German automaker Volkswagen has officially launched the 2016 Passat full-size sedan during an auto event in New York City last month.
Except for technology and styling tweaks, the so-called mid-cycle refresh of the Passat offered no major dramatic improvements on the full-size sedan. The addition of a new variant, particularly the R-Line trim, only shows that Volkswagen wants to add a sporty dimension into its otherwise bland sedan to be able to compete with the other carmakers, details C/Net.
Accordingly, the 2016 Volkswagen Passat will come in three engine variants – a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine, a 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injected gasoline engine, and a 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine.
While the two gasoline engine variants will have no problem rolling out to the US market anytime soon, it looks like the diesel engine model will have a rough sailing ahead and will not be made available to American consumers anytime soon.
Battery of tests
Before Volkswagen of America can begin selling the 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine variant of the 2016 Passat and all its other new car models with diesel engines, it has to agree to the battery of tests to be carried out by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its vehicles to ensure that they comply with American emission laws, notes Auto News.
The US EPA is all eyes on Volkswagen’s TDI diesel engines because the previous Passat model featuring the same engine was implicated in Volkswagen’s recent emissions scandal. The regulating agency surely does not want a repeat of such incident.
Volkswagen has claimed that it has already addressed the issue with its so-called emissions control software fix but the proof can actually be gauged on how well the TDI diesel engines will fare when they are subjected to the battery of tests set by PDA.
In a recent interview, Chris Grundler, Director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality that oversees auto emission regulations, said that the process to certify Volkswagen’s 2016 model vehicles powered by 2.0-liter diesel engines will take several months to complete.
Grundler added that the agency will test the Volkswagen 2016 car models with diesel engines thoroughly and in different ways to ensure that they meet the EPA standards.
However, in order for the process to begin and the countdown to the market rollout starts, the German automaker needs to submit a new application to the EPA for certification in meeting clean air benchmarks for the 2016 models of its vehicles including the Passat, the Golf, the Beetle, and the Jetta, which all have diesel engine variants.
For some reasons, Volkswagen has withdrawn its application this week to have its vehicles sporting diesel engines certified by EPA. It is possible that the German carmaker has come up with a good fix and wants to test it first on its own before deciding to re-submit its application for certification with the EPA.
Should the company decides not to submit a new application, the implication is that it would not be able to sell its diesel engine car models in the US.
A major blow
It is likely that Volkswagen would officially roll out the 2016 Passat to the US market with the two gasoline engine variants very soon, with the diesel engine variants following several months down the road.
The delay is certainly another major setback for Volkswagen and its estimated 650 dealers in the US, many of whom are struggling with profitability and certainly need a fresh infusion to perk up their sales. Diesel engine-powered Volkswagen vehicles account for about 20% of the carmaker’s sales in the US this year.
According to Grundler, the carmaker has to explain the function and purpose of a previously-undisclosed software feature in its 2016 diesel models’ emission controls, which is different from the defeat device software at the center of Volkswagen’s emission violations recently.
He added that they are not actually sure if it was a defeat device, but they would certainly like to get answers from Volkswagen about it.