Head of VW’s U.S. Unit Is Out, and Dealers Are Alarmed
By JAD MOUAWAD
Michael Horn has played a crucial role in rebuilding Volkswagen’s relationship with its dealership network, gaining the support of the sales force.
Chris Carlson/Associated Press
The Mercedes-Maybach S600 features twin Champagne flutes for rear-seat passengers, created by German silversmith Robbe & Berking.
Compared with the cost of developing an all-new model, a relationship with a small brand can efficiently shift or reinforce consumer perceptions.
A powerful V8 and adaptive suspension give this luxury ride serenity, but the mesmerizing cabin lighting seems to take a cue from the Las Vegas Strip.
BMW Reports Better-Than-Expected Profit
By REUTERS
The carmaker said results were driven by healthy sales of sport utility vehicles, but investors were disappointed by a lower than expected dividend.
Investigation Opened Into Ford F-150 After Brake Failure Reports
By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had received 33 consumer complaints about the pickups from the 2013-14 model years.
Volkswagen Inquiry Expands to 17 Suspects
By JACK EWING
German prosecutors said that they had widened the inquiry into illegal manipulation of tailpipe emissions and that they had not ruled out involvement by top management.
Wheels
VW Scandal Clouds Prospects for Other Diesel Makers at Geneva Motor Show
By JACK EWING
Automakers’ plans to use diesel to meet Europe’s tough carbon dioxide limits have been upended by Volkswagen’s admission that it cheated on emissions tests.
Auto Sales Up in February, Helped by Cheap Gas and Easy Credit
By BILL VLASIC
Overall industry sales were expected to rise as much as 8 percent, with the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate at more than 17.7 million vehicles.
Toyota Adds 331,000 Vehicles to Takata Airbag Recall
By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
Toyota is recalling 198,000 more vehicles because the airbag inflater produced by Takata could rupture.
Auto Safety Agency Resists Broader Recall of Takata Airbags
By STACY COWLEY
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that such a recall would not improve public safety, and might exceed its authority.
VW’s Crisis Strategy: Forward, Reverse, U-Turn
By DANNY HAKIM
Volkswagen made serious mistakes in its public response to the uproar over cheating on diesel emissions, and it is still scrambling to correct them.
Business Briefing
Autonomous Google Car Hits Public Bus During Test Drive
A self-driving car being tested by Google struck a public bus on a city street in Mountain View, Calif.
Audit Finds Lapses at Safety Auto Regulator
By STACY COWLEY
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration still lacks a training plan to ensure that its safety investigators have the necessary expertise, a Transportation Department report finds.
Reading This While You Drive Could Increase Your Risk of Crashing Tenfold
By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR
Researchers found that dialing a phone was the most dangerous distraction, followed by reading or writing.
Takata Faked Test Data a Year After Airbag Recalls, Report Says
By STACY COWLEY
A Senate report showed Takata officials presenting falsified test data about the design of a new component, illustrating what investigators called a pattern of deceit.
Volkswagen Memos Suggest Company Misled U.S. Regulators
By JACK EWING
Documents suggesting VW executives knew of elevated diesel emissions in early 2014 could create problems with regulators, car owners and stockholders.
Video Review: Restoring Diesel’s Good Name With a New Range Rover
By TOM VOELK
With a powerful Td6 3-liter turbodiesel motor, the luxury vehicle combines opera house refinement and mountain goat ability.
Wheels
Technology Problems Top a List of Car Complaints
By CHERYL JENSEN
The results of J.D. Power’s latest survey on vehicle dependability suggest there is a long way to go before self-driving cars become practical.
VW Says Old Memo Told Winterkorn of Emissions Irregularities
By JACK EWING
Volkswagen’s chief at the time received the information a year before the diesel scandal broke, but the company did not know if he read the memo.
SiriusXM Fights to Dominate the Dashboard of the Connected Car
By BEN SISARIO
While other music outlets struggle, the satellite-radio network is a success story. However, the Internet-connected car will pose a challenge.
Wheels
End of the Road May Be Near for Side Mirrors
By JOHN R. QUAIN
Many automakers are demonstrating video systems that replace side mirrors with cameras, but it may take drivers some time to get used to them.
Wheels
A Brassy Concept Car Comes Back From the Dead
By JIM MOTAVALLI
The Exemplar I, a ’60s auto show dream car, used brass and copper trim instead of chrome. Left in a junkyard, it’s now restored.
Wheels
Carmakers Retreat From Quirky Designs as Millennials Embrace Mainstream
By JONATHAN SCHULTZ
Automakers like Toyota are pulling back from the boxy wagons and jellybean-shape city cars they were using to attract Gen X buyers.
John J. Riccardo, Former Chairman of Chrysler, Dies at 91
By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
Mr. Riccardo, who took over at a time of turmoil in 1975, recruited Lee Iacocca to succeed him, a bet that paid off when it helped win government aid.
Volkswagen Bank Profits May Be Endangered by Diesel Scandal
By JACK EWING
Volkswagen Financial Services, the company’s in-house bank, has been an important element in VW’s rise to become the No. 2 carmaker in the world after Toyota.
The North American International Auto Show
Press previews for the Detroit auto show, which was first held in 1907, are Monday and Tuesday. Over 750 vehicles are expected to be on the floor of the Cobo Center.
New Car Reviews
