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Posts Tagged ‘Volkswagen’
Volkswagen has ambitious plans to directly challenge Toyota — and a cornerstone of the plan for global expansion is to boost sales in the U.S. by building products with more American flavor.
The plan calls for the company to grow from 6.2 million sales worldwide in 2008 to 10 million cars by 2018, with American sales climbing to 800,000 cars a year.
To accomplish this, VW hopes to expand the appeal of products outside its current base of European car enthusiasts, attracting more of the shoppers who reflexively buy Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords today.
This means making cars that are bigger, but less expensive than today’s models, and expanding the model line into additional segments, such as seven-passenger crossover SUVs, where the company does not participate today, said Stephan Jacoby, president of Volkswagen Group of America.
“We believe that the brand has a fantastic foundation to grow into segments where we are not present right now and where we are not competitive right now,” he said.
VW said it will be building more of its models in the NAFTA trade zone, with an emphasis on U.S. production, he said. The company plans on assembling the cars in its new Chattanooga, Tenn. plant beginning in 2011. It also plans on building 85 percent of the vehicles in North American.
“We want to have U.S. suppliers, we want to be local here, we want to be good citizens, and we want to understand the market better than we do today,” said Jacoby.
This means that the company’s suppliers can be located close by the assembly plants, cutting transportation costs, simplifying logistics and insulating Volkswagen from currency fluctuations. “That is the key to offering a VW at a price that is competitive against mainstream American and Asian competitors,” Jacoby observed.
The company has already announced plans to build a mid-sized family sedan in the Chattanooga plant and to build a larger compact replacement for today’s Jetta model. The unnamed mid-size car will sell alongside the Passat, which will continue to be imported for those buyers who want their German engineering straight up, not diluted with the extra elbow room and Americanized amenities of the new models.
Today’s Volkswagens have unorthodox design features on sunroofs and seat recliners — differences which appeal to the sense of individualism in VW’s core enthusiasts but which result in lower J.D. Power quality score from newcomers to the brand who are confused by their operation.
VW’s adopt to the industry-standard approach to such controls for new mainstream models, said Jacoby. But he adamantly insists that such future models will nonetheless retain their Teutonic feel. “The new cars will be tailor-made for this market, while still being Volkswagens in their essence,” he declared.
Some observers are skeptical that it is possible to attract new customers by making Volkswagens more like Toyotas without losing the characteristics that appeal to current customers. “Lowering the costs will certainly make them more attractive, but at what cost to current VW fans?” asked Jon Linkov, managing editor for autos at Consumer Reports. “Making a Jetta more Camry/Accord like will certainly not make the repeat VW buyer happy, I feel, and I don’t know if they will be able to cover those losses and bring in more people.”
Volkswagen seems determined to rip a page from Honda’s playbook, unabashedly describing its plans to simplify its option lists into “Honda-like” trim levels with no factory-installed options, as well as adding new models such as the crossover three-row SUV described with the shorthand label, “Honda Pilot fighter.”
The company will also exploit its legendary image among small car buyers to join the minicar segment, with a larger, Americanized version of the next generation edition of the popular Polo minicar currently sold in Europe.
The company also plans to remain in the minivan market, where customers are largely unaware, or unconcerned, that the company sources its “German engineered” minivan from Chrysler LLC. While the minivan market has collapsed to half its previous sales level, minivan customers rate highly in loyalty and they are sufficiently pleased with the Routan for the van to rank second in the latest J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey.
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In the ongoing battle between hybrids and diesels for “payback time” supremacy, the latest round goes to the oil burning posse. That’s the report from Edmunds, which did a recent numbers crunch comparing the two fuel-saving drivetrains and found the scales have tipped in favor of diesel powerplants.
According to the study, the average new vehicle price premium for a hybrid-electric is a whopping $4,981 (the Lexus LS 600h L takes the outlier cherry with a $15,969 premium over its gasoline counterpart). On the other hand, the average diesel premium is only about $2,360 (both figures were calculated after incentives and credits). Last year’s high fuel prices have also come down considerably to the point where gasoline and diesel fuel are about the same price. This hurts the hybrid-electric powertrain, which takes advantage of high fuel costs by squeezing more miles out of each dollar’s worth of gas for quicker payback.
Edmunds also did a payback comparison between the 2010 Toyota Prius and the all-new 2010 Honda Insight. While the Prius is undeniably clobbering Insight in the sales battle, the website says it will take a sobering 26.2 years of driving to recover the Toyota’s $4,030 cost premium.
9219 Harford Road Baltimore, MD 21234
1.888.774.1766
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Did you know temperature change can affect tire pressure? A 10-degree difference in temperature can change tire pressure by approximately one pound! Also, when your tires are properly inflated to the specifications listed on the sticker, it helps increase fuel economy and tread life.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System helps maintain optimal safety, performance and fuel economy because it continuously monitors tire pressure and alerts you when it’s too low.
