BTDUBS
The Interceptor
- Location
- San Jose CA
- Car(s)
- Fiat 500 Abarth
What is going to happen is VW is going to reintroduce the nicer interior in the next gen as that's where the market is heading. I am not worried.
I get that we are mad about the way VW is going about this, but I don't think it is wrong if they want to sell more cars here. They are a huge auto maker that didn't sell many vicars here because they were too expensive compared to their Japanese, American, and Korean rivals. VW will never shy away from its fan base and only pander to the typical American driver, hence why we get the Golf and GTI still. Those cars were "decontented" because they were WAY too expensive to produce and sell and this hurt sales in Europe especially and VW really made almost nothing on the MKVs they sold here. VW is only reacting to market forces which dictate that the cars that they sell need to be cheaper to produce (GOLF/GTI and Jetta) and cheaper to sell (Jetta). I get that the MKV came with more standard kit, and I thought that it made a good deal, but I still think that the MKVI is a good deal too, just not as sweet. To think that they should only pander to us enthusiasts is just narcissistic as VW is allowed to go and make money.
VW has announced that the MK7 Golf's & GTI's for the North American market will be built at the Puebla, Mexico facility to reduce the starting price point and increase profitability
I didn't say anything about the platform being DIFFERENT for the US. I read a blurb in a blog that it was going to be BUILT in Mexico. The Puebla plant was set up for MQB manufacturing before the US plant was even finished. The Chattanooga plant can produce 5 different models simultaneously but demand isn't even close to that need yet. Believe what you want. VW is in a race to the bottom to compete with Toyota as the #1 car maker and as a result is willing to dilute the brand to achieve that goal. They're going to build BIG, bland, boring cars for BIG bland and boring Americans. You want performance? They'll tell you to buy an Audi
Ignoring enthusiasts make no sense as we are free advertising with our cars. They will still make models that cater to us.
That said, are we really the market VW cares about? The Passat, Toureg, and Jetta are their bread and butter. It seems to me VW's goal is to get as many of those cars on the road as possible to take on Toyota as Jimi pointed out, at any cost. They aren't making a huge profit on our cars, and the enthusiast market is the opposite of where they are aiming their sites. This new direction could really suck for those of us who have stuck with VW over the last decade.
GLI's are NOT available with HID's. VW has announced that the MK7 Golf's & GTI's for the North American market will be built at the Puebla, Mexico facility to reduce the starting price point and increase profitability