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CARB has 20 days to confirm VW's 3.0-liter TDI emission fix

VW's diesel scandal has been in the headlines since last September, but solving the problem it proving difficult. Volkswagen Group has submitted a proposal to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fix about 85,000 vehicles with the 3.0-liter diesel V6 in the US, Reuters reports. CARB now has 20 business days to test if the plan actually reduces emissions. If accepted, VW could finally begin a recall and end the stop sale on vehicles with these engines. In a statement, CARB pledged to, "respond following a thorough and complete review to make sure the plan addresses the presence of the illegal defeat device and follows the necessary environmental, vehicle and public health and safety regulations." Neither CARB nor the EPA outlined the proposed repairs, but Porsche CEO Oliver Blume already suggested the fix for the engine in the diesel Cayenne. Examples from 2013 and 2014 allegedly need a new catalytic converter and software update, and those from 2015 and 2016 only need the improved code. It's not yet clear whether this procedure would work for all models with the 3.0 TDI. While the EPA issued the notice of violation against VW's 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel in September, the first one for the 3.0-liter V6 came in early November. By the end of the month, the agency broadened the scope to about 85,000 vehicles, including some examples of the VW Touareg, Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, and Porsche Cayenne. The affected companies issued stop sales on new models with the engine. Audi eventually admitted to regulators that it didn't disclose three auxiliary emission control devices in the powerplant's code and promised to develop a software update to fix the problem. CARB gave the automaker 45 business days to submit the proposed solution. If accepted, this repair would allow VW Group to end part of the emissions scandal, but there's no guarantee the regulators consent to this solution. Just a few weeks ago, CARB looked at the automaker's plan to fix the 2.0-liter TDI and rejected it, claiming a lack of detail.

World Car of the Year finalists announced

To say the 2014 Geneva Motor Show was packed full of news is an understatement as big as the show's home at the Palexpo convention center. Despite everything that we were able to cover during this year's show, there's still more coming out of Switzerland, including the announcement of the finalists for the 2014 World Car of the Year Awards.
We reported on the original list of finalists over three weeks ago, and now, that initial list has been pared down to three finalists for each of the five awards. The finalists were announced at a press conference by frequent Autoblog contributor and co-chair of the awards, Matt Davis (above).
The finalists for the overall title of 2014 World Car of the Year are the Audi A3, the BMW 4 Series and the Mazda3. The World Luxury Car of the Year will be either the Bentley Flying Spur, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport, while the Performance Car of the Year will be awarded to the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the Ferrari 458 Speciale or the Porsche 911 GT3 (which, um, yeah...).

Porsche announces four flavors of updated Cayenne [w/video]

The new Macan may be getting all the attention lately, but Porsche hasn't forgotten about its larger crossover - the one that put it on the map in 2002 and on the road to profitability, with over half a million sold so far. So to keep the Cayenne at the top of its game, Porsche has announced several key upgrades for the 2015 model.
For starters, Porsche has updated the Cayenne's appearance with new front- and rear-end styling. The front bumper, fenders and hood are entirely new, with air fins flanking the nose to direct air into the intercoolers (each model now being artificially aspirated), and new bi-xenon headlamps and daytime running LEDs on every model but the Turbo, which goes all-LED. Around back there's also new taillights, tailgate handle, lower rear fascia and exhaust pipes. Meanwhile the interior has been upgraded with a 918-derived sport steering wheel and reformed rear seats with available ventilation.
The bigger news is under the engine bay, where Porsche is offering four choices. The base model is gone as the range starts with the Cayenne Diesel, followed by the Cayenne S, the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid and the top-of-the-line Cayenne Turbo. The Diesel model carries over the same 3.0-liter turbo diesel with 240 horsepower. The Cayenne S however packs a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 that's similar to the one found in the Macan Turbo and packs the same 406 lb-ft of torque but more power at 420 hp, 20 more than either its little brother or the model it replaces to reach 62 mph in 5.2 seconds.