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VW must explain diesel fix by Nov. 20 in California

The state of California has long been ahead of the game when it comes to enacting laws limiting greenhouse gas emissions from light-duty vehicles in the US. Now, it looks like the Golden State is again leading the pack as it tries to get to the bottom of the Volkswagen diesel-emissions scandal that has shaken up much of the automotive industry. In fact, while VW has come out and said vehicle recalls wouldn't likely start happening until at least January, the state is giving VW until Nov. 20 to outline how it will repair its diesel-powered vehicles to comply with emissions mandates, Reuters says, citing a spokesman with the California Air Resources Board. That deadline coincides with the 45-day mark after VW received its Sept. 18 compliance letter about the diesel issue. In fact, California regulators may well start testing non-VW diesel vehicles to see if any other automaker installed software that would cause diesel emissions to be underestimated. Other German automakers such as BMW have boosted their diesel-vehicle production in recent years in an effort to meet tightening greenhouse-gas emissions and fuel-economy standards. VW has estimated that as many as 11 million light-duty diesel vehicles may include cheating software. Given that California is the largest US auto market, many of those vehicles are tooling around the state. In all, Volkswagen has earmarked $7.3 billion to address the scandal's issues, while former CEO Martin Winterkorn has stepped down and has been replaced by Matthias Muller. Related Video:

This month's deals on wheels: 3 cars with incentives, rebates

On television, they come at you rapid-fire: truck deals, car deals, SUV deals. You don't have time to read the fine print, and many sound too good to be true. What follows are three deals that are both good and true. And check out our entire list of incentives and rebates. VOLKSWAGEN JETTA: With Dieselgate winding down and VW's all-new three-row SUV – the Atlas – winding up, Volkswagen is selling sedans with incentives. The Jetta remains VW's bestseller in the US. If you're looking for an immodest deal on modest transportation, you can do worse than a lease on the 2017 Jetta S. THE DETAILS: Purchase at 0.9% APR (no down payment required, available on new 2017 Jetta models financed by Volkswagen Credit, participating dealers only). At that rate, you could save $1,600 over the life of a loan. Offer ends May 1, but given the tepid market interest in sedans, incentives will probably continue through the balance of the model year. NISSAN TITAN CREW CAB: While some buyers will wait for Nissan's recently announced Titan King Cab, and commercial users will grab the regular cab and 8-foot bed, we'll recommend a lightly optioned 4X4 crew cab with standard V8 power, California-penned sheetmetal and a made-in-America footprint. Nissan's full-size pickup is finally a credible competitor in the pickup segment. THE DETAILS: With $3,500 cash back, on top of whatever deal you negotiate, Nissan is effectively reducing the window sticker of a Titan S crew cab by almost 10 percent. MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER: Some cars show up on buyers' radar, some don't. Some aren't anywhere near the radar room. Mitsubishi's Outlander is one of those. But that doesn't diminish its basic attractiveness, especially for young families looking for an affordable three-row SUV with responsive power and competitive features. Add one of the industry's longest warranties and a compelling deal, and you suddenly have reason to track down a Mitsubishi dealer. THE DETAILS: It couldn't be simpler – negotiate your best deal on a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander, and then receive a $2,000 rebate; on a remaining 2016, it's $3,000. We'd select a fully-equipped GT 3.0S – AWC, which hooks Mitsubishi's V6 to a conventional automatic (vs. a CVT on lower-priced models) and all-wheel drive. That's a window sticker of about $34,000, and you can count on an aggressive posture by the dealer to get your business. Mitsubishi Nissan Volkswagen Car Buying Buying Guide Truck SUV Sedan

VW offers to buy back new diesels if bans introduced

By Maria Sheahan FRANKFURT, Germany — Volkswagen will buy back new diesel cars if German cities ban them, it said on Thursday, seeking to reassure potential buyers and stem a plunge in sales of diesel vehicles. Europe's biggest automaker also said it would extend incentives for buyers of new diesel cars. The moves come after a German court ruled last month that cities in the country could ban the most polluting diesel vehicles from their streets. Many German cities exceed European Union limits on atmospheric nitrogen oxide, known to cause respiratory diseases. Fears of bans have led to a plunge in demand for diesel vehicles, which are also key to carmakers' attempts to meet new EU rules on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. While diesel cars are heavily criticized for emitting nitrogen oxide, they spew out less CO2 than gasoline equivalents. Diesel car sales plunged 19 percent in Germany last month. At its core VW brand, Volkswagen said its buyback offer applied to new diesels bought between April 1 and the end of 2018 and would kick in if the city in which the buyer lived or worked banned diesels within three years of the purchase. It said its dealerships would buy back diesel vehicles affected by bans at their current value if their owners at the same time bought a new vehicle that was not affected by cities' driving restrictions. At Czech brand Skoda, the guarantee applies to cars bought between April 1 and the end of June, but will cover bans introduced within four years of the purchase date. At premium brand Audi, the offer only covers leased vehicles. Volkswagen also said it was extending to the end of June incentives for customers trading in older diesels for new ones. Fellow German carmaker BMW said earlier this month it would offer to take back leased vehicles if diesels were banned within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the operator's home or place of work. There has been a global backlash against diesel-engine cars since Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating U.S. exhaust tests. But Germany's government is seeking to avoid widespread bans on heavily polluting diesel vehicles, which companies say could cut the resale value of up to 15 million vehicles in Europe's biggest car market. In Germany, where motorists expect to drive powerful cars on motorways with no speed limits, any restrictions will be unpopular.