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Volkswagen Touareg hybrid axed for 2016

Volkswagen is axing the Touareg hybrid for the 2016 model year. At a starting price of $67,905 (after $910 destination), the 2015 version sat at the top of the Touareg range, but it didn't offer significantly improved fuel economy for the extra money. The hybrid was only three miles per gallon city and one mpg highway better than the base V6. Another hurdle for potential buyers: the entry-level diesel had even better highway mileage and cost over $14,000 less. Earlier this year, Nissan made a similar decision to scrap the Pathfinder hybrid, and the future for the QX60 hybrid is murky. Volkswagen has a few other adjustments in store for the 2016 Touareg. The biggest change is that the whole lineup sees about $2,000 sliced off the price. According to Car and Driver, the adjustment knocks $2,090 off the base price to bring things to $42,705. In addition, the Lux and Executive trims now get standard 14-way power adjustable and ventilated seats, and the two of them are also offered with new, 21-inch wheels. The Executive also now gets power adjustment on the steering column and a suite of safety tech, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, and lane departure warning. Related Video:

More German automakers may be afoul of US emission standards

Volkswagen has plenty of smoke to share, and that may mean fire for other German automakers that make diesel vehicles, says Automotive News. Earlier this month, European Federation for Transport and Environment said that BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and General Motor's Opel division are among other automakers that may have equipped their vehicles' diesel engines with similar software as VW's. That software was found to reduce emissions while a car is being tested for emissions and shuts down emissions-control systems during normal use. The European environmental group used data from the International Council on Clean Transportation. Automotive News notes that the European environmental group put out its own report earlier this month, before the VW scandal broke loose, but the report was pretty much overlooked. Now, VW is under fire after it was discovered that 2.0-liter diesel engines in the VW Jetta and Golf, and Audi A3, may be programmed to game the emissions system. VW sold almost a half-million diesel vehicles in the US during the past six years. Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz told Automotive News that the issue that befell VW doesn't apply to their diesel vehicles. Earlier this week, Volkswagen admitted its car ran the sneaky software, while the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started a probe on the company. VW is setting aside more than $7 billion to pay for the alleged violations. Meanwhile, US taxpayers may have spent as much as $51 million a year to pay for subsidies related to VW's diesel vehicle sales in 2009 alone, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Volkswagen Tiguan tunes up for Frankfurt show

Volkswagen is in the phase of testing where it's simply beating the crap out of the next-generation Tiguan. The German manufacturer is conducting high-altitude towing tests in the Alps of mules wearing the production-ready body of its second-gen compact CUV. This is the first time we've seen the Tiguan in its production body, and despite the ample camouflage, the resemblance to not only the Passat sedan, but the Cross Coupe GTE and CrossBlue concepts, is clear. That's particularly true based on what we can see of the new Tiguan's grille and headlight treatment. In back, the Tiguan will adopt a more sporting roofline, particularly in the aggressive rake of the D-pillar. It's significantly different than the current car, and frankly, that's no bad thing. Expect the usual array of gas and diesel four cylinders with both front- and all-wheel drive on offer. On the high end, meanwhile, our spies claim a 300-horsepower R model could eventually be added to the range. Aside from its new look, future variants could see the crossover spawn both a long-wheelbase version and a coupe-like model. That said, we're wondering how a long-wheelbase Tiguan would fit into the VW range alongside the long-rumored, American-built, three-rower. According to our spies, though, neither one of those vehicles would arrive until well after the vehicle shown above debuts. As for when we can expect to see the second-gen Tiguan, our spies point to September's Frankfurt Motor Show. Be sure to check back then.