Latest news with #VWGroup
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Scout Motors urges DOJ to fight state dealer franchise laws
The Republican Party may be the party of "states' rights," but Scout Motors hopes the current Republican presidential administration will eliminate the state franchise laws that impede its direct-sales strategy, according to an Automotive News report. Scout called on the federal government to do this in an 11-page letter submitted to the Justice Department's Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force by Blair Anderson, the automaker's vice president of government and regulatory affairs. The task force was created in March after president Donald Trump signed executive orders in January and February calling for removing "regulatory burdens placed on the American people." The letter used similar language, calling franchise laws "burdensome restrictions on competition." Car sales in the United States are currently regulated by a patchwork of state laws, some of which allow automakers to sell cars directly to customers. But many states still require franchised dealerships. There's been friction between those dealerships and automakers since Tesla unveiled its direct-sales model over a decade ago. Tesla fought a series of legal battles with franchised dealerships in individual states. Now Scout, which plans to build its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck in a new South Carolina factory starting in 2027, is facing similar struggles. A group of Volkswagen and Audi dealerships in Florida filed a lawsuit in February to block Scout's direct-sales plans, and the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) filed a similar lawsuit in April, Automotive News noted. In March, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) also sent a letter to Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume and other executives urging the company to let its members sell Scout vehicles. Scout revives the International Harvester Scout, one of the original SUVs, which the VW Group gained the rights to after its purchase of International's successor Navistar. The new Scout vehicles are rugged off-roaders, with body-on-frame construction, with all-electric or extended-range powertrains. They're also unlike anything in the current VW Group portfolio, and exactly the kinds of vehicles dealerships in truck-loving America are eager to sell. That's likely adding fuel to the fire over the VW Group's attempt to set up a new brand with direct sales, while keeping franchised dealerships for its other brands. In the letter, Anderson said that, as a new manufacturer, Scout shouldn't be forced to adopt the franchised dealership model "especially when the new manufacturer has not asked any dealerships to place any investment in distributing its vehicles, developed a more efficient alternative, and will not sell any vehicles also offered for sale by a franchised dealer." Dealerships don't seem to buy the logic that Scout's clean slate entitles it to a different sales model than its fellow VW Group brands. The question is whether the federal government will and whether, if it does, it actually has the authority to strike down state franchise laws. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Times
VW Tayron review: seven seats and 600 miles on a single tank
Volkswagen's latest sports utility vehicle has lots of good points — spacious, practical and less ugly than its rivals — but no one is talking about it, possibly because it has the least memorable name in motoring history. The Tayron follows the Taigun, Taos, Tiguan, T-Roc, T-Cross and Touareg — all two-syllable names beginning with T and all easily confused. The industry joke is that VW's next two models will the Taser and the Toenail. What's behind this naming strategy no one at the company's group HQ seems able to say, but the Tayron deserves better because it's a seven-seater SUV that can go for up to 600 miles between fill-ups on just a 55-litre tank, an impressive rate of up to 50mpg. Automotive technology has progressed in leaps and bounds, and no more so than in cutting fuel consumption of bigger cars. And the Tayron is big — a veritable warehouse on wheels. If you've ever faced the problem that the stuff you stow in your boot to take on holiday mysteriously swells in volume and won't fit when it's time to return, the Tayron may be the answer. Collapsing the second and third rows of seats gives you nearly two cubic metres of storage — enough for a couple of washing machines or a decent-sized wardrobe. Even with all the seats in place there's as much luggage room as in a Mercedes A-class. Short of buying a van, it's hard to think of a vehicle that offers more boot for your buck. For its size it's reasonably inexpensive too, starting at £40,130 for the 'Life' trim. But there's a catch: £40,000 is the threshold for the government's 'expensive car supplement', or luxury car tax, which means it will cost you an extra £425 a year in vehicle excise duty for five years. Yet the Tayron is hardly the epitome of mink-lined opulence. It's actually a rather practical and down-to-earth family bus that's cheaper than the £45,218 average price of a new petrol car. The eTSI version is powered by an ingenious combination of 1.5-litre combustion engine and an electric motor that gives extra oomph