Volkswagen U.S. Boss Promises Experience Americans Want, Including Hot Golf R
By Bill Visnic December 9, 2010Jonathan Browning, the new president and CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America told a media group today the company is going to bend over backwards to do a better job of connecting with U.S. buyers between now and 2018, when the VW Group intends to become the world's largest automaker. And that includes offering more models with the emotion Americans aren't accustomed to from competitors, he said.
Volkswagen wants to triple U.S. sales by 2018, to 800,000 units annually. But Browning knows it won't be easy. "Now that we are no longer satisfied with being a marginal player, sometimes I think we are penalized for making changes simply because people like how things had been done in the past."
What was being done in the past hasn't meant prosperity for VW in the U.S. market, so Browning detailed a multipoint strategy to spice things up, including today's announcement that VW will be importing the high-performance Golf R to the U.S. - as a 2012 model - and has signed a unique deal with Fender Musical Instruments Corp., maker of famous Fender guitars, for a Fender Premium Audio System for certain 2012 VW models.
The Golf R is a 256-horsepower, all-wheel-drive variant of the Golf compact car that sits above even the well-known GTI performance model and already is available in Europe.
The new Fender Premium Audio System will be available first in the Jetta GLI this spring, then on the new, Chattanooga, TN-built midsize sedan VW will unveil at the Detroit auto show next month and the all-new Beetle coming in Fall 2012.
VW said the Fender-branded audio system uses proprietary Panasonic speaker technology.
New Efforts To Connect In The U.S.
Browning told the media group today the VW Group is "investing nearly $69 billion worldwide in the next five years to achieve its goals."
In the U.S., the company plans to grow by developing more-interesting vehicles that are more engaging to drive than the "boring" mainstream models of most competitors. The Jetta will lead the way, and the Golf "also has the opportunity to be a big, big player for us here," he added.
Browning also said he could "envision" the premium-priced Phaeton luxury sedan - discontinued for the U.S. in 2006 - and the small Polo and Up! subcompacts to enable VW to extend beyond the core Jetta/Golf family cars in the U.S. The company has said it is considering a return to the U.S. for the Phaeton around 2015, when the next-generation model is launched.
"Increasingly we will have the right products, at the right price, for anyone who wants to experience the advantages of superior German engineering and Volkswagen's commitment to quality, value, style and performance," Browning said.
He added that VW advantage going forward is its modular-construction strategy, which he said allows VW to quickly and efficiently add or change models according to changing consumer desires, while the modular components also give the company cost advantages.
Browing also said VW plans to communicate better with customers and offer hassle-reducing programs such as a new Xpress Service program to cut the time required for routine-maintenance visits.
Photos by Volkswagen
1. European-spec Golf R
2. VW-Fender Premium Audio System logo
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Click here to comment on this entry.Poor/bad VW quality and dealer service drove many people away from VW. Until VW becomes a quality leader it will be hard to win them back. Why risk 20-30K on promises when you can buy a vehicle from another mfg with proven quality.
It’s interesting that Browning speaks of ‘penalties’. How about these penalties?
• Forcing consumers to buy packages instead of a la carte options, i.e. 2011 GTI.
• Not making manual transmissions available in America despite overseas or in other models availability, for example:
o Passat CC 4Motion
o Tiguan 4Motion
o A3 Quattro
o A3 TDI
o A4 Avant
o S5 Cabriolet
o Q5
Levi's Edition AMC Gremlins, Mark Donahue Edition Javelins, Eddie Bauer Edition Ford trucks, Bill Blass Lincolns, All are examples of marketing strategies that tried to bring focus to their makes and added little to raising market share.
How about a "Soccer Mom Edition" VW Routan? It would have the nearest Mc Donald's to the soccer field (or dance studio, or karate school or whatever) pre-programmed into the GPS system. When you drive to within 1 mile of the Mc Donalds, it automatically places an order based upon the number of occupants measured by the seat belt sensors, and prepays for it using your VW Visa Card account. All you have to do then is drive in to the parking lot. The Mc Employee comes running out with your order.
The Golf R being imported to USA is only the manual transmission version because VW decided that a "racing experience" was desired in the USA. Really? DSG transmissions, which let drivers shift for themselves as well as having automated shifting in heavy traffic, have proven to be more adept at quick shifts and performance than any pure manual. Fine that they want to satisfy manual purists, but why not offer both transmissions here? Come on VW, stop treating your USA customers like simple minded people and offer real choice here !
Yeah product has not been VW's problem, it is the reliability perception and the dealer network. I think the reliabillity perception isn't really in-line with reality, VW's core products have offered above-average reliability for years now, but the dealer network is still the bugaboo.
finally they make an aesthetically pleasing Golf! hahaha. I know I would want to put some custom rims on it though. www.americanwheelandtire.com has the best selection, I would say.
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