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To solve diesel problem, VW might need two fixes

Volkswagen says that a fix is on the way for its 11 million vehicles around the globe that are equipped with diesel engine software that can evade emissions tests. The problem might be far more complicated than simply creating a single solution for all of them, though. According to Automotive News citing Reuters, two remedies to cover different NOx-reducing systems could be necessary, and both potentially affect performance. Earlier examples of the EA 189 diesel engine used a lean NOx trap to reduce the harmful material coming from the tailpipe. According to experts in the Automotive News report, a software update might allow the engines to achieve compliance, but that could affect fuel economy. VW already tried this route once before the scandal came to light, but tests by the California Air Resources Board still showed the figures were too high. Later, some of the 2.0 TDI engines began using Selective Catalytic Reduction that reduced NOx by injecting a urea solution into the exhaust stream. According to Automotive News, a software update for this equipment might increase the amount of the substance used. Not only would that mean topping up the fluid more often, but there still could be some reduction in fuel economy. But, since the 2-liter, 4-cylinder TDI engine that sits inside the diesel vehicles first mentioned as being affected by the issue in the US don't have a urea treatment system, VW would need to install them into these cars. VW still hasn't officially outlined its solution (or solutions) to the emissions issue but is expected to soon. The automaker's long-term evasion of regulations with these diesel engines pumped vast quantities of additional NOx into the air. The substance is known to be linked with smog and acid rain. The US Department of Justice is already beginning an investigation into the company, and politicians are pushing for harsh punishments.

VW XL1 priced at $169,000 in UK, only 30 will be sold there

Volkswagen has announced the pricing of its XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid for the UK, according to Car magazine. The small, uber-efficient two-seater will start at GBP98,515, or roughly $168,930 at current exchange rates. Additionally, only 30 units of the XL1 will be sold throughout the UK, giving it a rareness appropriate for its lofty price. It's nice to finally be able to stop speculating about the XL1's price. Even as recently as the first XL1 delivery in Germany, we were still mostly in the dark concerning the cost of the slippery VW. But is the price worth it, especially considering that the much sportier BMW i8 can be had for just a bit more (GBP99,895, or $171,460, in the UK)? Car seems to think so, noting that the XL1 is an eco and technology pioneer, and saying that its cost of ownership is "merely the price of progress." Plus, that includes the bragging rights of owning the world's most fuel-efficient car. The XL1's two-cylinder turbo-diesel engine displaces just eight-tenths of a liter and produces 47 horsepower. The internal combustion engine operates alongside a 26-horsepower electric motor powered by a 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Despite its 2.64-gallon fuel tank, the XL1 has a maximum driving range of over 700 miles thanks to a 261-mpg rating (based on the European cycle). Unfortunately, we won't be able to do any bladder-busting, nonstop Chicago to DC road trips any time soon, as VW has no plans to bring the XL1 to North America - not that one would relish the experience of dicing it up with America's massive trucks and SUVs. If you want to drive one, you'll have to go to Europe, and you'd better have a very large piggy bank you're prepared to break open.

2015 Volkswagen Golf: Green Car of the Year?

As you may recall, VW's compact Golf was voted 2015 North American Car of the Year by a jury of 57 veteran automotive journalists (including this one) and named Car of the Year by Motor Trend and Yahoo Autos and Best Car to Buy 2015 by Green Car Reports. "The range of green options in the 2015 Volkswagen Golf range is hard to beat," says Green Car Reports editor John Voelcker. "With more fuel-efficient gasoline engines, a new TDI diesel option that comes close to real-world hybrid mileage levels, and the all-electric VW e-Golf, the 2015 Golf gives buyers a good-better-best menu of options for driving green." The car was also a finalist for Green Car Journal's "Green Car of the Year," but ultimately lost to the BMW i3 EV. When I saw GCJ editor Ron Cogan at last November's Los Angeles Auto Show, he asked me to guess which finalist would win. Based on its efficiency and versatility, I guessed the Golf. He smiled but the next day, he named the i3 the winner. Okay, the technically impressive, carbon-fiber-bodied i3 is a formidable green machine wearing a prestige German label at a semi-affordable ($43,000) price. But it comes in just one (somewhat odd-looking) body style with a choice of all-electric or range-extending electric powertrains, and its EPA-official ranges are 81 miles for the former and just 150 for the latter, costlier version, which totes a tiny (647cc) 34-hp two-cylinder BMW motorbike engine in its tail. By contrast, the 2015 Golf comes in 3- and 5-door hatchback and even more practical Sportwagen body styles and offers a wide range of eager yet fuel-thrifty turbocharged gas and clean-diesel engines, most with a choice of manual or automatic transmission. An all-electric e-Golf, one of the best EVs we've yet driven, is also available in some areas, and that will be followed, VW says, by a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and even a CNG-powered model. No question this all-new seventh-generation 2015 VW Golf is easily the best ever. A bit larger, roomier, aerodynamically slicker and more fuel efficient than the Gen VI Golf it replaces, it's built on an all-new modular platform and boasts an amazing range of models, powertrains and features.