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2015 VW Passat Limited Edition priced from $23,995*

Volkswagen is doing some rearranging of its lineup for the Passat sedan, ditching a pair of trims on the entry level, 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and replacing them with a new Limited Edition trim level. Gone are the Wolfsburg and SE trims from model year 2014, which rung up at $24,375 and $26,280, respectively. The new Limited Edition will start at $23,995, not including $820 in destination charging. According to VW, the new trim level packages $2,755 of extras over the base Passat S, but only demands an extra $1,555 of cash. Not a bad bargain, particularly as the Limited Edition adds some desirable features. An intelligent key with push-button start, 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear-view camera, heated leatherette seats with power controls on the driver's side and a touchscreen radio with an eight-speaker stereo, along with a few lesser options, like fog lights, chrome window trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Beyond the new list of standard equipment, this is still the same competent German sedan. The 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder is paired up with a smooth shifting six-speed automatic, as with other trim levels. Check out VW's press release on the new Passat Limited Edition, available below. VOLKSWAGEN RELEASES PRICING ON 2015 PASSAT LIMITED EDITION MODEL Mar 6, 2015 Passat Limited Edition model starts at $23,995 Fuel-efficient 1.8-liter TSI® engine and six-speed automatic transmission standard Value-laden model has a host of standard features, including KESSY® keyless access with push-button start, V-tex leatherette seating surfaces, heatable front seats,17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, touchscreen radio and rearview camera Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc., today, announced pricing on the 2015 Passat Limited Edition model. The Limited Edition model will have a starting MSRP of $23,995 (plus transportation) and supersedes the Wolfsburg and SE models from the current model year. The new Limited Edition model offers a great value: compared with the automatic transmission S model, it has $2,755 of additional equipment, but costs just $1,555 more.

VW expanding in Chattanooga, hiring workers ahead of SUV production

Hey, look! We're writing about Volkswagen's Chattanooga, TN factory and the focus isn't on yet another unionization effort. That's because the big news at the still-new factory is VW's plan to expand and increase its workforce in preparation for the arrival of the German brand's long-awaited midsize crossover. The expansion, which will add over half a million square feet of factory space, overhaul the assembly, body and paint shop and add 2,000 employees to the factory's ranks, officially kicked off last month. "This is a very exciting time in the history of Volkswagen Chattanooga," president and CEO of operations at the plant, Christian Koch, said in a statement. "A lot of hard work is going into adding this second vehicle line to the plant, but it is crucial to our efforts to move forward in America." "Not only will Volkswagen's expansion create thousands of new jobs, it will strengthen their roots in our city," Chattanooga's Mayor, Andy Berke, said in a statement. "From the construction at the plant to the development of a visitors center, there is no doubt that Volkswagen is invested in Chattanooga." VW Chattanooga has been a constant in the headlines over the past few years as pro-union and pro-business interests have battled over the souls representation rights of its roughly 1,500 workers. Just over a year ago, the UAW was defeated in its initial unionization bid, although pro-labor interests have not gone quietly into the night. Construction is expected to continue for two years, with production of Chattanooga's second vehicle expected to commence in 2016. Scroll down for the official press release from Volkswagen. VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA'S PLANT EXPANSION UNDERWAY Feb 24, 2015 Construction Will Add 2nd Vehicle Line: New Midsize SUV CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2015) - Construction is underway at the Volkswagen Chattanooga manufacturing facility in preparation for production of an all new Midsize SUV. The first phase of construction started in early January 2015 and will continue for the next two years. Volkswagen Chattanooga CEO and President Christian Koch gave a site tour to Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger on Tuesday, highlighting the necessary expansion of the production areas in the body shop, paint shop and assembly areas.

Audi CEO's Dieselgate arrest threatens fragile truce among VW stakeholders

FRANKFURT — The arrest and detention of Audi's chief executive forces Volkswagen Group's competing stakeholders to renegotiate the delicate balance of power that has helped keep Audi CEO Rupert Stadler in office. Volkswagen's directors are discussing how to run Audi, its most profitable division, following the arrest of the brand's long-time boss on Monday as part of Germany's investigations into the carmaker's emissions cheating scandal. The supervisory board of Audi, meanwhile, has suspended Stadler and appointed Dutchman Bram Schot as an interim replacement, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Schot joined the Volkswagen Group in 2011 after having worked as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italia. He has been Audi's board member for sales and marketing since last September. The discussions risk reigniting tensions among VW's controlling Piech and Porsche families, its powerful labor representatives and its home region of Lower Saxony. VW has insisted the development of illegal software, also known as "defeat devices," installed in millions of cars was the work of low-level employees, and that no management board members were involved. U.S. prosecutors have challenged this by indicting VW's former chief executive Martin Winterkorn. Stadler's arrest raises further questions. Audi and VW said on Monday that Stadler was presumed innocent unless proved otherwise. Munich prosecutors detained Stadler to prevent him from obstructing a probe into Audi's emissions cheating, they said on Monday. Stadler is being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising. Here are the main factors deciding the fate of Audi. Background: Audi's role in Dieselgate Volkswagen Group was plunged into crisis in 2015 after U.S. regulators found Europe's biggest carmaker had equipped cars with software to cheat emissions tests on diesel engines. The technique of using software to detect a pollution test procedure, and to increase the effectiveness of emissions filters to mask pollution levels only during tests, was first developed at Audi. "In designing the defeat device, VW engineers borrowed the original concept of the dual-mode, emissions cycle-beating software from Audi," VW said in its plea agreement with U.S. authorities in January 2017, in which the company agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine to reach a settlement with U.S. regulators.