• Volkswagen Phaeton axed, successor coming in 2019

    December 19, 2015
    Volkswagen insiders have revealed that production of the 13-year old Phaeton flagship is scheduled to end next March.

    Volkswagen of America dropped the Phaeton from its lineup after the 2006 model year due to dismal sales, but the sedan is still sold in China, where it recently benefited from a slew of minor updates, and across Europe, where it typically costs more than a comparably-sized Audi A8. Sales are alarmingly low in both regions, and only about eight examples roll out of the glass-walled factory in Dresden, Germany, each day.

    Once it builds the very last Phaeton, the Dresden factory will be shut down for about a year and completely overhauled. Sources close to Volkswagen told trade journal Automotive News that the factory will be given a new model to build once it re-opens, though they didn’t reveal what it will be.

    Volkswagen won’t remain without a flagship sedan for very long. The Wolfsburg-based car maker is in the early stages of developing a brand new Phaeton that’s tentatively scheduled to go on sale globally in late 2019 as a 2020 model. Volkswagen recently hinted its next flagship — which might not be called Phaeton — will be offered exclusively with an all-electric drivetrain, and rumors indicate it will share its platform with the production version of the Audi e-tron quattro concept.


    Note: Chinese-spec 2016 Phaeton pictured.

  • First drive: 2016 Land Rover Range Rover, Range Rover Sport Td6 [Review]

    December 19, 2015

    Just a few months ago, perhaps the biggest challenges for a luxury brand launching a diesel-powered iteration of an existing model might have been achieving refinement and engine noise targets, along with power delivery and fuel economy goals. But in this post-Dieselgate world we live in today, some strategies have been forced to change. As such, it came as little surprise that Peter Wright, Land Rover’s chief engineer, began his discussion of the new Range Rover TD6 by addressing “the 200 pound gorilla in the room” and immediately dove into the minutia regarding the company’s emission management systems to reassure those present that while VW might’ve juked the system, Land Rover’s engineering is one hundred percent above board.

    As this pair of Range Rovers represent the first diesel offerings in North America in Land Rover’s history, the timing of VW’s debacle isn’t exactly ideal. But with over ninety percent of the Range Rovers sold in Europe sporting diesel power plants, tenuous current environment notwithstanding, the U.S. market presents a huge opportunity for the company to make headway in a largely untapped market. Fortunately, it appears that Land Rover has both sides of the equation already sorted out.

    Proven Tech
    In the simplest terms, Wright explained that Land Rover uses emissions technology similar to those employed by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, a system which injects a fluid consisting of urea and water into the exhaust system. Upon mixing with the exhaust gases, the urea turns into ammonia, which is then transformed into nitrogen and water in the catalytic converter. The end result is a reduction of NOx gases, which addresses the crux of the trouble VW finds itself in today. It’s certainly reassuring to get confirmation that Land Rover is playing by the book – not only for the well-being of the environment, but because it allows us to focus our attention on how the drivetrain actually performs in practice.

    The new Td6 powerplant is a 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel V6 that generates 254 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which peaks at a stump-pulling 1750 rpm. It also provides a whopping 32 percent improvement in fuel economy over a the gas-powered V6 model, yielding 22 mpg in the city and 28 out on the highway for a total of 25 mpg combined, and a range of 658 miles of range on a single tank of fuel. Land Rover expects an average annual savings of about $450, meaning it would take about three years to begin seeing savings over the gasoline model, as the Td6 commands a $1,500 premium over the standard supercharged V6.

    Land Rover also told us that they logged over a million miles in the U.S. validating the new engine’s durability in the hottest and coldest parts of the country, ensuring that this new lump can hack it in a formerly unfamiliar environment.

    Playing on the strengths
    Another interesting tidbit the folks from Coventry offered while touting the virtues of the new motor was that in blind testing, none of the participants correctly identified the Td6 as a diesel. It might sound far-fetched, but after a stint behind the wheel, we’re believers.

