2006 Volkswagen Touareg 5.0l V10 Diesel. Nav/camera. Loaded. Rare. 2 Owners. on 2040-cars

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VW Tiguan grows up, gets bigger

The compact crossover segment continues to do huge business around the world, and Volkswagen is showing just how important the niche is by debuting four versions of the all-new, second-generation Tiguan at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now riding on VW's MQB platform, the latest version has had a growth spurt, but it has also shed 110 pounds in the process. The first of them will hit the international market in April 2016. While the design is still definitively a VW, the latest Tiguan looks more aggressive and expands to 2.4-inches longer, 1.2-inches wider, 1.3-inches lower. There's also three more inches of wheelbase than the outgoing generation. At the front, the grille stretches all the way across and connects with the headlights to visually widen the look even more. In profile and at the rear, things are now a bit more angular, but the changes give the model a more chiseled style. In Fall 2016, VW will debut an even longer wheelbase body for the Tiguan. According to the company, this version will be aimed directly at customers in the US and China that prefer larger vehicles. The added inches outside translate to more room for passengers and cargo inside. Even with the seats up, there's an extra 1.8 cubic feet for stuff in the back, and those sitting in the rear get 1.1 inches more knee room. As an added amenity, buyers can option a 12.3-inch Active Info display digital instrument panel. Europeans gets a choice of eight engines: four fueled by gasoline and four by diesel. They range in power from 123 to 237 horsepower. Expect far fewer options when the Tiguan eventually arrives on these shores. Both front-wheel drive and 4Motion are available, too. In addition to having standard, 4Motion, and R-Line variants on display in Frankfurt, VW also has the Tiguan GTE plug-in hybrid concept at the show. It combines a 1.4-liter TSI engine and an electric motor mounted to the six-speed DSG to offer a total system output of 215 hp. The 13 kWh lithium-ion battery also lets the PHEV cover 31 miles on electric power and get an estimated 124 miles per gallon on the European cycle. That's not too bad, but the roof also features solar cells that VW claims can add another 621 miles of driving range per year under ideal conditions.

Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes also under diesel emissions scrutiny

The controversy over Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal isn't limited to the US. In Europe, where diesel engines are far more popular, the issue is shining a harsh light on the NEDC emissions test. As already known, the evaluation does a poor job of reflecting real-world production of NOx, and it appears a significant number of automakers are affected. The Guardian in the UK has been reporting on real-world test results from a company called Emissions Analytics. After the latest round of checks, vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi were found to generate far more NOx than they should. The newspaper also published similar results for Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Fiat, Volvo, Jeep, Citroen, VW, and Audi. On average, the figures are about four times over the limit of producing the pollutant. Unlike VW and its defeat device, these automakers aren't actually breaking the rules. The vehicles perform up to the NEDC lab test for emissions, but those results simply aren't translated to the street. "The VW issue in the US was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU - widespread legal over-emissions," Nick Molden from Emissions Analytics said to The Guardian. A big fight to decide the future of this issue appears to be on the horizon. Automakers claim that they can't meet the next round of tightening emissions regulations and are asking for compromises. Although, spokespeople for Mercedes and Honda told The Guardian that the brands would be in favor of the stricter rules. Meanwhile, some European governments began backtracking their support of diesels well before this scandal came to light. The added scrutiny certain hasn't helped the future of the oil-burner. Related Video:

VW stripped of Green Car Of The Year awards for Jetta, A3 diesels

In the wake of the ongoing VW diesel scandal, Green Car Journal has announced it will rescind the two Green Car Of The Year awards that the Volkswagen Group won with diesel vehicles that have been since been proven to not meet the stated emissions levels. The two vehicles are the 2009 VW Jetta TDI, which won in 2008, and the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which won in 2010. Green Car Journal (GCJ) did not say if it would retroactively name any replacement winners. This is the first time in the history of the Green Car Of The Year Awards that the honor has been taken away from the winner. In a statement announcing the change, GCJ publisher Ron Cogan wrote that, "this award rescission should not cast a negative light on advanced diesel technology in general. Many diesel models from a variety of auto manufacturers meet EPA and CARB emissions standards, bringing with them higher fuel efficiency, decreased petroleum use, and lower carbon emissions – all important environmental goals." VW AND AUDI RETURNING GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR® AWARDS, VEHICLES DEEMED INELIGIBLE SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2015 – Green Car Journal is rescinding the Green Car of the Year® awards previously honoring the 2009 VW Jetta TDI and 2010 Audi A3 TDI, the first time this has occurred in the award program's decade-long history. Audi of America President Scott Keogh has informed Green Car Journal that Audi will return its 2010 Green Car of the Year® award in the wake of Volkswagen Group's admission that it deliberately deceived government authorities about emissions from the Audi A3 TDI. Volkswagen of America has also informed Green Car Journal it will return its 2009 Green Car of the Year® award for the VW Jetta TDI. "Rescinding the Green Car of the Year® awards for the VW Jetta TDI and Audi A3 TDI is unfortunate but appropriate," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "These models were selected as Green Car of the Year® above others for compelling reasons, including high fuel efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, a fun-to-drive nature, and the ability to meet 50 state emissions requirements with advanced diesel technology." However, VW Group has now admitted that its software programming intentionally caused in-lab emissions testing to read significantly lower nitrogen oxide emissions than these vehicles actually produced on the road.