Tag: TDI

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Audi Skoda Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group Australia suspends TDI sales

Volkswagen Tiguan 130TDI

The noxgate issue has become very real for local car buyers after Volkswagen Group Australia this morning issued a statement announcing that all sales of models fitted with 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre EA189 diesel engines have been suspended:

“Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA) met with the relevant government authorities yesterday to advise them of its strategy in Australia to address concerns that have been raised around the world regarding the diesel emissions issue.

“In its first step, effective immediately VGA has temporarily suspended the sale of affected vehicles fitted with 1.6 or 2.0-litre EA189 diesel engines. The suspension will remain until the emission issues are addressed in those vehicles.

“VGA will make further announcements next week.”

If you already own a vehicle with one of these diesel engines it remains safe to drive.

Other Volkswagen Group models fitted with different diesel engines do not feature the controversial defeat device, designed to cheat emissions tests, and remain unaffected.

It’s understood there are over 1000 affected vehicles in holding yards around the country. A list of suspended models is shown below:

Audi

  • A4 2.0 TDI
  • A5 2.0 TDI
  • Q5 2.0 TDI

Skoda

  • Yeti
  • Superb

Volkswagen

  • Caddy
  • Jetta
  • Passat
  • Passat CC
  • Tiguan

This list may not be exhaustive, if you have concerns please check with the relevant manufacturer using the numbers below:

  • Audi: 1800 502 834
  • Skoda: 1800 607 540​
  • Volkswagen: 1800 607 822

[Source: motoring.com.au | Thanks to John for the tip]

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Porsche Volkswagen

Porsche boss takes on VW CEO position

Matthias Muller

Matthias Müller will move from his role as Porsche CEO into the Volkswagen Group CEO seat left vacant by the disgraced Martin Winterkorn.

On his appointment Müller said: “My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group—by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation.

“Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry.”

Of course, you’d expect there to be glowing praise for Müller coming from inside Volkswagen and Bernd Osterloh, Chairman of the Group Works Council, has stepped up stating: “When it comes to leadership appointments the Volkswagen Group does not need hasty decisions. We know and value Matthias Müller for his determination and decisiveness. He does not work on his own, rather he is a team player. That is what Volkswagen needs now.”

Müller began his Volkswagen Group with Audi in the 1970s and and has also held positions with Seat, Lamborghini and Volkswagen during his rise to the top of the Volkswagen Group tree.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen says that five million of the 11 million vehicles affected worldwide by the noxgate scandal are Volkswagen products and those fitted with the affected EA189 2.0 TDI engines include the Golf VI, Passat VII and Tiguan.

Dr Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand stressed: “We are working at full speed on a technical solution that we will present to partners, to our customers and to the public as swiftly as possible. Our aim is to inform our customers as quickly as possible, so that their vehicles comply fully with regulations. I assure you that Volkswagen will do everything humanly possible to win back the trust of our customers, the dealerships and the public.”

For its part Volkswagen Australia remains eerily silent on the issue, with no official press releases or comment on its website about the noxgate drama.

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Volkswagen

Winterkorn walks over noxgate

Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn

Martin Winterkorn has resigned as Volkswagen Group CEO over the noxgate scandal. He has released a media statement which reads:

I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group.

As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group. I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrong doing on my part.

Volkswagen needs a fresh start – also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation.

I have always been driven by my desire to serve this company, especially our customers and employees. Volkswagen has been, is and will always be my life.

The process of clarification and transparency must continue. This is the only way to win back trust. I am convinced that the Volkswagen Group and its team will overcome this grave crisis.

The Executive Committee of Volkswagen’s Supervisory Board has responded with nine conclusions, which include thanking Winterkorn for his leadership and offer to resign as well as clearing the pathway for more management exits to follow in light of possible criminal proceedings. You can read the board’s statements below.

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Audi Video Volkswagen

Volkswagen CEO’s mea culpa on noxgate

Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen AG CEO, offers up this mea culpa in response to noxgate; the diesel NOx emissions issue which Volkswagen says affects up to 11 million vehicles worldwide.

In a new statement Volkswagen says all new diesel vehicles which meet EU6 emissions are not affected by this scandal. However, if your diesel powered Volkswagen or Audi A3 is powered by an EA189 2.0 TDI engine then your car is right in the middle of the deceit which Volkswagen has overseen.

For some technical explanation as to why Volkswagen might have thought cheating emissions tests was a good idea, check out this reddit thread.

This is going to be a very sticky mess for Volkswagen to extricate itself from.

If you own a car affected by this deceit please tell us below how you feel. Can Volkswagen ever win back your trust?

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Audi Volkswagen

Volkswagen shares go up in smoke

VW Golf GTD

Volkswagen’s shares have plummeted more than 18% in Germany as the company suffers the fallout from its diesel emissions scandal in the United States.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency Volkswagen and Audi are in breach of California’s Clean Air Act after the manufacturers created software to deliberately cheat emissions testing. As a result, the EPA claims four-cylinder diesel powered models built between 2009–15 emit as much as 40 times more nitrogen oxides (NOx) than tests showed.

