Volkswagen Golf 2008 News

A number of potentially hazardous faults have been identified in vehicles sold in Australia, prompting a wide range of recalls.

US owners of VW cars with diesel engines that can cheat emissions tests have already been given $500, but local owners still have no compensation.

Three weeks after the global scandal broke, Australian owners of VW diesel cars finally know if their car is affected or not.

A vote by 75 motoring journalists from 22 countries has awarded the compact prestige car the World Car of the Year award for 2015.It finished on top of a 24-car field and eventually beat the two other finalists, the Ford Mustang and Volkswagen Passat.The other big prizes for 2015, Green Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year, went to the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 and the Mercedes-AMG GT coupe.The winners were announced at the New York Motor Show today at an event hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum at the culmination of a six-month voting process.The C-Class delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.The awards are in their 11th year and previous winners include the Audi A6, BMW 3 Series, Lexus LS460 and Volkswagen Golf, Polo and Up.To be eligible for the overall World Car award, candidate cars must have become available for sale on at least two continents between January 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.The WCOTY wins by Mercedes-Benz follow its victories in the Green Car contest in 2007 with the E320 Bluetec and 2012 with the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and its Luxury Car success with the S Class in 2014.“We are extremely delighted of winning the honour of World Car of the Year,” says the chairman of Daimler, Dr Dieter Zetsche.The WCOTY victory follows a similar success for the C-Class in the CarsGuide Car of the Year award.The WCOTY judging panel says: “Taking its design and technological cues from the S-Class, the C-Class employs an all-new aluminium/steel hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrains that delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.” WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2015Overall winner: Mercedes-Benz C-ClassGreen Car: BMW i8Performance Car: Mercedes-AMG GTLuxury Car: Mercedes-Benz S CoupeDesign: Citroen CactusPREVIOUS WORLD COTY WINNERS:2014: Audi A32013: Volkswagen Golf2012: Volkswagen Up2011: Nissan Leaf2010: Volkswagen Polo2009: Volkswagen Golf2008: Mazda22007: Lexus LS4602006: BMW 3 Series2005: Audi A6

THE Audi A3 small car -- which owes much of its DNA to the Volkswagen Golf -- has won the 2014 World Car of the Year, as voted by 69 jurors from 22 countries. The luxury hatch toppled the widely-tipped favourite, the Mazda3 from Japan, in the awards announced at the New York motor show today.The Audi A3 was among five German cars that took out a cleansweep of the 2014 World Car of the Year categories, and it was Audi’s second win in 10 years, having won the inaugural award. Indeed, German cars have won seven of the past 10 World Car of the Year awards, Japanese brands have won the remaining three.Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Audi's North America president Scott Keogh said: “The Audi A3 has only been on sale three weeks and already it’s off to a flying start.”Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi, said: “This major award win is an achievement that the whole company can celebrate.”The Audi A3 was among 24 finalists that included the BMW i3 electric car, which won the Green Car of the Year and the Car Design of the Year. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the Luxury Car of the Year while the Porsche 911 GT3 was awarded top performance car honours.But the Mazda3 had emerged as an early favourite for the outright World Car of the Year award following rave reviews globally since it went on sale late last year. The previous generation Mazda3 has been Australia’s top selling car for two of the past three years, and was the vehicle that ended the Holden Commodore’s record 15-years as the market leader, in 2011.The Mazda3 is returned to the top of the sales charts so far this year -- after being overtaken by the Toyota Corolla in 2013 -- and is likely to take out top-seller status this year buoyed by the new model which went on sale in January.World car of the year winners2014 – Audi A32013 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk72012 -- Volkswagen Up2011 -- Nissan Leaf2010 -- Volkswagen Polo2009 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk62008 -- Mazda22007 -- Lexus LS4602006 -- BMW 3 Series2005 -- Audi A62014 World Car of The Year category winnersGreen car of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carCar Design of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carPerformance Car of the Year -- Porsche 911 GT3Luxury Car of the Year – Mercedes-Benz S-ClassThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

