It’s the shebang that launched a thousand consequences, like a multi-billion dollar fine in the US, heads rolling in the German giant and a huge recall on 11 million cars worldwide.
Since the news broke out six days ago, the social media are having a blast shredding VW to pieces – even if some of them confuse NOx emissions, which were the actual issue with the 2.0-liter TDI engine, and CO2, which is totally unrelated.
Competitors can’t be too complacent, for they are now under scrutiny in case they have employed the same tactics. They are innocent until proven otherwise, of course but VW, for its part, will have to endure the pain of its “clean” TDI technology campaign backfiring big time.
This summer’s Volkfest clearance event, where 2015 MY cars were been discounted to make way for the 2016 MY ones is, in, hindsight, such an example.
Watching technicians in white robes brandishing the VW logo wave the brand’s whole range goodbye; advertising is, occasionally, not without a sense of irony…