when you're accelerating, then, when you're slowing down, it charges the car's battery. The energy recovery system is linked to the car's electronic brain and knows when you're approaching a junction or entering a lower speed limit. As you lift your foot off the accelerator it reduces your speed at a controlled rate, turning the car's momentum into electricity. It's an odd sensation at first, as though there are phantom feet on the pedals, but you can override it at any time by putting your foot back on the throttle. • Ford Puma Gen E review — Britain's bestselling car goes electric And here's the rub. Pressured by governments into lowering fuel consumption, carmakers have been inventive in coming up with new hybrid engine designs such as this to eke out the miles. In doing so they've become victims of their own success. More miles per gallon equals less fuel duty for Treasury coffers. So governments are imposing new taxes such as the luxury car tax to plug the gap. For a jumbo SUV, the Tayron is remarkably easy to drive around town, relentlessly cushioning speed bumps and potholes. It's also good on motorways, where at cruising speed it's silent, boring even, thanks to acoustic insulation and double-glazed glass. The only time it gets noisy is when you mash your foot into the floor mat getting up to speed on a motorway slip road. Then the 1.5-litre engine struggles even with electrical assistance. The Tayron's bad points are mainly to do with the shonky infotainment system. VW has been criticised by its own customers for a 'driver interface' that is distracting when you're trying to adjust settings on the move. The company says it's taken the complaints on board but it's still a faff to perform basic tasks such as turning on air recirculation when you get stuck behind a lorry belching fumes. To make things worse, the touch controls on the display try to anticipate your command, so you go to jab the screen and it's changed before your finger has made contact. The international safety organisation NCAP is pressuring manufacturers to bring back buttons and switches to encourage drivers to keep their eyes on the road. • Porsche Cayenne review — a family hybrid with oomph Another annoyance is the cheesily named 'mood' settings that turn up the ambient lighting and music volume. You can toggle through Lounge, Joy and Me. VW's target customers — parents with big families — are likely to wonder who exactly these were designed for. A mood called Stressed might be more appropriate. Then there's the Tayron name. A few times while I was testing the car people wandered over at petrol stations to ask what I was driving. After chatting a while, they'd try to recall the name and never could. 'It's the T'ai chi? Tie pin?' So, the Tayron. A good car, solidly put together and a faithful load-lugger. If you're no fan of big SUVs you won't like it. If you're an exhausted parent you may find it just the job. Don't worry if you can't recall the name — no one else can.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Porsche reports electrified vehicle sales surge in H1 2025
VW Group owned Porsche has reported a rise in the share of electrified vehicles sold in the first half (H1) of 2025, with 36.1% of the 146,391 vehicles delivered globally being either fully electric or plug-in hybrids. The Macan model led this growth with a 15% increase in deliveries, followed by the Panamera with a 13% rise compared to the same period last year. Porsche delivered 45,137 Macan units in H1, with nearly 60% being the fully electric variant. The combustion-engined Macan continues to be available outside the European Union (EU), with 19,253 units delivered. North America remained Porsche's largest sales region, delivering 43,577 vehicles, a 10% increase compared to H1 2024. This was attributed to 'higher product availability' and price protection from increased import tariffs. The Overseas and Emerging Markets also saw a 10% increase, with 30,158 vehicles delivered. Europe (excluding Germany) and Germany saw decreases of 8% and 23%, respectively. These were said to be partly due to a 'strong prior-year period' with catch-up effects from 2023. Deliveries fell by 28% to 21,302 vehicles in China, attributed to 'challenging market conditions' and intense competition. The sports car, 911, saw a 9% decline in deliveries, while the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman models saw a 12% decrease, affected by limited availability of models due to EU cybersecurity regulations. The Taycan deliveries decreased by 6% to 8,302 units, and the Cayenne saw a 23% decrease to 41,873 units, partly due to 'catch-up effects' from the last year. Porsche Sales and Marketing board member Matthias Becker said: 'We expect the environment to remain challenging. This makes it all the more important that we work closely with our sales regions to carefully balance supply and demand in line with our 'value over volume' strategy. 'The basis for this is our highly attractive and almost completely renewed product range, which excellently covers the very diverse customer requirements worldwide in terms of powertrain and equipment.' In March 2025, the company announced its plans to decrease its workforce by nearly 3,900 positions to improve profitability. "Porsche reports electrified vehicle sales surge in H1 2025" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bentley eyes higher sales in India
