VW is bringing the US an electric car

For the last year, Volkswagen has been trying to recover from their diesel-emissions cheating scandal, and now they are planning for their future, electric cars. The company plans to introduce as many as 30 electric models spread across all their brands by 2025. And now it appears that some of those VW branded models will be built in North American, according to Volkswagen Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken. 

“VW is evaluating its plants in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Puebla, Mexico, as production sites for an electric car that will launch in 2020”,

Woebcken said in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Woebcken indicated that the decision was based on anticipated electric-car demand in the U.S. VW going forward with building an electric car in North America is going to go a long way in rebuilding their public image and re-establish its green credentials. The plant in Tennessee opened in 2011, as part of VWs major expansion push into the U.S.

VW currently builds at their Tennessee plant the mid-size sedan the Passat. They are planning on building their new three-row crossover at the beginning of next year. The bulk of VWs that are for the U.S. market are built in the Mexican plant. Currently the Jetta, Golf, and Beetle are the main production pieces there. The second generation Tiguan is also slated to be produced there as well. The redesigned Tiguan was unveiled last fall at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show and is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. next year.

Currently the only all-electric car that VW has available in the U.S. is the e-Golf , which is imported from Germany. The new Tiguan may get a plug-in powertrain option somewhere down the road. Only certain VW dealers are given the option to sell the all-electric vehicles, those dealers are in states that are deemed friendly to electric cars. Those states are: California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia.

For the model earmarked for North American production in 2020, Volkswagen is likely to deploy the new MEB platform for compact electric cars that it announced last year. Beyond models based on this platform, VW also has three luxury models planned for European production. They include an Audi crossover likely to be called Q6 e-tron, a Porsche sport sedan based on the Mission E concept from the 2015 Frankfurt show, and an all-electric version of the Volkswagen Phaeton luxury sedan.

Contact us to see our great VW inventory!

Volkswagen/Audi Diesel Emissions Settlement Program

     On September 18^th 2015, news broke about Volkswagen’s emissions tests being faked on many of VW and Audi’s TDI vehicles. It was found that Volkswagen had intentionally programmed turbocharged direct injection (TDI) diesel engines to activate certain emissions controls only during laboratory emissions testing. The programming caused the vehicles' carbon output to meet US standards during regulatory testing but emit more carbon in real-world driving. Volkswagen put this programming in about eleven million cars worldwide and in 500,000 in the United States, during model years 2009 through 2015.

      And finally settlements have been reached and the plan is in order to make it right with owners of VW’s here in the U.S. pending judges approval.

If the proposed Settlements are approved by the Judge, then Volkswagen has agreed to:

·        Buy back, terminate leases or provide approved emissions modifications for nearly 475,000 2.0-liter TDI diesel cars in the United States;

·        Provide cash payments to owners/lessees;

·        Pay for environmental remediation; and

·        Promote zero emissions vehicle technology

      So you can choose to sell or terminate your lease back to car back to Volkswagen plus cash or VW will make the modifications to your car to improve emissions plus cash. So needless to say, VW is giving you cash for their deceitfulness.

The following 2.0-liter TDI engine vehicles are included and may be eligible.

·        VW Beetle  2013-2015

·        VW Golf      2010-2015

·        VW Jetta     2009-2015

·        VW Passat  2012-2015

·        Audi A3       2010-2013, 2015

What are the next steps?

    

      If the Judge grants preliminary approval, notice will be mailed to owners and lessees announcing the specific terms of the Settlements.  At that time, owners/lessees will learn about their rights to exclude themselves, object, or comment on the Settlements as well as the options available to buyback or modify their car, or terminate their lease.

     Volkswagen is working on an emission modification for each of the cars listed above. EPA will need to approve any emissions modification before this option becomes available.

If I am a former owner or lessee, am I eligible to participate in the proposed Settlements?

      If you owned an eligible vehicle on or before September 18, 2015 and sold it before June 28, 2016, you may be eligible to participate. Likewise, if you were leasing an eligible vehicle as of September 18, 2015, you may be eligible to participate.

For more information please visit our website or contact us for questions.

VW is the King of the Ring

Nürburgring's infamous Nordschleife has once again removed its speed liimts, and it was only a matter of time before the different automakers would attempt to set new speed records. And Volkswagen has done exactly that, recording the fastest front-wheel-drive with the all-new Golf GTI Clubsport S.

                                               

The all-new Golf GTI Clubsport S puts out about 306 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The weight in the Clubsport S weighs in under 3,000 pounds and does 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds. It comes with a standard adaptive suspension. Volkswagen will only produce just 400 these cars, with 100 staying in Germany.

VW's 7:49.21 lap time positively decimates the record of 7:50.63 set by a preproduction 2015 Honda Civic Type R, which itself bested the previous record of 7:54.36, held by the Renault Mégane RS. 

