Volkswagen Beduin News **Put on hold (page 1)**
10-25-2004, 09:42 AM
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Volkswagen Beduin News **Put on hold (page 1)**
Volkswagen prepping minivan, small SUV for U.S. market - - By RALPH KISIEL | Automotive News - - Source: Autoweek
Volkswagen AG is working to plug two holes in its U.S. lineup by offering a minivan and a small SUV.
Both models are being developed, though not fast enough for dealers.
VW Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder talked with retailers about the models this month in Los Angeles.
He said VW will offer an SUV based on the Golf in the second half of 2006. The SUV - called Project 356 inside the company - will be similar in size to the Jeep Liberty, says VW dealer Al Gossett, of Gossett Motor Cars in Memphis, Tenn.
"That vehicle has been committed," says Gossett, a member of the Volkswagen National Dealer Advisory Council. "We anxiously await the introduction. That is a huge segment that we've got to be involved in - the SUV in the $21,000 to $23,000 price range."
Mike Sullivan, owner of Volkswagen Santa Monica, in Santa Monica, Calif., says the SUV will probably be larger than Toyota's RAV4.
"They understand that too small is not good," Sullivan says.
The Jeep Liberty was one vehicle that came up in Pischetsrieder's conversation with dealers.
"(Dealers) seemed to think that that was a pretty good size," Sullivan says. "A Toyota RAV4 is perhaps a hair too small."
Dealers were not shown the SUV, Sullivan says.
'Genuinely embarrassed'
The meeting was held mainly for dealers to inspect the redesigned Jetta and Passat. The Jetta will be launched March 19, and the Passat goes on sale in June. U.S. dealers have been struggling to sell the current versions of its aging bread-and-butter models.
"They seem to be genuinely embarrassed about the eight-year cycle on Jetta and Passat," Sullivan says. "No one would try to defend it or rationalize it or be cute about it. So that was good."
In addition to the Liberty, the SUV would compete against the BMW X3 compact SUV, built for BMW by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.
"BMW will be on the second-generation X3 while we are on our first," Sullivan says. "But we did that with the Touareg, and it seems to be OK."
VW also was a straggler with the larger Touareg SUV, introduced in the United States in 2003 in a crowded SUV field.
Dealers also want to plug the minivan hole created when VW pulled its boxy but spacious EuroVan from the United States at the end of the 2003 model year.
VW dealers say they were disappointed in the spring when VW scrapped plans to build the Microbus, a modern version of the company's 1960s-era van. Company executives cited the high costs of the project.
A minivan will be produced, but to save development and production costs, it will use several components from VW's new T5 van platform. The T5 is VW's light- commercial vehicle platform. Production won't begin until 2007.
"Volkswagen needs to be in all of the segments that are out there," Gossett says. "I think there's some huge opportunity with the van."
2 minivan ideas
VW has two ideas about the minivan. One platform would be similar to the former EuroVan, the other like the existing Sharan full-sized minivan sold in Europe, Sullivan says.
Dealers want a seven-passenger minivan, Gossett says.
"What the van will be is slightly up in the air," Sullivan says. "But candidly, it's a couple years away."
The EuroVan was never a big hit in the United States.
"It was the real diehard Volkswagen person who appreciated it," Sullivan says. "I'd rather see us go more mainstream, certainly. We don't need to be so niche."
Volkswagen AG is working to plug two holes in its U.S. lineup by offering a minivan and a small SUV.
Both models are being developed, though not fast enough for dealers.
VW Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder talked with retailers about the models this month in Los Angeles.
He said VW will offer an SUV based on the Golf in the second half of 2006. The SUV - called Project 356 inside the company - will be similar in size to the Jeep Liberty, says VW dealer Al Gossett, of Gossett Motor Cars in Memphis, Tenn.
"That vehicle has been committed," says Gossett, a member of the Volkswagen National Dealer Advisory Council. "We anxiously await the introduction. That is a huge segment that we've got to be involved in - the SUV in the $21,000 to $23,000 price range."
Mike Sullivan, owner of Volkswagen Santa Monica, in Santa Monica, Calif., says the SUV will probably be larger than Toyota's RAV4.
"They understand that too small is not good," Sullivan says.
The Jeep Liberty was one vehicle that came up in Pischetsrieder's conversation with dealers.
"(Dealers) seemed to think that that was a pretty good size," Sullivan says. "A Toyota RAV4 is perhaps a hair too small."
Dealers were not shown the SUV, Sullivan says.
'Genuinely embarrassed'
The meeting was held mainly for dealers to inspect the redesigned Jetta and Passat. The Jetta will be launched March 19, and the Passat goes on sale in June. U.S. dealers have been struggling to sell the current versions of its aging bread-and-butter models.
