Volkswagen apologises for 'racist' advert showing a giant white hand flicking a black person away from a VW Golf and in to a shop called 'Little Colonist'

The car giant Volkswagen has apologised for a 'tasteless' advert that appeared on social media following an online backlash that slammed its 'racist' undertones.

The ten-second advert posted on Instagram and Twitter shows a giant white hand pushing a black man away from a new, yellow Volkswagen Golf parked on the street.

The hand then flicks him to an open doorway and pushes him inside a French cafe.

Social media users noted that as slogan 'Der Neue Golf' - 'The New Golf' - fades into view, the jumbled letters appear to spell out the N-word in German.

Other eagle-eyed users spotted that the cafe's name is Petit Colon, which in French literally translates as the 'Little Colonist.'

Volkswagen apologised for the video and said 'we can understand the outrage and anger.'

'Without question: the video is inappropriate and tasteless', adding that 'we will clarify how something like this could happen, and there will be consequences.'

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