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Volkswagen preparing Tiguan Coupe R

Volkswagen has might proliferation plans for the SUV side of the VW brand, Autocar listing a range that will comprise seven models and variants on sale by 2018. The next-generation Tiguan will play a large part in tripling VW's crossover lineup, a development discussed a year ago, with a standard model, the three-row long-wheelbase version to be built in Mexico, and a five-door "Coupe" variant that will get an R version worked up by the in-house R team. The Tiguan Coupe R is aimed at the performance end of the compact crossover field, giddyup coming from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with something like 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque that works through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Underpinnings are expected to be cribbed from the Golf R; a hotter suspension tune with a lower ride height and four-mode damping. The sprint to 62 miles per hour would clock in around 5.1 seconds, and handling nous would be aided by all-wheel drive and electronic torque vectoring. It will need all of that in order to catch up to the competitive set listed by Autocar of the 375-hp Mercedes-AMG GLA45, 309-hp Audi RS Q3, and potential Range Rover Evoque SVR and BMW X2 M. The CrossBlue Coupe seen in Shanghai earlier this year will provide the styling cues, we're told, with rakish glass front and back, and thick C-pillars supporting a leaner greenhouse. We'll likely see the basic Tiguan at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, then will come the long-wheelbase in 2016, the regular Coupe in 2017 along with the Touareg and US-built CrossBlue, then in 2018 the Tiguan Coupe R, CrossBlue Coupe, and Nissan Juke-fighting T-Roc. Related Video:

VW was 2018's top-selling automaker — but

TOKYO — Volkswagen Group has held on to its position as the world's top-selling automaker for the fifth year in a row, although the German group was edged out again by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in the light-duty vehicles segment. Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co Ltd and Mitsubishi Motors Corp together sold 10.76 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2018, according to Reuters' calculations after new data released on Wednesday. The group doesn't sell heavy trucks. Nissan said on Wednesday it sold 5.65 million vehicles last year, down 2.8 percent on the year. Mitsubishi reported an 18 percent rise in sales to 1.22 million units while Renault sold 3.88 million units, up 3.2 percent on the year. Volkswagen's deliveries rose 0.9 percent to a record 10.83 million last year, including its MAN and Scania heavy trucks, the German company said earlier this month. Excluding heavy trucks, it sold 10.6 million units. Toyota Motor Corp retained its third spot, announcing on Wednesday that it had sold 10.59 million vehicles last year including its Toyota and Lexus brands, along with minicars made by subsidiary Daihatsu and light and heavy trucks produced by its truck division Hino Motors Ltd. Excluding Hino trucks, Toyota sold 10.39 million units last year. The automaker has said it expects to sell a total of 10.76 million vehicles in 2019. Many automakers are trying to boost sales volumes to achieve economies of scale and reduce costs amid soaring investments needed to develop next-generation technologies, including self-driving cars and electric vehicles. This has been a focus of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors group, which is looking to share more vehicle parts and consolidate production platforms to trim R&D and manufacturing costs, while raising profitability. The alliance, which brought Mitsubishi Motors into its fold in 2016, is currently in crisis with its former Chairman Carlos Ghosn arrested and indicted on charges of misconduct. Nissan has also been indicted, and Renault appointed new top management last week. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Mitsubishi Nissan Toyota Volkswagen

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.