Volkswagen may leave United States

[Polish_Kris]

Why the h— aren't they selling the Fox in NA? The Euro situation is a red herring, since most VW's sold in the US are built in Mexico.

They were thinking of bringing the Fox, which is designed, engineered, and built in Brazil up here to Canada, but they brought in the City Jetta and Golf, which wasn't a bad idea since they're selling really well up here in the white north.

Am I the only one COMPLETELY shocked by this???

I thought this was one of Fly's jokes!!!

I thought Ford and Mitsu would die LONG before VW!!!

Don't worry man, VeeDub will never die up here in Canada, people love them up here.

THEY NEVER ADVERTISE THE PASSAT VE!!!!!!!!

IF THEY DID, i suppose those with the loaded 40k passats would get POED.

Um, here on Canadian Television, they advertise how the Passat 1.8T outraces a 525i.

Personally, I'm not shocked, for the U.S. at least. When I drive down there, all I see are SUV's, full-size sedans, and pick-ups. Here on the other hand, if you take a trip to the igloos (hehe) you will find tons of Golfs, Jettas, and Rabbits. I think it's a good idea if VW left the U.S. so they can concentrate on the Canadian market, and bring in more exclusive cars like the Fox, Polos, and maybe introduce Skodas and Seats. Recently I heard that Citroen might come back to Canada.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I think it's a good idea if VW left the U.S. so they can concentrate on the Canadian market, and bring in more exclusive cars like the Fox, Polos, and maybe introduce Skodas and Seats. Recently I heard that Citroen might come back to Canada.

Yeah all 5 Canadian buyers in that market! As far as the French Citroen goes, all I can say is, I think you made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Edited July 20, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[pow]

The cars here are too nice for their respective segments. Perhaps VW should do what they do in developing markets, and adjust their line-up to suit local tastes.

Introducing Skoda models doesn't seem like a bad idea. In Salzburg I stayed in a hotel next to a Skoda dealer, and I found their line-up appropriate for the US. The Fabia would make a great Yaris/Fit competitor, the Roomster can target the xB, and the Octavia looks like the old Jetta, which everybody seems to like, yet it's cheaper than the new Golf/Jetta it's based on.

And apparently they're more reliable than normal VWs, too. Says Wikipedia...

"The German automobile TV show Auto Motor und Sport compared the Škoda Octavia with its cousin, the Volkswagen Golf Mark V and concluded that the Škoda Octavia was slightly better than the Volkswagen Golf owing to a little more interior space and other specific ergonomics, better build quality, better driveability and a lower price.

Along with other Škodas, the Czech-built Octavia has been a markedly reliable vehicle, more so than the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf with which it shares platforms. In 2006 Warranty Direct, a UK-based provider of mechanical warranties for used cars, rated Škoda the top manufacturer (above Mazda and Honda), while Audi came seventh from bottom. The Octavia specifically had a reliability index of 32.74 (lower being more reliable) while the Golf produced over the same period was 87.28 and the Audi A3 99.43."

Roomster

Fabia

Octavia

[sciguy_0504]

The current cars, besides the Rabbit, are all too feminine. The Jetta just screams "girl car." I think it's a nice car but I wouldn't want to have one. The past-gen Jetta, however, was great.

[LosAngeles]

Roomster

Fabia

Octavia

I can get with the Roomster and, to an extent, the Octavia (with a sporting top-line model). Fabia's a little Down's Syndrome lookin'.

I like the Superb, that could make waves here too.

For it to work, they'd have to be advertised as simply "European"....I don't think the perception-clouded average American can stomach knowing Skodas are Czech.

[Polish_Kris]

Yeah all 5 Canadian buyers in that market! As far as the French Citroen goes, all I can say is, I think you made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Ha............. ha............. another jokes about Canadians from a Yankee, but anyways, I've seen Citroens in real life, and actually they're pretty cool, I know they look bad on pictures.

The past-gen Jetta, however, was great.

Hence, why I like the City Jetta

[CARBIZ]

Canadians like their VWs until the warranty runs out....ever see a VW with TWO headlights on? Let me know if you do.

There are a lot of Citroens in Brazil and I liked them. Citroen and Peugeot are the BMW and Mercedes of Brazil. When I was in Florianopolis in January they were everywhere. Those vehicles might do well here, if priced right.

[carman21]

And Saturn steps up to take Euro-centric costumers from VW dealers. Add 200k in sales to Saturn.

[AxelTheRed]

Who cares? Let 'em leave, it'll at least loosen up the market giving the Big Three some room to breathe.

Besides, Volkswagon hasn't built anything in the United States for twenty years. Even Subaru had the common decency to build a factory and keep it open in this country.

[Sixty8panther]

Why not bring Skoda here.... esp. the diesels!!!

[JBsZ06]

I thought the UNPIMP YOUR AUTO commercials were awesome.

Even got me interested in the brand which I never thought of before so they must have done something right.

The GTI is an awesome vehicle.

All their vehicles should be built in the same vein.

I see no reason to offer anything less.

[AxelTheRed]

I thought the UNPIMP YOUR AUTO commercials were awesome.

Even got me interested in the brand which I never thought of before so they must have done something right.

The GTI is an awesome vehicle.

All their vehicles should be built in the same vein.

I see no reason to offer anything less.

Yeah, I liked those commercials too. They made me laugh, but didn't really make me want a VW.

[JBsZ06]

Yeah, I liked those commercials too. They made me laugh, but didn't really make me want a VW.

the commercials and the message they communicated got me to for the first time in my life go to a VW dealership and test drive the car and test out the new technology.

Although I didn't buy one I did make the trip to see what all the fuss was about.

Realize I'm not a target consumer of the GTI but I did go and look. I found a newfound respect for what VW was attempting to accomplish. As far as a hot hatch I was impressed.

I would have bought one as a daily driver if I wanted or needed one.

I thought it was more impressive than the mini cooper S I also test drove.

Both great little cars with the looks going to the Cooper S and the technology going to VW.

They done a good job now they just need a little more "cool" styling like the Mini Cooper S.

JMO

[LosAngeles]

Might wanna un-pin this article. The talk has died down.

In any event....

To comment on EOS talk I saw upthread, hardtop converrtibles disgust me in general. They're simply not very handsome.

And then there's this:

When I drive down [to the U.S.], all I see are SUV's, full-size sedans, and pick-ups.

Disgusting, isn't it?

Folks don't need the cars they usually buy. As many Americans only commute to and from work, plus drive three kids around at the most, they're easily all set with a compact or intermediate. Not many do big hauling or other contracting work to need pickups (especially since the housing market has killed big construction), and the $4 gas I keep mentioning in posts (already a reality in some parts of SoCal) should get these wannabe high rollers out of these damn SUVs.

This crummy economy in general means every manufacturer will struggle to sell new cars, but there should be a change of the culture around the corner as a result. Those of you alive back in the 70s may have some insight that could help us out now.

[CARBIZ]

The biggest difference between now and 1979 is that today Detroit actually has some interesting small cars that they can actually sell. With the Volt around the corner, Detroit is probably better prepared for the upcoming Oil Shock than it was 25 years ago.

I went from my '67 Dodge Polara to a '82 Dodge Rampage: 318 cu. inches to 2.2 litres. 3 spd torqueflight, to 4 spd stick. I survived. We will all survive. (Although I do sometimes cry myself to sleep lamenting the loss of the hardtop and those beautiful 'overhangs.')