2004 Volkswagen Passat 4motion With Manual Transmission 1.8t All Wheel Dirve on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen taps Porsche chief for board

Matthias Mueller was promoted to the top position at Porsche in 2010 after a successful stint of developing model lines during his 36 years with the company, mainly at Audi. Having shown the same prowess while overseeing Porsche for the past five years, German outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that Mueller will be promoted to the management board of the Volkswagen Group, according to a leaked copy of an agenda for the meeting. It's said that a new spot is being created for him, one that will put him in charge of "overseeing cooperation" among Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche. While other group executives are known to hold positions on the board and with brands, or across brands, it isn't clear yet whether Mueller will keep his spot at the CEO of Porsche after the promotion. One thing that is certain is the 61-year-old Mueller doesn't see himself in line for Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn's job in 2016, having told FAZ this month, "It's no solution to put a 63-year-old at the head of Volkswagen." News Source: Reuters, Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Porsche Volkswagen Performance volkswagen group matthias mueller promotion

2019 VW Jetta vs. 2019 Honda Civic vs. 2019 Kia Forte: How they compare

The 2018 Detroit Auto Show was dominated by trucks, but there were also two all-new and completely redesigned compact sedans introduced: the 2019 VW Jetta and the 2019 Kia Forte. Follow their respective links to read our first driving impressions of each, but in short, both compacts are better positioned to steal potential customers away from the segment-leading 2019 Honda Civic, which itself was updated for 2019. Besides taking a look their specs and photos, I had the chance to go between them all here in Detroit, crawl around their interiors, sit in the backseats and figure out which of these not-especially-compacts, which all grew with their latest redesigns might have a practicality advantage. We also have full specifications on each model, which are laid out in the handy chart below. Exterior design There's honestly a little bit of the previous-generation Jetta visible in the 2019 Forte profile — especially around the doors and greenhouse. The Jetta, meanwhile, has the same sort of radically swept-back roofline as the Civic that's become all the rage throughout the automotive industry. The 2019 Jetta is also a little more visually interesting than the car it replaced, though neither the Jetta nor the Forte were as radically transformed as the Civic was two years ago. Alright, let's go to the slideshows. View 20 Photos 2019 Kia Forte View 61 Photos View 28 Photos Engines and transmissions The 2019 Jetta, 2019 Forte and 2019 Civic have considerably different powertrain options, with additional choices possible once the VW and Kia go deeper into their lifespans. Both the Forte and Civic rely on naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines in base specification, with the Civic's 2.0-liter engine making more power and a smidgen more torque than the Kia's. The Jetta goes the turbocharged small-displacement route with its 1.4-liter engine. It makes the same power as the Forte, but smacks down both in the torque department. It makes roughly 50 more pound-feet of twist than both naturally aspirated engines. The Honda Civic is the only one to offer an optional engine, which follows in the footsteps of the Jetta as a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. Its 174 horsepower is ahead of the others by nearly 40 ponies. However, its 162 pound-feet of torque still falls short of the Jetta. Impressively, all three sedans still offer a manual transmission option, and all of them are six-speed units.

Matthias Muller officially named VW Group CEO

While the vast number of rumors made it seem like a foregone conclusion, Porsche boss Matthias Muller has officially been named Volkswagen Group CEO to replace the recently resigned Martin Winterkorn. His contract runs through the end of February 2020, and until a replacement is found, Muller also gets to hang onto his old job as chairman of Porsche. At the same time, the VW Group Supervisory Board is announcing a massive structural reorganization across the entire company, with the new management model in place by the beginning of 2016. Contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. The board wants a greater emphasis on brands and regions going forward, and the scale of this shift can be seen in the US. On November 1, VW Group business in the US, Mexico, and Canada is being combined under the leadership of current Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. However contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. Other brands are also seeing some significant changes mechanically. Porsche, Bentley, and Bugatti now fall under the Group's "sportscar and mid-engine toolkit." This means that the brands will start sharing standardized technical parts. A Chief Technical Officer across all of the company's brands will also start working toward future innovations. The new brand-centric view means the end of a group-wide production department. "Going forward, the brands and regions will also have greater independence with regard to production. So it follows that they should also hold the responsibility for these activities," Berthold Huber, interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said in the announcement. In a statement with the press release about his promotion, Muller promised to turn the company around after such an international crisis. He said: "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry." Matthias Muller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group Muller remains Chairman of Porsche AG until a successor has been found Matthias Muller (62) has been appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect.