Volkswagen's U.S. boss wants Scirocco in the States

[cawimmer430]

Volkswagen's failure to offer a B-segment car in North America is indicative of their overall incompetence in regards to their North American strategy.  It's ironic that the company which virtually invented the small car niche in America can't get it's shit together and offer us a contender in this increasingly important market segment.

Before they can offer a decent small car in the US, they need to figure out how to stuff a 4393409309034049030394-hp V8 into a Polo-sized FWD car! Remember, dear Madman, that merging unto a highway, 1/4 mile drag strips visits etc. require a minimum of the aforementioned horsepower! 

[93JC]

More importantly they needed to figure out what to do with the Passat. It looks like they've solved that.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Brazilian VW Gol was sold here instead of the Polo.

[Vinsanity]

Before they can offer a decent small car in the US, they need to figure out how to stuff a 4393409309034049030394-hp V8 into a Polo-sized FWD car! Remember, dear Madman, that merging unto a highway, 1/4 mile drag strips visits etc. require a minimum of the aforementioned horsepower! 

that's it, I'm seriously putting you on the ignore list now

[ifcar]

More importantly they needed to figure out what to do with the Passat. It looks like they've solved that.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Brazilian VW Gol was sold here instead of the Polo.

The Fox reborn!

[93JC]

Precisely.

[2o6]

However at the same time, the segment is moving more and more upward. If VW gave us the Gol, it'd have to be cheap.

[93JC]

A top-of-the-line Gol GT is sold in Mexico for around 180,000 pesos, which is only about $15,000. They start around 130,000, less than $11,000.

[the Teuton]

The Gol probably doesn't have all of the nannies like ABS and ESC that people demand here.

Why do you think Ford sold the Mondeo in Mexico for such a long time? They took out structural pieces in the doors and airbags not mandated by the government (since our tests are tougher) to get the car to a good price point.

[ifcar]

The Gol probably doesn't have all of the nannies like ABS and ESC that people demand here.

But you can get one with DUAL front airbags! Optional on all but the base model.

http://mx.volkswagen.com/vwcms/master_public/virtualmaster/es_mx/models/Gol2/Gol_Sedan/ficha.variants-0_1_2_3.html

[Atomic]

by the time it arrives (if it does), it will have lost its mojo.

[L. ed foote]

More importantly they needed to figure out what to do with the Passat. It looks like they've solved that.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Brazilian VW Gol was sold here instead of the Polo.

I saw a few Gol Turbos when I was in Peru; they're pretty sweet.

[Galaxy]

I'm having trouble figuring out comparable engines/equipment, but the Scirocco is at east much less expensive in Germany than the GTI.

The Scirocco with the GTI's engine is around ?400 more expensive. Of course unlike the GTI the Scirocco can be had with other engines, starting at 122hp.

The reason that the Scirocco R is less expensive then the Golf R is due to the Golf R being AWD. Scirocco R has to make do with FWD.

[Galaxy]

The Fox reborn!

The Fox name was reborn a few years ago...





...however it will be replaced in the fall by this:

[sportyaccordy]

This car could bring me back to VW.  I think a lot of VW loyalists who feel betrayed as I do would feel the same way. 

It's a nice car. I'd get one over a GTI.

VW does need to get its head out of its ass and bring over the Polo. What a mess of a company. 10 years ago they wanted to go luxury. They got people going with that BS, now they want to go volume. But they don't even have competing models in all the mainstream categories. Something tells me w/o Porsche and Audi they would have went under long ago.

[the Teuton]

It's a nice car. I'd get one over a GTI.

VW does need to get its head out of its ass and bring over the Polo. What a mess of a company. 10 years ago they wanted to go luxury. They got people going with that BS, now they want to go volume. But they don't even have competing models in all the mainstream categories. Something tells me w/o Porsche and Audi they would have went under long ago.

In the US, perhaps. In Europe, they're right where they need to be.

[L. ed foote]

The Fox name was reborn a few years ago...

Also had a nifty little offroad version

[2o6]

Too bad it's FWD, though. I think with a mild AWD system, (even if it's a super FWD biased reactive system) would have been awesome.

[Laconian]

...however it will be replaced in the fall by this:

Oh noes, the "open mouth full of bread" look has spread from Peugeots to Volkswagens! Gahhh!

But the rest of the car certainly looks sharp. I wonder how the rear seat accommodations are in that car.

[SVT666]

Also had a nifty little offroad version

An off-road model with 4" of ground clearance?

[Tave]

An off-road model with 4" of ground clearance?

It made quick work of all those cobblestones.

me gusta

[omicron]

Bumpe.

Scirocco is coming to Australia -- it's official. In the face of strong demand for high-spec Golf models, the way is now clear for the three-door sports coupe to be sold in Australia.

Currently Volkswagen Golf R buyers face a wait till year's end to take delivery. For a Polo GTI, it's February or March. Buyers in search of the volume Golf GTI -- it accounts for about 25 per cent of local sales -- are better off with a wait of just a couple of weeks. But with the Aussie dollar and demand for hot VW models flexing their muscles in equal measure, the company has decided it's time to add the Scirocco to the mix.

VW Oz managing director Anke Koeckler confirmed the Scirocco's 'for-Australia' status at last week's Melbourne launch of the new Passat. The coupe will make its local debut on a stand at the Australian International motor show in Melbourne mid-year before arriving in showrooms early next year.

Koeckler said from early 2012, the company will offer Scirocco -- rationalising its arrival by discontinuing the three-door Golf R and replacing it with just one Scirocco variant, the top-spec R. This is omething Koeckler had previously said the importer didn't want to do.

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2011/small-passenger/volkswagen/volkswagen-confirms-scirocco-for-australia-24605



Five-door Golf and three-door Rock. Sounds good to me.

[AltinD]

I have a Love/Hate relationship with the Rocco design