Over 480,000 vehicles are affected and Volkswagen could face penalties of up to US$18 billion, with fines of US$37,500 per vehicle in breach of the relevant laws.

“Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Working closely with the California Air Resources Board, EPA is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules. EPA will continue to investigate these very serious matters.”

For its part Volkswagen is preparing to take its medicine with Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen AG CEO, issuing a statement apologising for the breaches.

“I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public,” Winterkorn said. “We will cooperate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly, and completely establish all of the facts of this case.

“We do not and will not tolerate violations of any kind of our internal rules or of the law,” Winterkorn added. “The trust of our customers and the public is and continues to be our most important asset.”

Affected diesel-powered models include:

  • Audi A3 (Model Years 2009–2015)
  • Beetle (Model Years 2009–2015)
  • Golf (Model Years 2009–2015)
  • Jetta (Model Years 2009–2015)
  • Passat (Model Years 2009–2015)
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Audi

2011 Audi A6

2011 Audi A6

Here are the official pics of the 2011 Audi A6. Following this morning’s leak there’s no surprises in regards to the look, which is straight from the familiar Audi playbook.

Audi say the new model is lighter than the car it replaces. The figure published is 1575kg, but finding a reliable figure for the kerb weight of the previous generation is proving a bit tricky. Around one fifth of the new model is made from aluminium.

At launch, in Europe at least, there will be five engines on offer, with a mix of four and six cylinders. Peak power will range from 130kW (2.0 TDI) to 220kW (supercharged 3.0 V6). There will also be an A6 hybrid model on offer with a total power of 180kW.

The usual electronic gadgets and driver aids are included, of course. These are headlined by the optional MMI navigation plus system featuring Google connectivity and a Bang & Olufsen stereo.

Inside the expected level of finish and quality materials has been delivered once again. The “wrap around” dash also looks quite nice. On some models Audi has used timber veneer which has pushed that look away from the older style walnut look, and towards a stylish speedboat theme. It looks pretty good in the pics, too.

After the break you will find all the images you could hope for along with some intro press material. A detailed press release can also be downloaded for those that really want to sink their teeth into detail of the new A6. Those wanting to see and touch the new A6 for themselves will be able to do so early next year. Local buyers will have to wait a bit longer as usual, but for now, Audi Australia aren’t saying when.

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Audi Motorsports

Raeder Motorsport Audi TT RS

Raeder Motorsport Audi TT RS

This is one of the most extreme Audi TT RS examples we have seen yet. And for very good reason. It has been prepared by German outfit Raeder Motorsport and will be competing in a couple of VLN rounds at the Nürburgring later this month, starting this weekend in fact.

There’s not a lot of technical info about for this car, apart from a few mentions of using bits and bobs from the R8 LMS. We know the car will be entered in the SP4T class at the Ring this weekend, so we can assume it uses a 2.5 litre petrol powered inline five turbo like the road car (although there are reports the engine is diesel powered, too). When more details come to hand we’ll bring them to you.

UPDATE 21 October: Hi-res pics can now be accessed at AUSringers.

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Audi Motorsports

Audi reliability wins the day at Le Mans

Audi R15 Plus

Audi clinched an historic ninth Le Mans victory yesterday. They now join Ferrari at second position on the list of all-time Le Mans winners. Porsche tops the list with 16 wins.

Amazingly, Audi’s tally of nine wins have all come since the year 2000. In fact, since their first victory, Audi have won Le Mans every year with the exception of 2003 (Bentley) and 2009 (Peugeot). For Audi drivers Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller this win marks their first Le Mans title.

Audi’s success this year was built on reliability. For most of the weekend they were chasing the tails of the Peugeot 908 machines. Indeed, the four 908s in the field all qualified ahead of the R15s from Audi and for much of the race a back-to-back Peugeot victory seemed a formality. But one by one the factory Peugeots succumbed to mechanical issues.

In contrast the Audi Sport Team Joest cars ran like clockwork and were able to make the most of their opponents short comings by making a clean sweep of the podium. The only minor blip came on Saturday when Tom Kristensen was at the wheel of the #7 R15. He got caught up in an incident with the troubled BMW Art Car and was forced into the pits for repair work. The #7 car lost three laps in pitlane and such was the consistency of the winning #9 and second place #8 Audis that the lead #7 machine had no chance of gaining back lost time.

The winning #9 car covered 397 laps which equates to a total distance covered of 5,410 kilometers. This is a new mark and breaks the previous distance record set by the winning Porsche 917 back in 1971.

After the break you can see a full press release from Audi, including driver quotes. Also available is a picture gallery with over 40 images for you to enjoy. A full race report is available at Autosport.

