2007 Audi S4 Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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VW will need to recall 323,700 diesel vehicles in India

Volkswagen Group's diesel emissions scandal continues to spread, and now the automaker must recall 323,700 diesel vehicles in India because of too much pollution, according to Bloomberg. The campaign covers models from several of the group's brands including VW, Audi, and Skoda. The Automotive Research Association of India first discovered the emissions irregularities after conducting its own real world and lab tests, and the Indian government then commanded VW to explain what was happening. The country's regulators will allow the automaker to set the recall schedule for the repairs, according to a government official who spoke to Bloomberg, and the campaign will likely happen in phases. Among the affected vehicles, there will be about 100,000 from the VW brand including the Jetta, Passat, and some variants of the Polo. VW already has repairs for some of the affected diesel engines in Europe, and the company can allegedly fix the emissions problem with new software and small hardware changes. The situation is harder in the US where regulators still need to approve any proposed solutions, and VW also must now recall its 3.0-liter V6 TDI in California to eliminate other problematic code. The German automaker faces investigations from regulators all over the world into its emissions evasions, and they could be quite costly. One estimate already suggests the minimum price of the potential repairs, fines, and other expenses at about $24.5 billion. Officials in Brazil have already fined the company $13 million for pollution issues with the diesel Amarok pickup and requested a recall to fix them.

Audi entices enthusiasts with manual option for the 2017 A4

When we first drove the 2016 Audi A4, newly redesigned although cosmetically very similar to its predecessor, much was improved but there was no hint of a manual transmission option. For the 2016 model year, you could have any gearbox you wanted as long as it was a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. For some reason, despite low take rates for manual gearboxes across the board, Audi is stepping up for enthusiasts and offering a six-speed manual. Equally auspicious is the fact that this manual won't be resigned to some non-enthusiast variant, like the front-wheel drive model. The six-speed will be exclusively offered in the Quattro all-wheel drive version with the 252-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter TFSI engine, rather than the 190-hp Ultra variant which utilizes the Miller cycle and is more fuel-economy oriented. There's also an available Sport Plus package that's exclusive to the manual model that adds some previously S4-exclusive bits to the mix, which is further catnip to Audi gearheads. Those S4-derived parts are dynamic steering and sport adaptive suspension, which drops the ride height a bit, too. The rest of the Sport Plus package includes a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel, 18-inch split-spoke wheels, available Daytona Grey paint, sport seats, and some brushed aluminum interior trim. Best of all, the manual is a no-cost option, and so prices for each trim are the same across the line. In the entry-level Premium trim, the 2017 A4 manual will start at $40,350 and goes on sale this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Audi A4: First Drive View 33 Photos Audi Performance Sedan quattro

VW orders external probe into diesel emission scandal

There are well over 480,000 Volkswagen-made, diesel-powered vehicles currently traveling roads in the United States that do not meet the Environmental Protection Agency's emissions requirements. This, as you can probably imagine, is a very big deal, and has led VW CEO Professor Doctor Martin Winterkorn to release an official statement on the matter. "I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public," he said. It's important to note that these vehicles run software with a so-called "defeat device" that kicks in when the on-board computer senses that it is being tested for emissions. When the car is operating normally – in other words, when its exhaust isn't being sniffed – the cars do not meet US emissions standards. According to the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, affected cars emit as much as 40 times the allowable level of certain pollutants. "We will cooperate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly, and completely establish all of the facts of this case," according to Winterkorn, who added, "Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation of this matter." It's not yet known who will carry out this investigation. At present, there are still a number of 2015 Volkswagen models on dealer lots that do not meet emissions requirements. VW has issued a stop sale on vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine. What's more, the German automaker has been barred from selling 2016 model-year vehicles that use this engine, according to The Detroit News. Last year, diesel vehicles made up about 22 percent of all VW sales, which means these restrictions will have a big impact on the brand's sales performance until a remedy is found and the vehicles are approved for sale. Interestingly, the EPA has started a campaign of sorts to test vehicles from other automakers that sell diesel-powered vehicles in the United States to make sure they comply with emissions requirements under all operating circumstances. The EPA says it "will be reviewing [its] compliance protocols and introducing ways in which [it] can effectively test not only for emissions performance but also for the potential presence of defeat devices," according to a statement provided to The Detroit News. Check out the full statement from VW CEO Martin Winterkorn below. Related Video: STATEMENT OF PROF. DR.