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Sales never really took off.
In the U.S., VW deliveries rose 16 percent from a year earlier to about 93,000 units. The company's U.S. market share actually slipped a tad to 3.0 percent from 3.1 percent a year earlier, as other car companies like Ford and General Motors also showed major American sales gains during the quarter."
VW Triples Profits on China, Audi Demand (AutoObserver)
"Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, who helped recruit the automaker, said the success of vehicles built at other assembly plants that have opened in the South shows there is no reason to doubt that Volkswagen's Passat will be a winner.
"We went through all the jokes when Mercedes started their plant" decades ago in Alabama, Littlefield said. "All the jokes about whether Southerners can build cars. We can and not just NASCARs and hot rods."
VW ready to start rolling new Passat off TN line (Yahoo)
I think all including new jetta are made in mexico.
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The difference maker in 2005 and older Jetta Wagons was country of origin. Golfs and Jetta wagons were both built on the same assembly line in Germany. The Jetta Sedans were built in Mexico. Now, all the Jettas, wagon or sedan, are built in the Mexico plants (since 2006...note, no wagons were built from 06-08).
Another thing worth knowing is that the Mexico plant has benefited from expensive upgrades in automation and assembly line efficiencies. VW wants lower costs/prices and the easiest way to do that was to reduce the amount of time it takes to complete the build of a new Jetta - the new rear suspension was one of those extreme cost-savings decisions that was made.
I am also optimistic that the new automation (upgrades initiated in 07/08) mean better build quality and reliability/safety. I just purchased a 2008 Jetta GLI in hopes that it will benefit from those improvements and be more reliable than street wisdom would have you believe.
All that said, the current Golf is still German built (as is the current Passat for now) and if that CoOrigin matters to you, you can make a choice.
2012 Volkswagen Passat First Drive (Inside Line)
Another shot in front of the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga:
Shot of the TN plant:
If they can build a CUV with a 4 cylinder diesel to compete against the Ford Escape hybrid, they should have a winner.
If a worker quits, I'm sure plenty of others will apply for her job.
Older article, but it says $12.66 will be the starting VW wage vs $14 that new UAW workers get under their 2007 contract.
Chattanooga: VW plant could push up local wages (timesfreepress.com)
Newer article says the numbers now are $12.50 for VW and $14.50 for new UAW hires.
GM and Ford still have double the wage/benefit costs because of legacy workers though.
And that's really what you're looking for in your new Passat. ;-)
The decontent-supersize-and-price-cut plan isn't going to work for VW in helping it achieve its goal of pumping up American market share. It's just going to make it clear why other makes are so much better deals, because VW still can't undercut the prices of the others and now they don't even have as nice a car either. And it will certainly need more repairs than all the others.
Why even try to dominate market share anyway? That goal was the worst idea GM and Toyota ever had.....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Good question - guess they wanted a challenge.
“Normally you don’t have this kind of idea just waking up in the morning,” Christian Klingler, VW’s global sales and marketing chief and a board member, told journalists assembled in Manhattan last Monday. “Three or four years ago, we created a 10- or 11-year strategy. Since we announced the plan, a lot of people have said, ‘Go for it, [but] we don’t believe you at all.’ I’m sorry – we’re going for it!”
VW Becoming Number One Will Require Flying Leap (AutoObserver)
Even a million in 7 years without any PU trucks will be a big feat. I don't think they need to sell that many in the US to be Number ONE in the World.
Volkswagen sales in May blew the doors off:
If VW Can Meet U.S. Goals, It May Be 'Game Over' (AutoObserver)
If I sell my Seqouia, the Touareg TDI is at the top of my list to replace it. The new Touareg TDI is selling very well for an over $50k SUV. Up 107% over a year ago. I believe the new styling (which I like) and the higher mileage rating are making them a good choice. No domestic or Japanese company has anything that competes on all levels. And Touareg TDI's won 1-2-3 at Dakar this year. Only one close was BMW. And they are now the top luxury brand in the country.
I am rooting for them and their new US plant in TN.
