VW comeback in the Philippines - maybe?

**tidus1203** · June 23rd, 2010 06:23 PM

Yeah VW is the best selling brand in China... Almost all taxis there are those old VW Santana...

**uls** · June 23rd, 2010 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

VW has been in China for years and years. Maybe we can get a few CBUs shipped over.

huwag CBU, may magagalit

no economic benefit

dapat VW put up an assembly plant here

employ people

**ghosthunter** · June 23rd, 2010 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by uls

huwag CBU, may magagalit

no economic benefit

dapat VW put up an assembly plant here

employ people

Hindi naman used VW cars eh. Brand new cars so di pwede considered as "junk" nor surplus.

So wala sila karapatan magalit.

**Type 100** · June 23rd, 2010 06:52 PM

Apart from the (not-so-) New Beetle and the odd Caravelle, what vehicles did VW's old distributor sell in their really low-key tenure here? And more importantly, how many?

If all the "new VW distributor" will do is fuse links to the Beetle, arguably one of the few vehicles Pinoys associate with the brand, it might as well not start. The world has moved on.

VW's main cash cows are its Golf hatchback and Jetta sedan (these two are platform-mates, mechanical twins). DSG transmissions and GTIs aside, they're not exactly the most exciting things to happen to cars, compared to what already sells here. I wonder how they'd sell Pinoys into buying their cars...maybe they could do a Toyota and do the "dull but reliable" bit.

I do want to see the Scirocco 2.0T here, though.

**kotiko** · June 23rd, 2010 07:04 PM

Woah this is seriously some interesting news!

VW seems like a very good brand, can't wait which cars they're bringing in.

I hope they'll have competitve prices though!

**ghosthunter** · June 23rd, 2010 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by kotiko

Woah this is seriously some interesting news!

VW seems like a very good brand, can't wait which cars they're bringing in.

I hope they'll have competitve prices though!

Don't get your hopes up too high. The last time VW was in the Philippines, their best selling car was the VW Polo which was not really good to start with.

**Type 100** · June 24th, 2010 10:16 PM

Another thing.

Audi is much more established in the Philippines compared to VW...and some of you may already know that both companies are part of the larger VAG Group. In a sense, most Audis are nothing more than more-expensive VWs: an A3 is a premium Golf, for instance, and the new A1 is mooched off the modern VW Polo's platform.

Given that, how will VW position itself when it decides to make a presence here? Being German could command a higher asking price, but then again it might encroach Audi's territory too if it prices itself too far from the mainstream.

**niky** · June 25th, 2010 09:55 AM

Most likely as a Volvo-Subaru competitor. Mid-priced, sports-luxury.
Seeing how Subaru have that market all to themselves (Volvo's only Subie competitor is the C30), VW might be able to steal some of its thunder with the Scirocco and Golf.

**ghosthunter** · June 25th, 2010 10:17 AM

If VW can price their Scirocco and Golf cars in the range of others like the local Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza (non-turbo) cars, we may be looking at a winner.

**Type 100** · June 25th, 2010 05:01 PM

I can already imagine one USP for Volkswagen: It should really get into the knack of selling and promoting its high-powered, boosted small engines.

170 HP from a stock, twin-charged 1.4L mill is no laughing matter. If it's good enough to go into a Mk6 Golf or Scirocco, imagine how much better it would be mated to the even smaller Polo.

It's one party trick Audi missed out on; instead the Ingolstadt marque decided to promote VAG diesels.