To this very day, more than 30 million Golfs have been sold around the world. From day one, the Golf has reflected technological progress. The first production Golf rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg on March 29, 1974. It heralded a new era... transversely mounted, front engine and front-wheel drive.As the successor to the legendary Beetle, of which over 21.5 million units were built, the Golf I designed by Giorgio Giugiaro and Volkswagen Design, had to live up to the immense expectations. It worked.In 1976 the first Golf GTI heralded the introduction of greater dynamism in this class. The Golf Cabriolet, introduced in 1979, was at times the best-selling open topped car in the world. Successive Golfs have continued to lift the bar.The 1983 Golf II introduced the catalytic converter, anti-lock brakes, power-steering and all-wheel drive. And, as far back as 1989, Volkswagen was already unveiling a prototype of this Golf with an electric drive system and another with a hybrid drive system.Golf III in 1991 ushered in a new era of safety. The Golf III was the first of the series to have front airbags, while major advances in the area of construction resulted in significantly improved crash safety. Many new features made their debuts in this Golf: the first six cylinder engine (VR6), cruise control, the first direct injection diesel engines and side airbags.Golf IV, 1997. With the debut of Electronic Stability Control in 1998 the car continued to democratise safety. The first direct-injection engine (FSI) and the debut of the standard head airbag followed in 2002 along with the R32 and a top speed of 250 km/h. It was in this model a year later that the revolutionary dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) debuted.Golf V, 2003, boasted levels of comfort and dynamic performance that left many a competitor in its wake. It also saw the debut of the first turbocharged direct injection engine and the world's first twin charged engine, combining turbo and super charging. The Golf BlueMotion also made its debut with fuel consumption figures of 4.5 litres/100 km.Golf VI, 2008 saw new assistance systems introduced such as Light Assist automatic main beam management, Park Assist, hill start assistant and technologies such as DCC dynamic chassis control. The current Golf, the Golf VII, made its entrance in September 2012. Weight was reduced by up to 100 kg and fuel economy improved by up to 23 per cent. Another innovation, automatic cylinder shut-off (ACT: active cylinder management) was also introduced.Earlier this year Volkswagen electrified the compact class with the all-electric e-Golf with a range of around 190 kilometres. In addition, the new Golf GTE plug-in hybrid drive will soon be introduced with fuel consumption of 1.5 litres/100 km – 50km in all-electric mode. The future looks bright for the world's best selling car. 

Volkswagen has issued a worldwide recall of 2.6 million vehicles --including more than 44,000 cars in Australia -- for possible fuel leaks, electrical faults and gearbox problems.It is the second significant recall in Australia in five months for the German car maker, which is suspected by industry observers of taking shortcuts in its bid to overtake Toyota to become the world’s biggest car maker by 2018.The recall comes as the Victorian Coroner today announced there was no evidence of a mechanical fault with a Volkswagen Golf involved in a fatal crash in Melbourne in 2011.The car was struck from behind by a truck. The coroner investigated the incident after it was alleged the car lost power suddenly, following similar complaints from other Volkswagen owners.The vehicles in the latest recall include more than 17,000 Tiguan SUVs because "a fuse may blow … thus resulting in failure of one of the two vehicle light circuits".Approximately 16,000 Volkswagen Amarok pick-ups are being recalled because "some Amarok utes with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine may be affected by leaks to the fuel pipe within the engine compartment".Furthermore, about 11,000 Volkswagens across various models equipped with the company’s controversial twin-clutch automatic "DSG" gearbox will be recalled because "electric malfunctions could occur in rare cases in the gearbox power supply if synthetic gearbox oil is used".In June 2013 Volkswagen recalled more than 25,000 cars in Australia for gearbox problems after a fortnight of unprecedented pressure from disgruntled customers, following the announcement of the Victorian Corner's investigation.The vehicles affected in the June 2013 recall were built between June 2008 and September 2011 and included the Golf hatchback, the Jetta sedan, the Polo hatchback, the Passat sedan and wagon and the Caddy van.Complaints highlighted in the lead-up to that campaign included cars that conked out or lost power suddenly, high oil use, and gearbox reliability issues.Several customers reported having their engines and/or gearboxes replaced while others complained about the  $5000 to $10,000 expense of fixing these parts once the warranty had expired.In addition to the previous recall announced in June, Volkswagen Australia also called about 2800 diesel cars back to dealerships for inspection.The company says anyone experiencing faults with their Volkswagen to contact their local Volkswagen dealer.Volkswagen Australia has set up a dedicated customer service line to answer customer queries -- 1800 504 076. 

