1998 Volkswagen Cabrio Gls Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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2022 Acura MDX and a trio of lovely sedans | Autoblog Podcast #662

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. This week, they talk about the cars they've been driving, including the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, 2021 Kia K5 GT, 2022 Acura MDX and long-term 2021 Acura TLX. In this week's news, they talk about the possibility of a Nissan Xterra return and break down what's going on over at Lotus — the British sports car company is axing its current lineup and replacing the Elise, Exige and Evora with a new car called the Type 131. Autoblog Podcast #662 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving:2021 Volkswagen Arteon 2021 Kia K5 GT 2022 Acura MDX 2021 Acura TLX A-Spec News Return of the Nissan Xterra nameplate? Lotus Type 131 replacing the entire Lotus lineup Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Volkswagen officially grants access to UAW in Tennessee

An audit at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, TN has revealed that at least 45 percent of the facility's workers support unionization, leading the German company to grant access rights to the United Auto Workers. This is a tremendous step in the UAW's long-running and at times contentious pursuit of the workforce at Chattanooga. With this latest move, "local leadership is ready to move forward with additional conversations with the company," the union said in a statement obtained by The Detroit News. "As a starting point, UAW Local 42 will take advantage of the company's offer to establish bi-weekly meetings with Volkswagen Human Resources and the Volkswagen Chattanooga Executive Committee." The News reports that UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel, shown above speaking at the Chattanooga plant last summer, claimed these meetings "will remind Human Resources and the Chattanooga Executive Committee of the mutually agreed-upon commitments that were made by Volkswagen and the UAW last spring in Germany. Among those commitments: Volkswagen will recognize the UAW as the representative of our members. We believe Volkswagen made this commitment in good faith and we believe the company will honor this commitment." It's important to note that despite Casteel's remarks, this is not a collective-bargaining agreement, Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at University of California, Berkeley, told The News. "But it is a step in the direction of recognition, which ultimately could lead to collective bargaining. This is not the end point," Shaiken said. "We don't know what's next. We're in unchartered territory."

VW delivers first XL1 in Germany

Volkswagen has delivered the first XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid to a customer from Berlin, Germany. Dr. Christian Malorny received his Oryx White XL1 with black and grey interior from Volkswagen Germany's director of sales and marketing for passenger cars, Thomas Zahn, at the company's Transparent Factory in Dresden. The super-efficient XL1, which first debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, is powered by a 0.8-liter, two-cylinder TDI engine and electric motor, with electricity supplied by a 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission. With a curb weight of 1,753 pounds and a drag coefficient of just 0.189, the XL1 is rated at 261 miles per gallon on the lenient European cycle. It is capable of traveling solely on electric power for up to 31 miles. "The XL1 has inspired me from the beginning and I am very pleased to now be driving my own," said Malorny, (translated). "With its visionary design and high-tech appearance, Volkswagen has dared something new and innovative." The futuristic XL1 seats two passengers, and can carry 4.2 cubic feet of cargo. It features a carbon fiber reinforced plastic body, and a low center of gravity. It is diminutive of stature, as you can see in the photo, measuring 153.1 inches long, 65.6 inches wide, and just 45.4 inches tall. It is being billed as the world's most efficient production car, but it's unlikely Dr. Malorny will be making his money back on fuel savings any time soon; despite the first sale and the vehicles appearing on the German VW site, Volkswagen has not officially announced the price tag for the XL1. In the past, we've heard it will cost approximately $145,000. Only 250 are being produced. Check out our drive review of the Volkswagen XL1 here or read on for more information in the Google-translated press release, below. Volkswagen XL1 delivers first from First vehicle goes to Berlin Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Volkswagen has delivered yesterday at the Transparent Factory in Dresden the first XL1 to a customer. Together with his family accepted Dr. Christian Malorny from Berlin's innovative diesel plug-in hybrid.