: NEW GOLF FAMILY, REDESIGNED JETTA, AND NEW TDI® CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE HEAD THE CHANGES Jul 22, 2014 In a busy year, Volkswagen will also add a new Golf SportWagen, an all-new Golf R, a redesigned Touareg SUV, and the company's first U.S.-market EV, the e-Golf - All-new Golf is bigger, lighter, and more fuel-efficient than the previous model, seats five, and has a larger trunk than any midsize sedan - New Golf GTI has 210-horsepower engine, with improved fuel efficiency and performance - e-Golf is Volkswagen's first full Battery Electric Vehicle for sale in the U.S.

11M VW diesels affected, Porsche and Audi under investigation

Volkswagen's diesel scandal is growing exponentially larger. In a new statement, the company admits that 11 million vehicles worldwide might be equipped with software capable of evading emissions testing. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency is beginning an investigation into the 3.0-liter V6 in Audi models and the Porsche Cayenne in the US, according to The Detroit News. The automaker claims that from its investigation so far, the "relevant engine management software is also installed in other Volkswagen Group vehicles with diesel engines." However, the company finds that the "noticeable deviation" in test results and real-world numbers only relates to the Type EA 189 powerplant. That still leaves 11 million vehicles potentially skirting emissions rules, though. Governments around the world have started taking a closer look into the company, too. In the US, the EPA has begun testing VW's V6 diesel because "they were certified well before we knew what we know now," Christopher Grundler, director of the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, said to The Detroit News. The agency has started checking diesels from other automakers to make sure they're meeting the rules, as well. Germany, the European Union, and South Korea have instituted similar investigations. In response, VW is setting aside 6.5 billion euros ($7.25 billion at current rates) to cover servicing all of these diesels. The company admits that the figure might have to be adjusted depending on what happens next. The money is being deducted from its third-quarter earnings. Related Video: VOLKSWAGEN AG HAS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: Sep 22, 2015 Volkswagen is working at full speed to clarify irregularities concerning a particular software used in diesel engines. New vehicles from the Volkswagen Group with EU 6 diesel engines currently available in the European Union comply with legal requirements and environmental standards. The software in question does not affect handling, consumption or emissions. This gives clarity to customers and dealers. Further internal investigations conducted to date have established that the relevant engine management software is also installed in other Volkswagen Group vehicles with diesel engines. For the majority of these engines the software does not have any effect. Discrepancies relate to vehicles with Type EA 189 engines, involving some eleven million vehicles worldwide.

Audi spending an additional $2.5 billion on expansion through 2019

Every year, it seems the Volkswagen Group announces a new and larger spend to push growth and profit, with Audi a regular recipient of the moolah. That's reasonable, seeing as hauls in 40 percent of Group operating profits. In December last year Audi said it would spend an additional 100 million euros ($122M US) per year through 2018 to develop new models and expand production, targeting 60 models by 2020 and luxury sales leadership. This month Audi said it will boost that by another two billion euros ($2.5B US) over the next five years, for a total outlay of 24 billion euros from 2014 to 2019. Something like 70 percent of those billions will be spent on new models, technology like "connectivity and lightweight construction," and factory expansion at its plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. Most of the ten models that will plump the lineup to 60 cars will mainly be aimed at the C and D segments, as well as crossovers, the brand's burgeoning portfolio of PHEV models, and all-electric cars that will begin staking ground in the segment. The big spend comes at the same time as Audi is working hard to reduce costs by $2.5 billion to maintain profitability, part of a larger push by VW to cut costs by $6.1 billion by 2017. More than a billion euros will go to new factories in Mexico and Brazil. Work begins on the Mexico plant next year, and when it comes on-line in 2016, Audi's Q5 successor will roll out of its warehouse doors; Audi has already announced it will hire 850 more workers next year in Mexico. When that's done, Mexico's production of German luxury cars will only trail that of Germany, China and the US. The company's Brazil plant will produce the A3 and S3 starting next year, and the brand figures luxury car buying there will triple by 2017. News Source: Reuters Earnings/Financials Plants/Manufacturing Audi Volkswagen Luxury Mexico Brazil ulrich hackenberg