July 2008 Sales: Volkswagen of America

[VenSeattle]

Volkswagen Reports July 2008 Sales

Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/

Link to Press Release

HERNDON, Va., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. today

announced July 2008 sales of 20,442 units, a 4.0 percent increase over the

July 2007 sales of 19,653 vehicles. On a year-to-date basis, 2008

Volkswagen sales are 1.1 percent ahead of 2007 sales through July.

"We're pleased with our July sales results," said Mark Barnes, COO,

Volkswagen of America, Inc. "For Volkswagen to be ahead of last year's

sales in this tough economy reflects the strength of our brand. Our new

products launching later this year are sure to give us even greater

momentum."

The GTI, the original pocket rocket, posted its best sales month since

March of 2006, with July sales of 1,619 units, up 31.4 percent over last

July. Volkswagen's innovative coupe-convertible-sunroof Eos continues to be

a summertime top-seller with sales of 1,363 units, up 14.6 percent over

last July.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stabilization

Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 model year vehicles. As

a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to

offer an electronic stabilization control system on its entire product line

- ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA)

deadline requiring stabilization systems in the 2012 model year vehicles.

Volkswagen's ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and

helps reduce loss of control, rollovers and other types of crashes. NHTSA

predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if all vehicles had

stabilization systems as standard equipment.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in

Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in

Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of

passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit,

New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon,

Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit

Volkswagen of America online at http://www.vw.com .

VW-US Snapshot                                 ------ YEAR-TO-DATE -------
                                                    July-08  July-07
                         July-08  July-07  Yr/Yr %    YTD      YTD    Yr/Yr %
                         Actual   Actual   change    Actual   Actual  change
    New Beetle - Coupe    1,514   1,417      6.8 %   9,747    9,466     3.0 %
          - Convertible   1,204   1,402    -14.1 %   8,052    8,531    -5.6 %
        Total New Beetle  2,718   2,819     -3.6 %  17,799   17,997    -1.1 %
    Jetta Sdn             8,906   8,057     10.5 %  55,019   58,030    -5.2 %
       SportWagen           339     -        0.0 %     614      -
             Total Jetta  9,245   8,057     14.7 %  55,633   58,030    -4.1 %
    Eos                   1,363   1,189     14.6 %   9,629    7,814    23.2 %
    Golf                    -       -        N/A       -         21  -100.0 %
    Rabbit                2,036   2,521    -19.2 %  13,831   14,679    -5.8 %
    GTI                   1,619   1,232     31.4 %   7,991    9,002   -11.2 %
    R32                     234      39    500.0 %   2,437       39  6148.7 %
        Total Golf/Rabbit
         /GTI/R32         3,889   3,792             24,259   23,741     2.2 %
    Passat Sdn            1,501   2,759    -45.6 %  17,680   18,105    -2.3 %
          Wgn               476     459      3.7 %   4,089    4,221    -3.1 %
            Total Passat  1,977   3,218    -38.6 %  21,769   22,326    -2.5 %

    Phaeton                 -       -        N/A       -         17  -100.0 %
    Touareg                 404     578    -30.1 %   4,308    4,608    -6.5 %
    Tiguan                  846     -        N/A     2,569      -       N/A
                  TOTAL  20,442  19,653      4.0 % 135,966  134,533     1.1 %




SOURCE Volkswagen of America, Inc.

[regfootball]

OMG the passat got killed.

Jetta does well because the SE is priced right and recently they have had the wolfsburgs, good package great price.

[pow]

OMG the passat got killed.

Jetta does well because the SE is priced right and recently they have had the wolfsburgs, good package great price.

Passat is too expensive for its class. Its US replacment will be engineered and designed by VW-SAIC, and it will be cheaper and larger than the current version. China's taste for midsize sedans is similar to the US's - they sell the US Honda Accord there, for example, not the European Accord (TSX).

[Guest aatbloke]

Discounting turbodiesels, Volkswagen have no engine more economical than the 2.0 turbo used in the Golf GTi in the US market. It seriously needs more economical versions of its C-segment cars, and it is missing out by not importing the Polo to take on B-segment rivals Yaris, Versa/Tiida, Fit/Jazz and Scion xD/Ist in that market.

[regfootball]

Passat is too expensive for its class. Its US replacment will be engineered and designed by VW-SAIC, and it will be cheaper and larger than the current version. China's taste for midsize sedans is similar to the US's - they sell the US Honda Accord there, for example, not the European Accord (TSX).

i dont think the base passats are too spendy, but put an automatic and a few options on it, and yeah its too pricey.