2000 Volkswagen Beetle Glx Hatchback 2-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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VW offers $2,000 to keep owners loyal

Volkswagen stands to lose a large portion of its customer base in the aftermath of the diesel emissions scandal, but the German automaker isn't about to sit back and watch its customers defect to other brands. To that end, VW is offering significant incentives to keep its buyers coming back. This latest incentive program will award a $2,000 loyalty bonus to existing VW drivers in the United States, to be applied to towards the purchase or lease of a new gasoline- or hybrid-powered vehicle. What's more, the offer can be combined with any other incentive on offer (save for employee or fleet discounts). The automaker is offering discounts of between $2,000 for a Passat to as much as $4,000 for a Touareg, CC, or Eos. The incentives are aimed to stave off a potential dip in sales as public trust of the company plummets in the wake of the diesel scandal. Despite the admission that it had manipulated emissions testing, Volkswagen's sales in the US actually increased in September. But they could stand to drop significantly over the course of October. The discounts may soften that blow some, but the manufacturer is not likely to be able to keep up those incentives in the long run. The move follows a similar initiative undertaken by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Europe. There the Italian-American automaker is offering owners of Volkswagen Group vehicles – diesel or otherwise – significant discounts of up to $1,700 to trade into an FCA vehicle. Related Video:

2014 VW Golf brings storied hatchback's seventh generation to US

The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf in US-specification officially debuts at the 2013 New York Auto Show. The new model is the first VW in the States to ride on the company's MQB architecture, and as such, it makes use of plenty of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel to keep weight down. All told, the new shell is 51 pounds lighter than the outgoing generation, despite the fact that the finished car is a full 2.2 inches longer and .5 inches wider than the 2013 model.
Buyers can expect to find a base model powered by a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (blue car above) with 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. That means the powerplant delivers the same horsepower as the old naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder while weighing less and producing seven extra pound-feet of torque. TDI (silver car above) buyers, meanwhile, will enjoy a new 2.0-liter turbo diesel four-cylinder mill. VW says the engine yields 10 more horsepower than the old lump, which means the Golf TDI now boasts 150 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.
GTI (red car above) buyers will now get their hands on a revised 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with approximately 210 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque - Volkswagen hasn't finalized power numbers for that machine. We're happy to see that the GTI still features its trademark plaid seats. Volkswagen says the new Golf and GTI will go on sale as a 2015 model, but doesn't say when the car will actually hit dealerships.

Everyone but VW and Tesla has recalled their Takata airbags

Takata's massive airbag inflator recall affected over 32 million vehicles from 11 automakers in the US, but two companies buying the supplier's parts haven't been affected so far: Volkswagen and Tesla. There are 887,055 VWs and 184,926 Teslas using Takata's inflators with ammonium-nitrate propellant, a new accounting shows, according to Automotive News. That doesn't necessarily mean the models need to be recalled. These figures came from a report that Takata prepared for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which listed all of the vehicles it supplied with ammonium nitrate-fueled inflators. The substance is believed to be linked with the components' rupturing, along with manufacturing defects and humidity. "We're not asking because we've got reports of problems; we just need to figure out what the universe is," NHTSA spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said to Automotive News. Takata reportedly told Tesla that the inflators in its EVs are not affected with these problems, and VW is investigating a case in June where a side airbag allegedly burst in a 2015 Tiguan, Automotive News reports. The government is also still researching the precise cause of the parts' ruptures. If the investigation finds ammonium nitrate to be a factor, the vehicles could need recalled. During a Congressional hearing Takata vice president Kevin Kennedy admitted that ammonium nitrate could be among the factors of the ruptures, but the company has continued to use the chemical in its inflators. Takata is now working to transition to a different propellant. Related Video: