VW faces fines as high as $18 billion, based on EPA accusations, for putting devices in 482,00 of its 4 cylinder diesel engines cars, sold between 2009 and this year. The models involved also include the some Audi cars with 4 cylinder engine. The cheating device apparently does not hurt safety, however.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety researchers who tested the 2016 Volkswagen GTI found the car got “good” ratings (the highest available) across the five safety features measured–front small overlap tests, moderate small overlap tests, side tests, roof strength, and head restraints & seats. The IIHS cited some of the reasons for the grades:
Side airbags: front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags
Rollover sensor: designed to deploy the side curtain airbags in the event of an impending rollover (beginning with 2016 models built after June 2015)
Electronic stability control
Antilock brakes
Daytime running lights
The 2016 Volkswagen GTI was also praised for having advanced equipment (which is an option on the car)
The IIHS Top Safety+ award is only one of a number the Golf family, which includes the GTI, won. The VW Golf family won the 2015 Motor Trend Car of the Year award It has also helped VW’s floundering U.S. sales, which fell 2.8% to 238,074 in the first eight months of the year. Over the same time period, GTI sales rose 42.5% to 14,992.
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VW may not sell may GTI models for the balance of this year, and probably next. The model is safe, however, for anyone who doesn’t worry about the emission recall.
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