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Volkswagen Golf, Ford F-150 named 2015 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year

Congratulations, Volkswagen Golf/GTI and Ford F-150. You've just been named the 2015 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year, kicking off the first press day of the Detroit Auto Show. The Golf faced some seriously stiff competition from its runners-up, the Ford Mustang and Hyundai Genesis. But the Golf has been a highly awarded vehicle since its launch, including recently being named Motor Trend's Car of the Year. As for the Truck/Utility award, it wasn't immediately clear that the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 would win the North American honor, topping the Chevrolet Colorado and Lincoln MKC. The Chevy, after all, has been widely praised since arriving this fall, including taking home MT's Truck of the Year award. In 2014, Chevrolet had a sweep of the NACTOY awards, with the Corvette Stingray and Silverado taking top honors. Here's a look at the 2015 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year voting breakdown. As you can see, it wasn't exactly neck and neck. Car of the Year Volkswagen Golf/GTI – 256 points Ford Mustang – 204 points Hyundai Genesis – 110 points Truck/Utility of the Year Ford F-150 – 297 points Chevrolet Colorado – 205 points Lincoln MKC – 68 points The winners were determined by the votes of 57 North American jurors who work in all forms of media – magazine, newspaper, television, online and radio, and their ballots were tabulated in secret by accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. Autoblog editors Sharon Carty and Chris Paukert are members of the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year jury. Featured Gallery 2015 Volkswagen Golf TSI View 16 Photos Related Gallery 2015 Ford F-150 View 36 Photos Detroit Auto Show Ford Volkswagen Truck Hatchback 2015 Detroit Auto Show NACTOY

California orders VW Group to fix 15,000 3.0L diesel vehicles

The California Air Resources Board has ordered Volkswagen to come up with a plan for repairing approximately 15,000 cars sold in the state that contain illegal software that may circumvent emissions testing. In a letter sent to Volkswagen Group of America and several company brands, CARB's chief emissions officer says the company has 45 business days to submit a recall plan that will fix affected Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche models equipped with 3.0-liter diesel engines sold in the state since 2009. "We expect full cooperation in this investigation so this issue can be addressed expeditiously and appropriately," wrote Annette Herbert, chief of emissions compliance. The violations first surfaced in a meeting last week between California regulatory officials and Audi executives. In that meeting, Audi admitted certain versions of A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 models contained three previously undisclosed auxiliary emissions control devices. An auxiliary device is not necessarily the same as a defeat device that intentionally cheats on emissions testing, but Audi and other affected brands hadn't disclosed the existence of the AECDs, which is a violation of the state's health and safety code. Had they been disclosed prior to vehicle certification, there's a possibility CARB may have approved use of the devices. In a statement Wednesday, CARB did not elaborate on whether it considered the three devices mere AECDs or defeat devices. When Volkswagen submits its plan to fix the cars, CARB says it must include an assessment of how the repairs will affect fuel economy, performance, drivability, and the safety of each vehicle. The 15,000 cars affected in California are part of roughly 85,000 nationwide which contain the affected 3.0-liter engines. The US Environmental Protection Agency may soon address how it expects Volkswagen to fix the remaining cars. "EPA and CARB are working closely and continue to investigate following the admission by Volkswagen that the issues EPA identified in the November 2nd NOV (Notice of Violations) extend to all 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles," an agency spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "EPA will take all appropriate enforcement action." The 3.0-liter developments, of course, come on top of the company's September admission that 482,000 diesels equipped with 2.0-liter engines contain defeat devices that detect emissions testing and alter the cars' performance.

US prepares to sue Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissions testing

NEW YORK - The Justice Department plans to file a civil lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV over excess diesel emissions as early as this week if no agreement is reached with the Italian-American automaker, two sources briefed on the matter said on Wednesday. The Environmental Protection Agency in January accused FCA of illegally using undisclosed software to allow excess diesel emissions in about 104,000 cars and SUVs, the result of a probe that stemmed from regulators' investigation of rival Volkswagen AG. The EPA and California Air Resources Board have been in talks with FCA about the excess emissions and whether the agencies would approve the sale of 2017 FCA diesel models. A federal judge in California has set a May 24 hearing on a series of lawsuits filed by owners of vehicles against Fiat Chrysler and the Justice Department is expected to file its action by then if no agreement is reached. FCA said on Wednesday it believed that any litigation would be "counterproductive" to ongoing discussions with the EPA and California Air Resources Board. The company added that "in the case of any litigation, FCA US will defend itself vigorously, particularly against any claims that the company deliberately installed defeat devices to cheat U.S. emissions tests." The Justice Department took the same procedural step in early 2016 against Volkswagen, nearly four months after the German company admitted using software to emit excess diesel emissions in nearly 500,000 vehicles. The Justice Department has had an ongoing criminal investigation into FCA's conduct since last year, Reuters reported in January. The probe has turned up internal emails written in Italian and other documents about engine development and emissions issues, sources briefed on the probe said. U.S. regulators said FCA failed to disclose engine management software in 104,000 U.S. 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with 3.0-liter diesel engines. The European Commission has launched legal action against Italy for failing to respond to allegations of emission-test cheating by Fiat Chrysler in a procedure that could lead to the country being taken to court. The EPA has said the maximum possible fine against FCA could be $4.6 billion. In February, FCA said it had received requests for information and subpoenas from U.S. federal and state authorities, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, for diesel issues.