There’s a handy sticker in your door jamb that displays the correct tire pressure-always inflate your tires to those specifications. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System is calibrated to measure that tire pressure on the sticker as the tire pressure.
So, when you see this symbol, or see the text “Tire Pressure Too Low” on your Multi-Function Display, inflate the low tire to the specified pressure as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to check your tire pressure regularly.
On cool mornings, the light may appear at first and then disappear as you drive and the tire gets warmer. That is why you inflate to what the sticker says. Volkswagen engineers have calibrated the one, best pressure for your tires. Trust the Tire Pressure Monitoring System-it will not let your tires down.
Contact your local MileOne Heritage Volkswagen dealer for more information in Parkville or Owings Mills.
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The Tire Pressure Monitoring System helps maintain optimal safety, performance and fuel economy because it continuously monitors tire pressure and alerts you when it’s too low.
There’s a handy sticker in your door jamb (1) that displays the correct tire pressure-always inflate your tires to those specifications. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System is calibrated to measure that tire pressure on the sticker as THE tire pressure.
So, when you see this symbol (2), or see the text “Tire Pressure Too Low” on your Multi-Function Display, inflate the low tire to THE specified pressure as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to check your tire pressure regularly.
On cool mornings, the light may appear at first and then disappear as you drive and the tire gets warmer. That is why you inflate to what the sticker says. Volkswagen engineers have calibrated the one, best pressure for your tires. Trust the Tire Pressure Monitoring System-it will not let your tires down.
Did you know temperature change can affect tire pressure? A 10-degree difference in temperature can change tire pressure by approximately one pound! Also, when your tires are properly inflated to the specifications listed on the sticker, it helps increase fuel economy and tread life.
If you would like to have your Volkswagen Tire Pressure checked out by a professional, visit either one of our Baltimore Maryland area Volkswagen Dealers:
9219 Harford Road Baltimore, MD 21234
1.888.774.1766
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The Mk VI GTI, like its Golf/Rabbit cousin, should be a welcome evolution.
Though we were intrigued by news of a sixth-generation Golf, as enthusiasts and devotees of the current GTI we wondered when the next hot hatch would arrive. It turns out the 2008 Paris motor show will grant us our first official look at the 2009 Volkswagen GTI – though VW managed to slip some information out in advance.
Photo Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen GTI – Next-Generation GTI, 2008 Paris Motor Show Coverage – Automobile Magazine
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From A(driatic) to B(altic) in three days: a 2250-mile journey through the former East Bloc in a Volkswagen Tiguan.
Trieste, Italy, Sunday evening.
Photo Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan – Road Trip in the New 2009 VW Tiguan Crossover SUV – Automobile Magazine
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We were just getting used to the Golf V (or Rabbit as it’s now called here) when VW announced its replacement.
Golf V, we hardly knew ye. After only five years (two in the U.S.), the fifth-generation hatchback departs, leaving us with this: the 2010 Volkswagen Golf, which we’ll continue to see badged as a Rabbit.
Photo Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit – Volkswagen Hatchback – Automobile Magazine
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Will Porsche object? Or will it join with a reincarnation of the 356?
At the Los Angeles auto show in November, Volkswagen will unwrap a new mid-engine sports car concept. This marks the third iteration of a theme that started in 2003 with the Concept R and continued in 2005 with the EcoRacer.
Photo Gallery: VW, Audi Mull Low-Cost, Mid-Engine Sports Cars – 2008 LA Auto Show, VW Affordable Mid Engine Sports Car Concepts – Automobile Magazine
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You can toss it into turns at sporting speeds, and come out the other end with a roar.
I only drove the Rabbit briefly, but my overwhelming impression is that it oozes quality and refinement for an $18,000 car. There is nothing about it that feels cheap, from the nicely damped exterior door handles to the typically well-crafted VW interior, with its great seats, to the smooth and refined 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. There’s nice steering feel and a supple ride, and I didn’t even mind that the inline-five, which at 170 hp provides plenty of power, was hooked to an automatic transmission, since it’s a six-speed unit that’s well mated to the engine. If it were me, though, I’d opt for the five-speed manual and use the thousand-dollar savings toward a four-door Rabbit, which has a base price of $17,485. Still, if you’re looking to get into a high-quality small car, the two-door Rabbit with a five-speed manual, starting at $15,490, is a very attractive proposition. And heated seats are only a $225 option!
Photo Gallery: 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit S – Volkswagen Golf Sport Hatchback Review – Automobile Magazine
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A legendary name returns on an exciting new coupe.
Nearly thirty-four years after the debut of the original, a brand-new Volkswagen Scirocco is set to revive the slumbering compact coupe segment. The project was initiated by former brand chief Wolfgang Bernhard, who was so good at cutting costs that the Scirocco isn’t significantly more expensive than the corresponding Golf/Rabbit. In fact, in Europe, the top-of-the-line Scirocco costs about the same as the two-door GTI and uses its 200-hp turbocharged engine.
Photo Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco – Volkswagen Compact Coupe Review – Automobile Magazine