Chattanooga's a big TVA city; maybe that'll help keep the Lord Lucas electrical gremlins at bay.
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Priced (Inside Line)
OTOH, it's maybe a PLUS that they didn't make the age-old 115 hp 2.0 the base engine for the Beetle, given that it also has lousy fuel economy and no power to boot.....I can't BELIEVE they made that the base engine for the new cheapo Jetta.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I think the push will be the Passat diesel built in TN. I still think about the Sportswagen TDI from time to time. Just too small and too low to the ground for long trips.
If I need a new car I'll be looking at Audi.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
http://media.vw.com/news
http://media.vw.com/press_releases/volkswagen-of-america-closes-2010-with-best-o- verall-year-sales-since-2003
The course VW is on right now will have everyone asking themselves the question in the next few years, "what exactly IS the value of going German?". It won't be the interiors any more, it never was the reliability, fuel economy (except for the high-priced diesels), or smog emissions. Chassis dynamics? We will have to see if the new models are any better in that department than their domestic and Asian competition, and whether slothful American drivers even care. High technology? Is there notably more of that in sub-$30K VWs than in their competition? I think not - you have to look to Audi for the high-tech in the VW Group, and even then the competition is stiff. You would have a hard time convincing me that Audis are significantly technologically advanced vs their competitors. And they aren't even RWD.
Some will declare that VW can succeed in achieving its lofty sales goals on the basis of diesel availability alone, but they would never sell me on that one....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Thankfully for VW you are not the average car buyer. I think they will achieve their goal by all of the above. Dumbing down to the American buyer being the number one thing I see. VW tried it by selling superior German handling and engineering and they did not sell so well. So they will come down to the level of the competition from Japan, Korea and the USA.
As far as VW/Audi diesels that is a huge part of their current success. I would assume they will play on that. VW TDI over 20% of vehicles sold. Audi A3 46% diesel. Audi monster SUV Q7 with 34% diesel.
You like small fuel efficient cars. You should take the Golf TDI for a good long test drive. You will not be satisfied with a gasser again. And you will not find a gas non hybrid that can deliver 50 MPG. I am still waiting for ANY vehicle to break this record.
Together, the Taylors own nearly 40 world records for fuel economy, and this month they added to their tally by breaking the mileage record for driving the 48 contiguous United States. Their mark: 67.9 miles per gallon, achieved over 19 days and some 9,500 miles in a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
Together, the Taylors own nearly 40 world records for fuel economy, and this month they added to their tally by breaking the mileage record for driving the 48 contiguous United States. Their mark: 67.9 miles per gallon, achieved over 19 days and some 9,500 miles in a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
It is unlikely someone interested in the Touareg would be considering a VeraCruz.
And all of them combined are less than 80K vehicle sales per year, or 10% of the goal they hope to hit in four short years. And diesels are by far their hottest product! Nope, diesel helps a little and gives them something green to point to, but they will need a whole heck of a lot more than that to have any hope of getting near this crazy goal.
You should take the Golf TDI for a good long test drive. You will not be satisfied with a gasser again.
I have watched diesel in my county go from $0.40/gallon more than regular unleaded (in the winter) to $0.80/gallon more now. With unleaded at $3.80, that is a 21% premium in price for the fuel. While I might like the Golf TDI and while I might talk mysef into one despite the rumors of failing fuel pumps which VW will not cover under warranty, the math alone would never pencil out. At 50 mpg in the Golf, I wouldn't even be breaking even.
While I can appreciate the benefits of diesel for some folks, I will never be one of those folks. And either way, VW cannot put all its eggs in that basket. It needs four or five more really attractive baskets. I don't see any others yet though.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Report: UAW hopeful it can unionize VW's Chattanooga plant
:sick:
It's not like VW has a choice to say no to a union. All they can do is treat their employees well so that they aren't interested in a union - just like what Toyota, Honda, MB, BMW, Hyundai and Nissan have done. None of those transplants are unionized.
iswas until this year and Mitsubushi has a few as well...Cars, Trucks & Vans by Union Members
in the United States (UAW) and Canada (CAW)