2014 Volkswagen Beetle 2.0t R-line on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Diesel scandal continues to fuel VW's woes

Volkswagen's woes continued this week when it was delisted from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and stripped of awards. Senators are also lining up to advocate for criminal and civil action against the automaker, and its consumer reputation is in tatters. Put simply, it's been another rough period for VW. Despite this, the company eked out a sales gain of less than one percent in September, though that was well behind the overall market's performance. Sister brand Audi, which sells a diesel A3, was less affected, posting a 16-percent gain in September. Revelations that Volkswagen rigged millions of diesel-powered cars around the world didn't surface until September 18, so the full sales impact of the ongoing scandal won't likely be felt until October. Meanwhile, VW's image continues to take a beating, and an AutoPacific survey found only one in 14 vehicle owners have a positive opinion of the company. Before the scandal broke, three-quarters of respondents had a positive view of VW. The survey also found 64 percent don't trust Volkswagen, though the same number believe other companies are or may also be using cheating devices to pass emissions tests. "The reputation of diesels has been severely damaged, at least for the short term," Ed Kim, AutoPacific's vice president of industry analysis, said in a statement. Despite the lingering malaise, experts believe VW will recover, just as Toyota and General Motors eventually emerged from their own high-profile controversies. "Consumers have proven through numerous recalls that they are resilient and quickly return to their buying habits," Kim said. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Mazda to reveal sports car concept in Tokyo Mazda will bring a curvy sports car concept to the Tokyo Motor Show in October. The automaker is being especially coy with the details, only releasing the dark teaser shot that you see to the right and a cryptic statement that suggests the concept "condense[s] Mazda's entire history of sports-car development into a single model." Immediately, speculation abounded this is an RX-7 and RX-8 successor, though Mazda didn't specify what engine the concept will have. Reportedly, the company is still working on rotary engines. Mazda will have a Cosmo Sport 110S on its stand in Tokyo, which pioneered rotary technology in 1967. Read into that what you will. The Rock pitches Ford service Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, is the new frontman for Ford service.

Volkswagen Golf Variant will make a lovely Jetta SportWagen

In addition to several other versions of the Golf, Volkswagen is debuting the new Golf Variant (read: wagon) here at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. And if this bigger version of the Golf looks like it might fit right at home in the States, it's because we could possibly see some version of this car as the next-generation Jetta SportWagen here on our shores.
Volkswagen is debuting the Golf Variant with two efficient diesel engines, rated at 110 and 150 horsepower, the smaller of which is good for an impressive 71.3 miles per gallon on the European cycle (when mated to a six-speed manual transmission). The Golf Variant also gets a version of Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, making it incredibly all-weather capable.
It's a handsome estate, and it wears the new Golf's design language well. We can't say for sure if this car will actually make its way Stateside, but given the fact that the current Jetta SportWagen still rides on the old Golf platform, the odds look to be in our favor.

VW scandal, Alan Taylor on Vipers, and future cars | Autoblog Podcast #474

Episode #473 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week, Dan Roth chats with Sam Abuelsamid of Navigant Research about the just-announced deal pending between Volkswagen and the EPA, and Navigant's Transportation Outlook for 2025 to 2050. Alan Taylor, host of The Drive on ERN also visits the Podcast to talk about picking up his Viper ACR in Texas and driving it back to the West Coast. It all starts with the Autoblog Garage - check it out! Check out the rundown with times for topics, and thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #474 Topics VW/EPA deal Navigant Research Transportation Outlook Alan Taylor In The Autoblog Garage 2016 Lincoln MKX 2016 Volvo XC90 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Hosts: Dan Roth Guests: Sam Abuelsamid, Alan Taylor Rundown Intro & Garage - 00:00 VW/EPA - 25:51 Navigant Outlook - 38:47 Alan Taylor - 54:43 Total Duration: 01:13:11 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Dodge Volkswagen