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Audi Motorsports

Audi pins hopes on efficiency for 2010 Le Mans assault

Audi R15 TDI

Success at Le Mans demands efficiency and Audi have revised their R15 TDI prototype to improve its economy and maintain its power levels, despite new regulations. With eight wins in the last 10 years Audi would have come away from La Sarthe disappointed last year with just a third place finish.

This will be thelast outing for the R15 at Le Mans with new regulations forcing smaller more efficient engines from 2011 onwards. Proving there is no such thing as a rest in motorsport Audi have already begun work on their new R18 racer.

There’s still the small matter of the 2010 race to go first and Tom Kristensen, the most successful driver ever at Le Mans, is very happy with his new R15 plus machine, “Audi has made an important step from the R15 to the R15 plus. The ‘plus’ says that the R15 TDI has been updated in all areas in terms of efficiency and performance. Take the headlights for example. That may sound trivial but in a 24-hour race they’re extremely important.

“And obviously there’s the efficiency of the engine, which has become more powerful but uses less fuel now. Aerodynamics has been improved to generate enough downforce in the turns but without too much aerodynamic drag on the straights.

“The interaction between the suspension and the Michelin tires has been optimized too. Simply everything has been scrutinized and optimized so that the ‘plus’ will help us achieve our big aim at Le Mans.”

An extensive press release follows along with 25 images of the Audi Sport team in preparation. To close out the article there’s a new release from Audi where the drivers talk about various sections of the famous La Sarthe circuit.

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf GTD – Australian specs & pricing

VW Golf GTD

Volkswagen Australian have just announced official details for the Golf GTD. These confirm the car’s status as a “diesel GTI” with its body kit, interior and suspension all heavily influenced by the highly regarded GTI. For the GTD, this also includes 15mm lower suspension and the Extended Electronic Differential Lock (XDL).

The GTD will only be available in a five door layout in Australia and list pricing starts at $39,290 for the manual and $41,790 for DSG. Both transmissions are six speed.

With 125kW and 350Nm on offer from the common-rail 2.0 litre turbo diesel engine the GTD can accelerate to 100km/h in 8.1 seconds. Fuel consumption for the manual is rated at 5.5l/100km, while the DSG consumes 5.8l/100km.

In line with the Australian GTI range the GTD is available in the following colours: Candy White, Tornado Red, Reflex Silver metallic, Carbon Steel metallic and Deep Black pearl effect.

More info is available below, including options pricing. Full specifications for the GTD are available for download in this PDF (74kb). For a closer look at the GTD, check out the image gallery posted earlier in the week.

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Volkswagen

Golf GTD spotted in Sydney

VW Golf GTD spotted in Sydney

Thanks to AUSmotive reader Ben for sending in these pics of a Tornado Red Golf GTD he first sighted on Sydney’s M4 last night.

Ben’s handiwork confirms first and foremost that eager buyers, and there will be a few, don’t have too long to wait until they can get their hands on what is effectively a diesel powered Golf GTI. Latest speculation from November last year suggested the GTD would be on sale in Australia before the end of 2009. That didn’t ever sound quite right to me. A mid 2010 launch always seemed more likely. It now appears that this will be the case.

The Golf GTD is powered by a 125kW 2.0 TDI engine and its chassis components are pretty much taken straight from Volkswagen’s hot selling all-rounder, the Golf GTI. The GTD’s body kit is also sourced from the GTI, with the only major difference being chrome detail on the front grille, replacing the red of the GTI.

Volkswagen’s diesel hot hatch can reach 100km/h in 8.1 seconds, but its real party trick is its in gear acceleration. Thanks to the 350nM of torque on offer the GTD will have masses of pick up once moving. The torque rating is actually 20Nm more than the soon to be released VW hot hatch hero, the Golf R.

Speaking of the Golf R, AUSmotive understands the Australian launch will take place well before the end of June. Will the GTD be launched around the same time?

UPDATE 9 May: More pics can be seen at the VWwatercooled forum.

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Audi Motorsports

Audi refreshes R15 Le Mans racer

Audi R15

Audi Sport is in full swing with its preparations to win back the Le Mans 24 hour race. However, rather than boasting of new technical changes, or improvements to Team Joest’s R15 racer, they are announcing the car has a new paint scheme. Along with the image shown above, there are detail images shown after the break.

Supposedly the new paint job demonstrates “pleasure in efficiency”. Markus Auerbach and Tobias Drews from the Audi Design Team tell us, “We wanted to add a dash of surprise when the Audi leaves the pits at Le Mans. We practically opened up the bodywork and are exposing the light-weight construction and its uncompromising technical development – and with a little rock’n’roll for good measure.” Okay, then. Moving right along.

The R15 will continue its development during an 8 hour race at Paul Ricard later this week, so we can expect to see more of this car soon. In the meantime, check out the teaser pics below along with Audi Sport’s press release.

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