News
VW scandal update
VW Group recalls to start in January with 1.1m diesels affected in the UK ■ Software and hardware updates could be needed ■ 11m models affected globally; compensation may be due
EMISSIONS
UPDATE
Joe Finnerty
Joe_Finnerty@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer
VOLKSWAGEN Group cars that have the diesel emissions ‘defeat device’ will require both hardware and software updates, with recalls due to start in January. Websites have been set up for the four affected brands – Audi, VW, SEAT and Skoda – so owners can see if their cars have the EA 189 engine that features the software. Owners only need to enter their VIN number – found on the V5C document and behind the windscreen – to see if their car is caught up in the scandal. If it is, they will have to wait to be notified in writing of what the fix is. US bosses also admitted performance may be affected by the recall work, and compensation could be due for those who’d purchased cars fitted with the system that was found to cheat emissions tests. More than 1.1 million cars will be recalled in Britain, with half a million from Volkswagen alone. A further 10 million will need work around the world to remedy engines which are claimed to emit up to 40 times the nitrogen oxides they did in test conditions in the real world. Matthias Müller, the new VW Group chief executive, said: “I am impatient. But in this situation, where we are dealing with four brands and many model variants, care is even more important than speed. “In many instances, a software update will be sufficient. Some vehicles, however, will also require hardware modifications. We will keep our customers constantly informed about the measures and arrange workshop appointments. To be perfectly frank, this will not be a painless process.” The VW Group headquarters in Wolfsburg were also raided this week by German prosecutors conducting a criminal inquiry into the scandal, while Müller said financial activity would be re-evaluated ahead of the recall programme and legal battles. And Michael Horn, the VW Group’s US boss, spoke out as he appeared before the United States House Energy and Commerce committee, blaming the ‘defeat device’ on rogue engineers in Germany. On Monday, Paul Willis – managing director of the Volkswagen Group, UK – Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin were due to face the Transport Select Committee in a one-off session
14 Special Issue
Order books open for C-Class Coupé OFFICIAL
New Mercedes starts at £30,995 and rises to £66,910
OPINION Graham Hope
Graham_Hope@dennis.co.uk
The cars in the firing line as VW Group gets set to tighten its belt
IT’S now abundantly clear that the repercussions of this scandal will hit VW hard. New boss Matthias Müller has indicated that non-essential investments will be reined in or axed. So what are the likely casualties? At the very top end of the group’s product portfolio, the replacement for the Bugatti Veyron, the 1,500bhp Chiron, looks increasingly hard to justify. The massive expense of development, minuscule volume and sheer gaudy excess of the whole exercise will surely count against it. The same fate could well await the second-generation Phaeton. While the luxury flagship is generally accepted as an excellent car, it is one VW simply doesn’t have to make, as there is little appetite at the top end of the market for its inflated price tag. I have fears, also, for the much mooted budget brand for China. I’ve repeatedly asked execs about this at recent motor shows, and continually been told a decision is ‘imminent’. Apparently, VW has had trouble making the financial case for the brand watertight – and it’s even less likely to be able to do so now. With doubts also lingering over the Golf R400 and the group’s motorsport activities (Page 128), we’ll see a very different, leaner VW in the years ahead.
“The planned replacement for the Bugatti Veyron looks increasingly hard to justify”
THE all-new Mercedes C-Class Coupé is now available to order ahead of the first UK deliveries in December, and is priced from £30,955. There’s a choice of two petrol engines and two diesels, with buyers able to pick between Sport and AMG Line specs. The entry-level C 200 model features a 181bhp 2.0-litre petrol turbo and comes as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. The more powerful C 300 produces 240bhp and comes paired with the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. Diesel choices comprise the C 220d and C 250d, powered by 168bhp and 202bhp 2.1-litre turbos respectively. The 9G-Tronic automatic transmission is standard on the higher-powered model, but an optional extra on the C 220d. At the top of the range is the £61,160 Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupé, with the more powerful S version costing £66,910.
VW sales still strong
Golf sales remain strong despite VW scandal fallout NEW car registrations grew for the 43rd consecutive month in September, and the ‘dieselgate’ scandal (left) doesn’t appear to have affected VW sales. The Golf and Polo were the fourth and fifth best sellers in a month when 462,517 cars were registered, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Total registrations for 2015 to date now top two million and are up seven per cent on the same period in 2014. Customer demand for diesels stayed strong, too, with a near 50:50 split with petrols.
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