To see some of our other fine Volkswagen Vehicles or contact us today to get your own!

VW is getting back in the van game.

But its not the VW Bus you are thinking of.

Recently Volkswagen released sketches of its new Crafter Panel Van, ahead of its launch in autumn 2016. They are jumping in feet first into the commercial vehicle industry. 

The new model will feature Volkswagen’s latest family face, sporting in the front with the wide grille and large VW badge. This van has sleek lights on the front and rear that are one of the design highlights, as well as large alloy wheels round out the exterior.

The interior is completely customizable. From a passenger transport van to cargo/work van.  Roof variants, partitions, floor coverings, tow bars and access aids are also available.

More details are on the way soon, but for now VW is saving plenty of information for the official reveal. Currently the Crafter features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in four guises, with 108bhp, 113bhp, 135bhp and 161bhp, with up to 37.7mpg and 208g/km emissions.

Expect an entry-level load bay of around 100 inches. There will be more options to choose from, however, including a long-wheelbase version that adds extra space inside.

We look forward to the fall when these finally arrive. Contact us to set up your appointment now.

Volkswagen Emissions Settlement

  On September 18, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a violation notice  of the Clean Air Act to the German Automaker Volkswagen Group for knowingly programming the TDI engines to activate certain emissions controls only during laboratory emissions testing.  The intentional programming caused the vehicles' NOx output to meet standards during testing, but in real-world driving, the emissions were 40 times more than US standards allow.  This programming was put into about eleven million cars worldwide and in 500,000 in the United States, for model years 2009-2015.

  Volkswagen soon became the target of regulatory investigations in numerous countries, and Volkswagen's stock fell in value by a third in a matter of days following the news. The Volkswagen Group CEO resigned, and the head of brand development, Audi research and development head, and Porsche research and development head were all suspended.  It was announced by Volkswagen that plans were made to spend US$7.3 billion (later raised to US$18.32 billion) to rectify the emissions issues and planned to refit the affected vehicles as part of a recall campaign.

Fast forward to now. 283 days later.

  It has been announced that a settlement has been reached with Volkswagen on Tuesday June 28, 2016 after the German auto group knowingly rigged 475,000 diesel vehicles in the U.S to cover up that fact that they didn't meet emissions standards. The $14.7 billion settlement will include about $10 billion that, according to federal regulators, will be used to compensate owners and get the faulty vehicles of the road. All in all, about 475,000 vehicles are involved in the settlement, 460,000 of them were sold by the Volkswagen brand and another 15,000 Audi models. The models include the 2013-2015 VW Beetle, 2010-2015 VW Golf, 2009-2015 VW Jetta 2012-2015 VW Passat and the 2015 Audi A3.

  Consumers can find out more about the settlement at www.VWCourtsettlement.com, but don't expect an immediate payout. Documents are saying that the "earliest possible time for payments to begin is October 2016."  Volkswagen plans to notify owners immediately after the deal is finalized and it will have to complete any buyback within 90 days after an owner accepts the offers. The deal will allow VW and Audi owners to continue driving their vehicles until they either complete a buyback or get the necessary emissions repairs made.

2016 Volkswagen Tiguan "One of the Best Options in Its Class"

"It looks expensive, but with such impressive composure, equipment levels and fitness for purpose, the Tiguan is one of the best options in its class."--Vicky Parrot of Autocar.com

Volkswagen really tried to put an emphasis on family the past couple years. With the Tiguan, they definitely succeeded. Whether it was the sheer space that the SUV provided, the accessibility, the four-wheel-drive and power, or the safety, it is no coincidence that the Tiguan is accounting for huge portions of VW sales throughout the world. Vicky Parrot of Autocar.com calls the Tiguan "just as suave and sure-footed as it needs to be." We agree.

Powered by the 2.0 TDI engine, a seven speed DSG dual clutch automatic gearbox, and a two ton towing capacity, the family SUV takes a new look in the sense that it is one of the most powerful in its class. The steering is weighted just perfectly to give the driver as much confidence is needed to perform any tight maneuver. You can even changing steering modes to 4motion which makes it feel more natural. Safety features are just as impressive with not only automatic emergency braking, but lane assist and a driver's knee airbag standard.

The driving capabilities are great, but someone like me is more concerned about comfort. Let me tell you this: the comfort does not disappoint. While it does not look like the biggest SUV in the world, the only word to describe the cabin is luxury. Everything is fitted just perfectly, with plenty of space, but not an excessive amount. With loads of space, there is plenty of room for you and your friends to go camping or haul furniture. When you see the 8 inch touch screen fitted across the dash, it is impossible to not recognize the sheer innovation of this vehicle. 

In short, we recommend this SUV. For yours, shop with  us at Gurley Leep Volkswagen.