VW News: Volkswagen Say No To Subcompacts In The US (For Now)

[William Maley]

With automakers building/bringing over subcompact cars to the US, one automaker is missing in the action. That automaker is Volkswagen which built it’s empire on small vehicles (Beetle and Golf). When asked if the company would bring over any subcompact vehicles, like the Polo or new UP!, Volkswagen said no.

Volkswagen cites the traditional argument of small cars having a small profit margin, especially when they have to be imported like the Polo and UP!

Futhermore, Volkswagen recently re-established a production facility in the US and plans to expand capacity in an effort to become a true volume player over here. Because of their plans, Volkswagen will be expanding their dealer network and supply chains, which means the timing to introduce a subcompact doesn’t make sense.

But that doesn’t mean Volkswagen will never introduce a subcompact model. Volkswagen product planner Rainer Michel said to Car & Driver that, if needed, VW “could bring the Polo here tomorrow.”

Source: Car & Driver

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[Drew Dowdell]

I don't believe for a second that "VW could bring the Polo here tomorrow" yet they haven't. VW has HUGE ambitions for their sales numbers and they won't leave a model on the shelf that would pass U.S. regs.