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Bentley Bentayga bodies to be built in Bratislava

Volkswagen's plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, has come a long way. After getting its start in 1971 by subcontracting the production of Skoda-branded vehicles, the plant was purchased by VW in 1991, where it was quickly put to further good use as it began producing Volkswagen Passat models for export. More recently, Bratislava has become a bastion for SUVs, assembling the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, in addition to the VW Touareg. Color us unsurprised, then, to learn that the Bentley Bentayga, which will be built atop the same large SUV platform as its cousins from Audi, Porsche and VW, will also be used for at least part of the production of Bentley's first SUV. Surely, though, one of the hallmarks of the Bentley brand is that its cars are handmade in England. Won't the Bentley-buying populace feel slighted by production in Slovakia? Not to worry. As is the case with the Porsche Cayenne, all that will be produced in Slovakia is the Bentayga's body. According to a report from Automotive News, bodies for the Bentayga will be shipped from Bratislava to Crewe, England, where they will be finished into fully operational vehicles. In order to accommodate the additional work, VW will reportedly invest 500 million euros into the plant in Slovakia and hire hundreds of workers.

VW delivers first XL1 in Germany

Volkswagen has delivered the first XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid to a customer from Berlin, Germany. Dr. Christian Malorny received his Oryx White XL1 with black and grey interior from Volkswagen Germany's director of sales and marketing for passenger cars, Thomas Zahn, at the company's Transparent Factory in Dresden. The super-efficient XL1, which first debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, is powered by a 0.8-liter, two-cylinder TDI engine and electric motor, with electricity supplied by a 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission. With a curb weight of 1,753 pounds and a drag coefficient of just 0.189, the XL1 is rated at 261 miles per gallon on the lenient European cycle. It is capable of traveling solely on electric power for up to 31 miles. "The XL1 has inspired me from the beginning and I am very pleased to now be driving my own," said Malorny, (translated). "With its visionary design and high-tech appearance, Volkswagen has dared something new and innovative." The futuristic XL1 seats two passengers, and can carry 4.2 cubic feet of cargo. It features a carbon fiber reinforced plastic body, and a low center of gravity. It is diminutive of stature, as you can see in the photo, measuring 153.1 inches long, 65.6 inches wide, and just 45.4 inches tall. It is being billed as the world's most efficient production car, but it's unlikely Dr. Malorny will be making his money back on fuel savings any time soon; despite the first sale and the vehicles appearing on the German VW site, Volkswagen has not officially announced the price tag for the XL1. In the past, we've heard it will cost approximately $145,000. Only 250 are being produced. Check out our drive review of the Volkswagen XL1 here or read on for more information in the Google-translated press release, below. Volkswagen XL1 delivers first from First vehicle goes to Berlin Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Volkswagen has delivered yesterday at the Transparent Factory in Dresden the first XL1 to a customer. Together with his family accepted Dr. Christian Malorny from Berlin's innovative diesel plug-in hybrid.

Bosch fuel pumps spark recall of 2015 Golf, GTI and Audi A3

A few weeks ago, BMW and Nissan both issued recalls for some of their vehicles to replace Bosch-supplied fuel pumps. The pumps had nickel plating that could flake off and cause a failure. Volkswagen Group is the latest automaker to be affected by the problem and has a campaign for the 2015 Audi A3, VW Golf and GTI. In total, 6,204 units of these models are in need of repair. The problem with the VW Group vehicles is identical to the previous recalls. It's possible for the pump's nickel plating to come off and cause increased friction. Eventually, this can result in the component's failure. According to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF, here), there are no reports of accidents or injuries from this issue in the VW Group models. Bosch spokesperson Linda Beckmeyer tells Autoblog that these vehicles don't all necessary share an identical fuel pump, but the parts all use the same plating process. The problem also prompted repairs of the 2014 Ford Escape several months ago, she indicated. When asked if the issue could prompt more campaigns, Beckmeyer said that she "can't speak to that" because automakers decide on the recalls. Owners should receive notice of the problem soon, but according to the NHTSA documentation, there currently aren't enough pumps to fix all of these vehicles. "Bosch is working closely with automakers regarding replacement parts," Beckmeyer said. When available, dealers will replace the components free of charge for affected customers. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Improper Plating may cause Fuel Pump to Fail Report Receipt Date: APR 17, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V229000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 6,204 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) AUDI A3 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2015 Details Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Golf, GTI, and Audi A3 vehicles. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing. CONSEQUENCE: If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle will not start, or if the engine is running, it will stop and the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any affected fuel pumps, free of charge.