Volkswagen Group executives axed: Hatz, Hackenberg, Neusser to leave – report

The story published overnight in Der Spiegel claims that it's not just the Volkswagen brand itself that is going to be hit by the crisis, and that other Volkswagen Group brands will feel the brunt. The Volkswagen Group consists of nine passenger car brands: Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Seat, Skoda, Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley, Audi; as well as Ducati motorcycles, and Man and Scania trucks.

The report suggests that the men in charge of powertrains for at least some of those abovementioned brands have been implicated in the debacle.

It is claimed that Porsche research and development boss Wolfgang Hatz, Audi research and development boss Ulrich Hackenberg, and Volkswagen powertrain and development boss Heinz-Jakob Neusser will all be forced out of the company. Also reported to be on the chopping block is Michael Horn, Volkswagen's US president and the man who said the company "totally screwed up".

Neusser was the man who told CarAdvice at the 2015 Frankfurt motor show that the Group's diesel engines are "perfect".

The head of the Volkswagen Group, Martin Winterkorn, was the first to fall on the figurative sword, though overnight reports have emerged that he will receive a pension to the amount of €28.6 million ($45.6 million).

The message appears to be clear from the company in the wake of the so-called #dieselgate scandal, which has seen 11 million cars affected by an emissions 'cheat' that can offer false readings if the car detects it is undergoing a formal emissions test.

It remains unclear how many cars are affected in Australia, though Fairfax Media reports that just under 43,000 vehicles locally will be involved in any action that the brand may conduct.

Those cars include, according to the report, more than 21,000 Volkswagen Golfs, nearly 14,000 Volkswagen Passats, approximately 4700 Volkswagen Jettas, nearly 2000 Volkswagen Passat CC models, and 1250 Audi A3s.

The report is yet to be confirmed by Volkswagen Australia.