VW News: As the Diesel Emits: Volkswagen Steps Back from Diesels

[William Maley]

The diesel emission scandal has left Volkswagen at a bit crossroad in a number of areas. One of them deals with their brand identity in the U.S. For a better part of a decade, Volkswagen was known as the brand that sold 'clean diesels'. But the company is working to rebuild and change their identity. Part of that plan is taking diesel and putting it on the backburner.

Volkswagen Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken tells Automotive News that diesel will not be a core element of their identity going forward. That isn't to say diesel will be banished from the brand. Woebcken said the fuel are still in their plans from 2017 to 2019 if they can get regulatory approval. But he did say they are re-evaluating diesel in their future lineup for the U.S.

“We are not stopping diesel. Wherever diesel makes sense as a package to the car, we’ll continue. But in reality, we have to accept that the high percentage of diesels that we had before will not come back again,” said Woebcken.

“The regulations from 2019-2020 are going to be so hard that we would have had to find an alternative to a certain extent anyhow. The diesel crisis is forcing us simply to think about this earlier.”

Volkswagen's image rebuilding process in U.S. will see them at the beginning putting more emphasis on crossovers and all-wheel drive offerings. The first part of this process kicks off with the Golf Alltrack launching later this year. This will be followed by the long-awaited three-row crossover next March or April, and the long-wheelbase version of the Tiguan sometime in the summer.

In 2020, Volkswagen will launch the first of many electric vehicles using their MEB modular platform in the U.S.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[David]

“The regulations from 2019-2020 are going to be so hard that we would have had to find an alternative to a certain extent anyhow. The diesel crisis is forcing us simply to think about this earlier.”

 

This pretty much says, we are done with diesel and will be doing other things, aka plug-in hybrid, hybrid, ev's, turbo petro, etc.

 

I would say this is marketing talk but reality is do not expect to see diesels back in the VW lineup. After all they have to get regulatory approval and being under the microscope I doubt it will be easy or cheap.

[oldshurst442]

Raise your hand if you saw this coming the moment this scandal was unveiled.

 

 

 

HANDS UP! BABY HANDS UP!

[ocnblu]

A very sad situation that was totally unnecessary.  VW diesel owners LOVE THEIR VEHICLES.  Those newbs who felt "cheated" were not diesel material in the first place.

[oldshurst442]

It is not a question of VW fanboys loving their diesels.

Its a question of lies, fraud and pollution.

 

Hey...I love me some big blocked, leaded gasoline, muscle cars  without catalytic converters getting 9 miles to the gallon...unfortunately those types of cars are in the same boat as the diesel powered ones....

[ocnblu]

Same boat?  LOL... totally different ocean, totally different ships, muscle cars and diesels.  Why you trippin'?

[oldshurst442]

Same boat?  LOL... totally different ocean, totally different ships, muscle cars and diesels.  Why you trippin'?

Diesels have massive amounts of low end torque...

 

 

HELLO???!!!

That also describes muscle cars!

 

(And that gif is depicting me tripping)

[ocnblu]

You trippin' doe, dawg

[balthazar]

So VW thinks their containment issue is just the diesel engine??

 

That's like punching your girlfriend in the jaw, and saying the problem was your knuckles.

[ocnblu]

Yup, Beetle Dune should have been AWD.  And they need crossovers, competitively priced.  Plus Amarok.  TDi manual brown Amaroks for EVERYONE! 

[oldshurst442]

Yup, Beetle Dune should have been AWD.  And they need crossovers, competitively priced.  Plus Amarok.  TDi manual brown Amaroks for EVERYONE! 

You mean:

Electricity powered through lithium ion battery packs brown Amaroks for EVERYONE!

 

Diesel in passenger cars are dead.

[ocnblu]

There, I put a red mark on your bottom (of your post).  Feel like your day is complete now? 

 

Lithium Ion battery packs, and electrification in general are like SO LAST YEAR.  The people have spoken.

[oldshurst442]

There, I put a red mark on your bottom (of your post).  Feel like your day is complete now? 

 

Lithium Ion battery packs, and electrification in general are like SO LAST YEAR.  The people have spoken.

Its too bad that I dont have more....

 

Some of us are finicky when others have a different opinion than us...

 

That is too bad!

[David]

There, I put a red mark on your bottom (of your post).  Feel like your day is complete now? 

 

Lithium Ion battery packs, and electrification in general are like SO LAST YEAR.  The people have spoken.

-1 for you EV hater! You know the EV movement is anything but dead!

 

Hell even the post on autoblog.com about the new Jeep Wrangler pickup states that it will have a plug-in hybrid pickup. 

[ocnblu]

Ew, really?  That time has passed.  Better to put the hemi in it.

[oldshurst442]

Ew, really?  That time has passed.  Better to put the hemi in it.

 

 

 

Its been thought of at least!

But honestly, Id rather a have this version with a 4 banger under the hood.

 

With some sort of rapid fire weapon or canon on it.

 

 

Because that is MY definition of sticking with the status quo AND overkill!

Edited July 21, 2016 by oldshurst442

[ocnblu]

Yeah, I think they're calling it Hurricane.  Hopefully it's not all bluster and hot air.  Chrysler hasn't had a decent 4 cylinder since the old 2.2L, imo.  They need one bad.

[David]

Yeah, I think they're calling it Hurricane.  Hopefully it's not all bluster and hot air.  Chrysler hasn't had a decent 4 cylinder since the old 2.2L, imo.  They need one bad.

I thought there was a company that was putting the Hellcat in the wrangler? Thought someone had posted that in one of the threads.