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Suspended VW exec Hackenberg resigns in wake of scandal

Ulrich Hackenberg, father of the innovative modular architecture that underpins many modern Volkswagen and Audi products and a 30 year veteran of the giant company, has resigned his position as the lead engineer for the entire Volkswagen Group as well as his seat on Audi's management board, reports Automotive News. The resignation closes out a two-month suspension while the investigation into VW's deceptive emissions practices continues.The resignation follows the admission by Audi that the 3.0-liter TDI V6 engine was also fitted with emissions-control defeating software, like some of its four-cylinder TDI counterparts. In turn, this lead to changes in Audi's management structure. AN reports that Matthias Muller, who has already taken over Martin Winterkorn's position as VW Group CEO, will also be named chairman of the Audi brand.Hackenberg's successor was named as part of this announcement. Stephan Knirsch, who has lead engine development at the Audi division, will assume Hackenberg's roles as both board member for Audi in charge of technical development, and as the head for technical development across the whole group.Related Video:

Volkswagen Cross Up! aimed at rugged lifestyle folks, complete with plastic cladding

If you thought there was nothing wrong with the Volkswagen Up! that a little body cladding wouldn't fix, you're in luck. VW has officially pulled the wraps off the production version of the Cross Up!, and its wheel arches and rocker panels are full of the black plastic cladding you've been yearning for.
In addition to the "particularly rugged design and tough, lifestyle qualities" that the cladding exudes, VeeDub has also seen fit to put its Cross Up! on a new set of 16-inch alloy wheels clad in 185/50-series tires. Inside, there are new kick plates to go along with a dash pad that can be had in red, black or silver.
All that cladding must equal additional off-road readiness, right? Well, sure... just so long as you're fine with the same 75-horsepower three-cylinder engine that all other Up! models also feature, along with a five-speed manual transmission sending power to the front wheels, again, just like all other Up! models. The Cross Up! appears to have a taller ride height than other models, but we haven't been able to find out what - if any - changes have been made.

2019 VW Jetta vs. 2019 Honda Civic vs. 2019 Kia Forte: How they compare

The 2018 Detroit Auto Show was dominated by trucks, but there were also two all-new and completely redesigned compact sedans introduced: the 2019 VW Jetta and the 2019 Kia Forte. Follow their respective links to read our first driving impressions of each, but in short, both compacts are better positioned to steal potential customers away from the segment-leading 2019 Honda Civic, which itself was updated for 2019. Besides taking a look their specs and photos, I had the chance to go between them all here in Detroit, crawl around their interiors, sit in the backseats and figure out which of these not-especially-compacts, which all grew with their latest redesigns might have a practicality advantage. We also have full specifications on each model, which are laid out in the handy chart below. Exterior design There's honestly a little bit of the previous-generation Jetta visible in the 2019 Forte profile — especially around the doors and greenhouse. The Jetta, meanwhile, has the same sort of radically swept-back roofline as the Civic that's become all the rage throughout the automotive industry. The 2019 Jetta is also a little more visually interesting than the car it replaced, though neither the Jetta nor the Forte were as radically transformed as the Civic was two years ago. Alright, let's go to the slideshows. View 20 Photos 2019 Kia Forte View 61 Photos View 28 Photos Engines and transmissions The 2019 Jetta, 2019 Forte and 2019 Civic have considerably different powertrain options, with additional choices possible once the VW and Kia go deeper into their lifespans. Both the Forte and Civic rely on naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines in base specification, with the Civic's 2.0-liter engine making more power and a smidgen more torque than the Kia's. The Jetta goes the turbocharged small-displacement route with its 1.4-liter engine. It makes the same power as the Forte, but smacks down both in the torque department. It makes roughly 50 more pound-feet of twist than both naturally aspirated engines. The Honda Civic is the only one to offer an optional engine, which follows in the footsteps of the Jetta as a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. Its 174 horsepower is ahead of the others by nearly 40 ponies. However, its 162 pound-feet of torque still falls short of the Jetta. Impressively, all three sedans still offer a manual transmission option, and all of them are six-speed units.