    Quite a bit of effort went into that feat – the Td6′s engine mounts, acoustic windshield treatment and bulkhead design all contribute to substantial noise isolation that almost entirely removes the telltale racket of diesel a engine, while the motor’s block is constructed from compacted graphite iron to help minimize vibration.

    But it’s not just the audio which can trick even the savviest of pilots, it’s the performance. With so much torque on tap from so low down in the rev range, the Td6 is actually a step quicker from zero to sixty miles per hour than its gasoline counterpart, doing the deed in a relatively spritely 7.1 seconds. Coupled with the ZF 8-speed automatic found elsewhere across the Jaguar Land Rover lineup, the Td6 never lacked for pull whether we were crawling over rocks in the Schnebly Hill trails or overtaking slower traffic on the highways around Sedona, Arizona.

    So comprehensive are Land Rover’s engineering efforts to make the Td6 undiesel-like, the use of a different pump when refueling and a bi-annual refill of urea tank will likely be the only ways most would-be owners will be able to distinguish the oil burner from its gasoline counterpart. Considering the compromises that high output diesels required not so long ago, it’s strong praise indeed.

    True to the name
    While the vast majority of Range Rovers are typically used to cart well-heeled urbanities around town and style-conscious families to and from the mall, it’s clear that Land Rover isn’t about to abandon the reputation they’ve built over the decades for their vehicles’ off-road prowess with the Td6.

    In fact, the Range Rover is so good in the dirt now that it hardly even needs the driver to be part of the formula. During our drive of the Range Rover Td6 through Arizona high country, Land Rover reps demonstrated All Terrain Progress Control. It’s something of a more advanced version of hill descent control, one which assists the driver whether they’re headed down the mountain or up it.

    With ATPC engaged, all we had to do was simply tell the vehicle how fast we wanted to go and point the direction with the wheel – the rest of ascent and descent legwork is handled by the computers, thus bringing semi-autonomous driving features to the realm of rock crawling.

    And while the Td6 makes short work of trails typically tailored to purpose-built all-terrain vehicles with a human handling the controls, ATPC proves that the machines are, in fact, taking over for good reason. In areas where we might’ve needed to correct for too much or too little throttle, or brake with unpleasant authority to reign in our speed as we cleared a steep section, ATPC remained wholly unfazed, dispatching rocks, ruts, and steep grades with hardly a hint of wheelspin. While it might not make for the most entertaining off-roading experience under ideal conditions, this system could literally get Grandma up a mountain during a snow storm without so much as a wheel scuff.

    And she’d be wrapped in luxury while doing so, as the Td6 still includes everything you’d expect from a Range Rover, including acres of leather and high quality materials throughout. In stark contrast to the Jaguar XF we tested during the same event, the 2016 Range Rover lineup also utilizes the company’s latest infotainment system, one which is better than the system currently employed in the XF by a country mile. A full-surround camera system, panoramic sunroof, 20-inch wheels and a host of interior trim choices all grace the options sheet, but even in base trim the Range Rover Td6 looks and feels positively top shelf.

    Leftlane’s bottom line
    With gas prices at their lowest levels in years and a resurgent air of skepticism looming over diesel propulsion, getting Americans onboard with this long-marginalized fuel option may prove difficult, particularly in a luxury segment where fuel economy is a relatively low priority. But if and when premium vehicle buyers in the U.S. begin to warm up to diesel powered vehicles in earnest, well-sorted models like the Range Rover Td6 will be ready to lead the charge.

    Range Rover Sport Td6 base price, $66,450.
    Range Rover Td6 base price, $86,450.
    Pricing excludes $995 destination charge.

    Photos by Bradley Iger.

  • Mazda CX-5 gets more standard features, simplified trim choices

    December 19, 2015

    Mazda has introduced a minor update to the CX-5 crossover for the second half of the 2016 model year.

    The changes are focused on standard features and simplification of the available trim levels. The company suggests the enhancements are geared for customers with a taste for premium features.