Volkswagen is issuing recalls and advisories for about 2.6 million vehicles world-wide, including about 43,700 in Australia, for a range of three defects. The Australian vehicles include more than 16,700 Tiguan SUVs recalled for a fault that means a fuse can blow, causing one of the two vehicle light circuits to fail. About 16,000 Volkswagen Amarok utes are being recalled because of fuel pipe leaks affecting the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine.The remaining 11,000 cars range across various models that have VW's twin-clutch automatic DSG gearbox, in which an electrical defect could occur if synthetic gearbox oil is used," Volkswagen says..A large proportion of the 2.6 million global recall is in China -- VW's largest market -- after a problem was found there in the same gearbox that triggered a recall earlier this year. The Chinese recall affects 750,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles that use the Chinesee-built DSG gearbox there.  Vehicles on the China recall list include the Volkswagen Golf, Beetle and Passat and several Audi models.It's the second recall this year on the DSG. In June more than 25,000 Australian cars were recalled for gearbox problems after pressure from disgruntled customers. Those vehicles included the Golf hatchback, Jetta sedan, Polo hatchback, Passat sedan and wagon and the Caddy van.Volkswagen said it is recalling 800,000 (2008-11) Tiguan SUVs and 239,000 Amaroks around the world, bringing the total number of cars affected in the three safety actions to 2.6 million.While the number of vehicles is large, analysts estimated the cost of the repairs could be relatively small. Still, the fresh problems that have surfaced with the gearbox might further dent Volkswagen's reputation in China and strain its relations with its local venture partner, SAIC.The gearbox only has problems in hot and humid climates, said Volkswagen spokesman Peter Heinz Thul. In warm climates, additives in the synthetic oil can damage the electronics. VW is proposing to replace the oil with a mineral oil that has been used previously without problems, Mr. Thul said.Volkswagen issued a recall in March in China for nearly 400,000 vehicles to fix an electronic malfunction on the same DQ200 gearbox. It said the problem was resolved with a software fix.VW officials told Chinese regulatory officials about the most recent problem earlier this week, Mr. Thul said. The automaker then agreed that a recall should be issued.Volkswagen Australia is yet to determine the impact on local models for this latest recall, but will "ensure these recalls are conducted promptly and efficiently", according to Managing Director John White, and relevant owners will be notified by mail.This latest recall follows the 25,928 Volkswagen vehicles recalled in June over similar issues with DSG transmissions manufacured between 2008-11, of which 40 per cent have been rectified to date and is expected to be completed next year.Volkswagen Australia says that this progress is in line with the timeframe anticipated, and that vehicles already attended to will not be affected by this new recall as their transmission fluid will have already been replaced.The company says concerned owners should contact their local Volkswagen dealer or can call a dedicated customer service number: 1800 504 076.

British supercar maker McLaren is riding a wave of big models, with the 12C and 12C Spider already out, the P1 just being launched -- and reportedly already sold out -- and the 3.8-litre V8-powered P13 sportscar in the works to face off against the Porsche 911.But now McLaren's design boss has suggested a hot hatch could be on the cards for the Woking line-up. Speaking with Dutch magazine Autovisie, head designer Frank Stephenson said he can invision something similar to the Volkswagen Golf."I see a car like the VW Golf for 30 to 40,000 EUR ($43,000-$58,000, however the Golf GTI sells here from $41,490), but for McLaren with a carbon fiber monocoque, to happen in the future," is reported as telling the magazine.And while he's designed the 12C and P1 for his current house -- and the F430 for Ferrari -- Stephenson's experience certainly doesn't stop at supercars. He also penned the BMW X5, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo Mi-To so a hot hatch could be a familiar drawing board snack for him.Stephenson also reportedly sledged Audi in the Autovise story, saying the German brand's design broth was spoilt by having too many chefs. "Groups are like a large oil tankers, it takes a lot of time to change the course. Too many people with different ideas that you have to convince, and designs that are toned too far," he said.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Volkswagen Australia says technical faults with some of its diesel engines and automatic cars are “completely unrelated” to the death of a Volkswagen Golf driver in Melbourne, whose car was struck from behind by a truck in February 2011. The car involved in that incident had a petrol engine and a manual transmission. Reports at the time said the car had slowed suddenly to 20km/h while in the fast lane. The truck driver reported not seeing any brake lights. Volkswagen Australia spokesman Karl Gehling told News Limited: “We’re disappointed some media have ignored the details of the case and chosen to link completely unrelated issues. The examples are not relevant.” Volkswagen Australia has told News Limited that some early model diesel cars are being called back to dealerships across Australia to have their engine’s injectors replaced to prevent the vehicles from slowing suddenly or shifting into “limp home mode”. The self-contained safety measure is common on most new cars with engines controlled by computer software, and are designed to prompt drivers to take their car to a dealership while not leaving them stranded. Three years ago Volkswagen Australia called back about 8000 “twin-charge” petrol engines fitted to the Golf because rough idling would prevent the car from driving off. But the engine in the car at the centre of the investigation -- a high performance Golf GTI -- does not have the type of petrol engine at the centre of the earlier recall. It was also equipped with a manual transmission. Overseas, Volkswagen has recalled almost 500,000 cars equipped with its unique “DSG” automatic gearbox because of quality concerns and uneven acceleration and delayed gear changes, rather than sudden deceleration. However the issues have been brought into the spotlight following a Coroner’s inquest this week into the death the Volkswagen Golf driver in Melbourne two years ago. The coroner is investigating what caused the crash and led to her death and will release the findings in July. Another Volkswagen Australia spokesman, Kurt McGuiness, told media earlier the company currently has no plans for any new recalls. “Volkswagen conducts vehicle recalls in conjunction with the relevant federal government bodies. At this time we do not plan to announce a recall,” he said. “Rapid deceleration is not an issue widely observed or reported with any Volkswagen vehicles. However, should any of our customers have cause for concern with their Volkswagen vehicle, we urge them to contact our customer care team.” This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling