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Hyundai tops VW and Buick in China, survey says

You may be aware of the long-time competition in China between Volkswagen and Buick, but another brand apparently should be in that conversation too: Hyundai. In a recently published annual consumer survey, the Korean company actually took the top spot to beat out its German and American rivals in second and third, respectively. The results were part of the China Brand Power Index that interviewed 11,500 people around the nation and was paid for by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. While Hyundai proved popular with voters, its sales haven't necessarily shown that yet. According to Bloomberg, the brand had falling numbers in China for the first quarter of the year. Even Ford outsold the South Korean automaker in the same period, despite scoring lower on the survey. Meanwhile, Audi ranked as the populace's favorite luxury brand, which is hardly a surprise given the Four Rings' strong sales in China. In January alone the automaker saw a 15-percent boost in volume there. Parent company VW's strong performance was somewhat more surprising, though. State media severely criticized the German automaker in March, and customers protested last year for the allegedly poor handling of a recall.

Audi reveals special A5 DTM Champion edition

For this year's DTM touring car championship in Germany, Audi switched (at least in appearance) from the A5 to the more muscular look of the RS5. But now that it's won the title (the driver's title anyway), it's the base A5 that's getting the celebratory treatment.
Limited to just 300 units, the new A5 DTM Champion edition honors its winning driver Mike Rockenfeller in similar fashion to the special-edition BMW M3 that paid tribute to last year's champion, Bruno Spengler. It comes with a rear spoiler, special 20-inch alloys, aluminum trim on the mirror caps and, of course, a smattering of special badges inside and out.
Buyers will be able to place their orders next week in red, white or grey, with any of four engine choices, at a €1,900 premium. That is, in Europe, anyway. Given that DTM hasn't picked up on this side of the Atlantic just yet, we wouldn't go looking for this model at our local Audi dealer Stateside.

Bosch fuel pumps spark recall of 2015 Golf, GTI and Audi A3

A few weeks ago, BMW and Nissan both issued recalls for some of their vehicles to replace Bosch-supplied fuel pumps. The pumps had nickel plating that could flake off and cause a failure. Volkswagen Group is the latest automaker to be affected by the problem and has a campaign for the 2015 Audi A3, VW Golf and GTI. In total, 6,204 units of these models are in need of repair. The problem with the VW Group vehicles is identical to the previous recalls. It's possible for the pump's nickel plating to come off and cause increased friction. Eventually, this can result in the component's failure. According to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF, here), there are no reports of accidents or injuries from this issue in the VW Group models. Bosch spokesperson Linda Beckmeyer tells Autoblog that these vehicles don't all necessary share an identical fuel pump, but the parts all use the same plating process. The problem also prompted repairs of the 2014 Ford Escape several months ago, she indicated. When asked if the issue could prompt more campaigns, Beckmeyer said that she "can't speak to that" because automakers decide on the recalls. Owners should receive notice of the problem soon, but according to the NHTSA documentation, there currently aren't enough pumps to fix all of these vehicles. "Bosch is working closely with automakers regarding replacement parts," Beckmeyer said. When available, dealers will replace the components free of charge for affected customers. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Improper Plating may cause Fuel Pump to Fail Report Receipt Date: APR 17, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V229000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 6,204 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) AUDI A3 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 2015 Details Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Golf, GTI, and Audi A3 vehicles. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing. CONSEQUENCE: If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle will not start, or if the engine is running, it will stop and the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any affected fuel pumps, free of charge.