The true dimensions of the crisis surrounding Volkswagen AG no longer seem clear.
When the emissions scandal erupted Sept. 18, it was thought to affect one type of pollutant in one type of engine, and mostly just one of the group's eight car brands.
But VW's troubles have spread rapidly since to multiple fronts. Fresh EPA charges of emissions-rigging in the U.S. tarnished the vaunted Porsche brand and cast a larger shadow on Audi, which had largely escaped infamy. VW's own investigation has found inaccurate emissions ratings assigned to some 800,000 cars, not all of them diesels.
Analysts now expect more painful revelations to come as internal and external investigations escalate. And in the absence of clear clues about a fix, a compensation plan or the progress of VW's investigation, they've begun to question whether VW's revamped executive team has enough of a handle on the spiraling crisis.
"It's a like a virus that's spreading," said Dave Sullivan, an analyst with AutoPacific. "With every new bit of information that's uncovered, it digs the knife in a little deeper and produces more doubt and skepticism that they have an understanding of how deep this crisis is."