Diesel

The folks Down Under are partial to a pickup, and Ford would argue the range-topping Ranger Wildtrak is the best pickup you can buy. With a luxurious interior, plenty of off-road gear and a ruggedly handsome face, it certainly looks good on paper. But does it deliver in the real world?

Recent setbacks haven't stopped Volkswagen from improving its impressive lineup. Having treated the Golf to a tech injection, it has overhauled the Polo. It might serve as an entry point to the VW range, but the Polo packs a range of features passed down from its big brothers.

GM has come under fire for allegedly installing defeat devices on over 700,000 vehicles with Duramax engines. A class action lawsuit argues GM and Bosch knowingly sold cars tuned to emit illegal amounts of nitrogen oxide when outside the test environment.

"Dieselgate" might be winding up for VW, but investigations into diesel emissions cheating are just getting started elsewhere. Following news Daimler is being investigated in Germany, the US DOJ has filed a civil suit against Fiat Chrysler for failing to correctly disclose emissions control devices.

After a year-long investigation, researchers have revealed the code used by Volkswagen to cheat diesel emissions tests. The announcement coincides with preliminary investigations by the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office​ into alleged "fraud and criminal advertising" in diesel cars at Mercedes.

My job is a good one: I get to drive lots of exciting cars and many inspire great affection. But in all honesty, no test car has ever truly made me fall deeply, madly in love. Until now. I love the Kia Sportage GT Line Diesel.​

Skoda has been slowly driving more upmarket from its entry-level roots and expanded the number of models on offer. Joining the lineup is the Karoq compact SUV, which is built on the same underpinnings as the VW Tiguan and which Skoda is hoping will succeed where the oddball Yeti failed.

​​The undisclosed emissions spewing from Volkswagen vehicles may be more of a rule than an exception, with a comprehensive new study published this week finding that real-world emissions from diesel vehicles has been underestimated by as much as 50 percent.

Having built more than a million 911s, Porsche has a look that's instantly recognisable on the road. But how do those lines translate to the high seas? Monaco-based Dynamiq has integrated classic Porsche design cues into its new GTT yacht range, starting with the 35-m (115-ft) GTT 115 Hybrid.

When you're thinking of tow cars, Porsche probably isn't a name that immediately springs to mind. That could change, because a diesel Cayenne has just broken the Guinness World Record for Heaviest aircraft pull by a production car.

BMW has announced the new M550d xDrive. With four turbochargers boosting its six-cylinder engine, the flagship of the 5 Series range is the most powerful production six-cylinder diesel car ever built.

​Having now reached the deepest parts of the ocean, the plastic pollution problem is calling for some creative solutions. An organic chemist and a sailor are trying to make plastic waste worth collecting, by turning it into a usable diesel fuel through a semi-portable reactor.