2013 Volkswagen Jetta Black Low Miles 2,0 Engine Great On Gas on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen rules out Eos successor

When Volkswagen introduced the Eos back in 2006, hard-top convertibles were all the rage – in North America, in Europe and around the world. But the trend, billed at the time as the best of both worlds, has long since subsided, leading to VW axing the Eos several months ago. And don't count on it getting a successor at some point down the line, either. At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this week, VW R&D chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser told Autocar that the Eos is down for the count. In fact it is "maybe the first model we take out of the market" in a reversal of the momentum that has seen the German automaker expand its lineup incrementally over the past several years – although the Chrysler-built Routan minivan was also canceled around the same time. The place the Eos occupied in VW's North American lineup is largely being taken by the more charismatic Beetle Convertible, and in Europe and other markets by the Golf Cabriolet that's still based on the previous-generation hatchback. The Eos, however, isn't the only hard-top convertible withdrawn from the market in recent years. Tin-top cabrios like the Lexus IS and SC, Cadillac XLR, Chrysler 200, Pontiac G6 and Volvo C70 have all gone the way of the dodo – as have Euro-market coupe-convertibles versions of models like the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, and Peugeot 207. The arrival of the Buick Cascada just goes to show that soft-roofed convertibles have won out, particularly as far as four-seat cabrios are concerned. The one notable exception where folding hard-tops are still gaining traction is among mid-engined exotic supercars like the Ferrari 458 and McLaren 650S, both of which opted for solid folding roofs instead of fabric ones. We've yet to see, however, which approach Lamborghini will take with the Huracan Spyder or Audi will with the next-generation R8, the predecessors of both of which featured fabric roofs.

2014 VW Golf brings storied hatchback's seventh generation to US

The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf in US-specification officially debuts at the 2013 New York Auto Show. The new model is the first VW in the States to ride on the company's MQB architecture, and as such, it makes use of plenty of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel to keep weight down. All told, the new shell is 51 pounds lighter than the outgoing generation, despite the fact that the finished car is a full 2.2 inches longer and .5 inches wider than the 2013 model.
Buyers can expect to find a base model powered by a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (blue car above) with 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. That means the powerplant delivers the same horsepower as the old naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder while weighing less and producing seven extra pound-feet of torque. TDI (silver car above) buyers, meanwhile, will enjoy a new 2.0-liter turbo diesel four-cylinder mill. VW says the engine yields 10 more horsepower than the old lump, which means the Golf TDI now boasts 150 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.
GTI (red car above) buyers will now get their hands on a revised 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with approximately 210 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque - Volkswagen hasn't finalized power numbers for that machine. We're happy to see that the GTI still features its trademark plaid seats. Volkswagen says the new Golf and GTI will go on sale as a 2015 model, but doesn't say when the car will actually hit dealerships.

VW will need to recall 323,700 diesel vehicles in India

Volkswagen Group's diesel emissions scandal continues to spread, and now the automaker must recall 323,700 diesel vehicles in India because of too much pollution, according to Bloomberg. The campaign covers models from several of the group's brands including VW, Audi, and Skoda. The Automotive Research Association of India first discovered the emissions irregularities after conducting its own real world and lab tests, and the Indian government then commanded VW to explain what was happening. The country's regulators will allow the automaker to set the recall schedule for the repairs, according to a government official who spoke to Bloomberg, and the campaign will likely happen in phases. Among the affected vehicles, there will be about 100,000 from the VW brand including the Jetta, Passat, and some variants of the Polo. VW already has repairs for some of the affected diesel engines in Europe, and the company can allegedly fix the emissions problem with new software and small hardware changes. The situation is harder in the US where regulators still need to approve any proposed solutions, and VW also must now recall its 3.0-liter V6 TDI in California to eliminate other problematic code. The German automaker faces investigations from regulators all over the world into its emissions evasions, and they could be quite costly. One estimate already suggests the minimum price of the potential repairs, fines, and other expenses at about $24.5 billion. Officials in Brazil have already fined the company $13 million for pollution issues with the diesel Amarok pickup and requested a recall to fix them.