    The mid-model-year update brings a backup camera as standard on all variants equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission and 2.5-liter engine. Such packages start at $24,495 (including $900 freight) with front-wheel drive, or $25,795 with all-wheel drive.

    All CX-5 Touring models now ship with standard navigation and heated front seats, while the top Grand Touring trim also provides navigation without requiring any additional upgrade packages.

    The backup camera had previous required a dedicated Rear View Camera add-on for the entry-level Sport trim. Navigation had been included only with the Technology Packages for the Touring and Grand Touring editions.

    The 2016.5 CX-5 will begin arriving in showrooms next month.

  • Bugatti Veyron surfer heading to prison after driving into lake

    December 19, 2015

    A former Bugatti Veyron owner is heading to federal prison for driving the world’s most extreme production car into a lake.

    Andy House reportedly purchased the Veyron for $1 million in October 2009 and obtained insurance for $2.2 million. After owning the car for less than two months, he drove it into a lagoon in Galveston County, Texas. The engine was left running as the car sat in salt water, amplifying the damage.

    The accident was initially blamed on a low-flying pelican, and House allegedly told first responders that he had reached down to grab his cellphone before losing control. An insurance claim for $2.2 million was filed the following day.

    Apparently unbeknownst to House, the attention-grabbing Veyron had caught the eye of a few gawkers traveling the same direction on a parallel road. The passenger began recording a video of the rare supercar, declaring “pretty sure it’s a Lambo, dude” before House turned off the roadway and into the marsh.

    House pled guilty to charges of insurance fraud and received a sentence of one year and a day in federal prison, according to KTRE. He must also pay back the $600,000 settlement reached with his insurance company.

    House is said to own a salvage company that specializes in exotic cars.


  • Musk: VW should have to make EVs, not pay fines for TDI scandal

    December 19, 2015
    Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has called on the government to back away from financial penalties and refit requirements for Volkswagen’s emissions-cheating diesel vehicles.

    Dozens of other clean-energy executives signed a letter to the California Air Resources Board, arguing that a “giant sum of money” will be wasted attempting to fix cars “that cannot all be fixed,” and drivers may simply decline to bring their cars in for a fix that reduces performance.

    “Instead, direct VW to accelerate greatly its rollout of zero-emission vehicles, which by their very nature, have zero emissions and thus present zero opportunities for cheating, and also do not require any enforcement dollars to verify,” the letter reads.

    Euro-spec vehicles appear to be receiving relatively inexpensive and straightforward refits, ranging from a software revision to a ‘flow transformer‘ component upstream from the mass airflow sensor. US limits for nitrogen oxides are much lower than in Europe, suggesting the company will have to implement a much more extensive — and expensive — hardware modification to bring cars into compliance with EPA regulations.

    “Retrofitting urea tank systems to small cars is costly and impractical,” Musk writes. “Some cars may be fixed, but many won’t and will be crushed before they are fixed.”

    The US recalls are expected to cost VW billions, though specific details have not yet been announced. In any case, Musk claims the money would be better spent on development of electric vehicles, with an estimated “10 for one or greater reduction in pollutant emissions as compared to the pollution associated with the diesel fleet.”

    The letter also serves as an argument against diesel engines in general, claiming that the technology has already reached its reasonable peak in terms of practical emissions mitigation.

    “Unsurprisingly, and despite having the greatest research and development program in diesel engines, VW had to cheat to meet current European and US standard,” Musk concludes. “In contrast to the punishments and recalls being considered, this proposal would be a real win for California emissions, a big win for California jobs, and a historic action to help derail climate change.”

    The executive points to the 1990s diesel truck cheating scandal as a precedent for such a resolution. Rather than requiring an interim recall, the EPA simply moved up its schedule for implementing tighter emissions regulations. The example isn’t quite an apples-to-apples comparison, however, as the truck fiasco involved all major diesel engine manufacturers and the companies still had to collectively pay $1 billion in penalties.