VW Group luxury brand Bentley Motors has announced a strategic partnership with Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), located at E1, MIDC Industrial Area, Phase III, Chakan, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Bentley will be integrating into SAVWIPL which is described by Bentley as 'already a strong and established entity in India'. Effective from 1 July 2025, SAVWIPL will serve as the official importer of Bentley cars in India. The operations, including sales, marketing and aftersales will be conducted by Bentley India, an operational division within SAVWIPL – which will oversee the brand's India strategy and retail network. Bentley said that with the launch of Bentley India, a new division under SAVWIPL, the brand is entering 'an exciting new phase, sharpening its focus on the Indian market'. Leading the new phase for the luxury brand in India will be Abbey Thomas, who has been appointed as Brand Director, Bentley India. Bentley India is set to appoint three dealer partners across key cities, starting with Bengaluru and Mumbai, followed by New Delhi. Bentley said the new showrooms will 'offer India's ultra-high-net-worth customers Bentley's signature combination of performance, craftsmanship, and luxury'. 'India is one of the world's most dynamic economies, and the launch of Bentley India in the country reflects Bentley's focus on growth in a market where we already have a strong and growing high-net-worth customer base,' said Richard Leopold, Regional Director, EMEA at Bentley Motors 'We're grateful to the SAVWIPL team for bringing this partnership to life.' "Bentley eyes higher sales in India" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
North Wales Live
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- North Wales Live
Buyers told 'shop around' as car colour could quietly add £4,500 to cost
Car buyers have been warned that the colour of your vehicle could quietly add up to £4,500 onto the price you pay. Auto Express is urging buyers to take a closer look at paint pricing, which can significantly affect the final cost of a vehicle. While it's well known that high-end options such as upgraded audio systems or oversized alloy wheels can inflate the price, a less obvious – and often overlooked – cost is the paint colour itself. But analysis by Auto Express has found that for some mainstream models, buyers will be paying more than £700 over the base price just for choosing a colour that isn't white or red. 'People assume the colour of their car is a cosmetic decision – but in today's market, it can hit your wallet harder than you think,' said Paul Barker, Editor of Auto Express. 'We're seeing huge discrepancies in paint pricing between manufacturers, and they're not always obvious at first glance. It's catching people out – and can turn what should be a fun part of car buying into a bit of a nightmare.' Paint charges vary wildly between car makers, so if colour is a key consideration, Paul urges motorists to shop around. 'It's entirely likely that anyone shopping for a new Nissan Qashqai might also have a Skoda Karoq on their shortlist, for example,' said Paul, 'Unless you want your Qashqai in red, you'll need to budget another £745 above the list price to cover the paint, whereas you can have your Skoda in any one of five colours including a pearl finish and so-called Exclusive Meteor Grey completely free of charge. 'Even the optional bright red or orange finishes are only £410. So, if you're not having your Qashqai in red, the cost of this mid-size SUV has jumped up by at least £335 – and most likely more than £700 – versus the Skoda.' Premium brands take it even further. On a BMW X3, 26 paint options cost from £875 to over £4,500, while Audi only offers white as standard on the Q3, charging £575 for all other colours – or a £4,000 for a custom finish. Even within the VW Group, there's inconsistency: SEAT lets you pick any colour free on the Ateca, while VW's Tiguan includes eight out of nine colours at no cost – yet Audi holds firm on its charges. Paint pricing by model - what you'll really pay for colour Nissan Qashqai - free colour, red only. other colours: £745 extra Skoda Karoq - free colours, five options, including pearl-effect and exclusive meteor grey. optional bright finishes (e.g. red/orange): £410 Seat Ateca - all colours free of charge Volkswagen Tiguan - free colours, 8 out of 9 options, 'exclusive' paint option: £1,310 Audi Q3 - free colour, white only, standard colours: £575, custom finish: £4,000 BMW X3 - free colour, white only, optional colours: £875 to £4,585 Ford Kuga -free colour, white only, other colours: £800 Vauxhall Grandland - free colour, metallic black, other colours: £650 Maserati Granturismo Folgore (premium model example) - optional matte paint: up to £18,000 'Colour should be about personal taste, not personal financial pain,' Barker said. 'In many cases, the price of paint can be the difference between a deal and a disappointment. And if you're financing the car, those costs stick with you every month for years.' 'Don't get dazzled by a glossy showroom finish,' Barker added. 'It might look great under the lights, but it could be hiding a serious hit to your budget. Understand what you're paying for – and don't let colour choice cloud your judgement.'