"They seem to be genuinely embarrassed about the eight-year cycle on Jetta and Passat," Sullivan says. "No one would try to defend it or rationalize it or be cute about it. So that was good."
In addition to the Liberty, the SUV would compete against the BMW X3 compact SUV, built for BMW by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.
"BMW will be on the second-generation X3 while we are on our first," Sullivan says. "But we did that with the Touareg, and it seems to be OK."
VW also was a straggler with the larger Touareg SUV, introduced in the United States in 2003 in a crowded SUV field.
Dealers also want to plug the minivan hole created when VW pulled its boxy but spacious EuroVan from the United States at the end of the 2003 model year.
VW dealers say they were disappointed in the spring when VW scrapped plans to build the Microbus, a modern version of the company's 1960s-era van. Company executives cited the high costs of the project.
A minivan will be produced, but to save development and production costs, it will use several components from VW's new T5 van platform. The T5 is VW's light- commercial vehicle platform. Production won't begin until 2007.
"Volkswagen needs to be in all of the segments that are out there," Gossett says. "I think there's some huge opportunity with the van."
2 minivan ideas
VW has two ideas about the minivan. One platform would be similar to the former EuroVan, the other like the existing Sharan full-sized minivan sold in Europe, Sullivan says.
Dealers want a seven-passenger minivan, Gossett says.
"What the van will be is slightly up in the air," Sullivan says. "But candidly, it's a couple years away."
The EuroVan was never a big hit in the United States.
"It was the real diehard Volkswagen person who appreciated it," Sullivan says. "I'd rather see us go more mainstream, certainly. We don't need to be so niche."
03-16-2005, 09:57 AM
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VW Product Blitz: Several niche vehicles headed for market by end of decade - - By GREG KABLE - - Source: Autoweek
Volkswagen plans to take a page from Carlos Ghosn’s playbook with a three-pronged product assault that includes a compact sport/utility vehicle, a body-on-frame pickup and a retractable-hardtop convertible, all due by the end of the decade.
First up is a go-anywhere five-door SUV called Beduin due in 2007. Wolfsburg’s junior mudslinger, based on parts from both the Golf and Passat, intends to build on the success of the larger and more luxurious Touareg, providing Volkswagen with a rival to the Toyota RAV4 and Land Rover Freelander. Upper-end versions will take on the likes of BMW’s X3.
...
First up is a go-anywhere five-door SUV called Beduin due in 2007. Wolfsburg’s junior mudslinger, based on parts from both the Golf and Passat, intends to build on the success of the larger and more luxurious Touareg, providing Volkswagen with a rival to the Toyota RAV4 and Land Rover Freelander. Upper-end versions will take on the likes of BMW’s X3.
...
03-16-2005, 10:12 AM
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^ Oh, it's definitely a correct move. Moreover, this should have been something in the works a long time ago, as you said. The Touareg was late to the game. VW's pickup will be late to the game. Their introduction of a new minivan will be late to the game. Their Porche Boxter wannabe roadster will also be late to the game. It's almost necessary to take a page from Ghosn's book and do a product blitz. It's just surprising that they didn't see the need to enter these highly profitable market segments (like the small premium SUV) and larger SUV years ago when they were flying so high. Now, it's almost out of an attempt of desperation.
05-25-2005, 11:57 AM
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...I wonder if the current exchange rates will move the price point higher than the projected $21-23k range anticipated by VW. The X3 starts at $31k (2.5) and can reach the mid-upper $40k range (3.0) if well optioned. 
In that price range, there are too many better offerings from Toyota, Honda and Nissan to even consider the X3; I hope the VW model doesnt go the same way.
In that price range, there are too many better offerings from Toyota, Honda and Nissan to even consider the X3; I hope the VW model doesnt go the same way.
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08-02-2005, 11:10 AM
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German Ute Scoop: ...VW soft-roader put on hold - - Source: Autoweek
Volkswagen won’t reveal its Golf-based small sport/utility vehicle as planned next month at the Frankfurt motor show, due to concerns the new five-door may require a major overhaul before it begins production.
Known internally under the name Beduin, a concept debut of the inexpensive four-wheel-drive model was scheduled for Frankfurt, with production starting in late 2007. But those plans are on hold until the program can meet production cost targets set by new VW chairman Wolfgang Bernhard. VW is now aiming to debut the Beduin at the Detroit show in January.
Known internally under the name Beduin, a concept debut of the inexpensive four-wheel-drive model was scheduled for Frankfurt, with production starting in late 2007. But those plans are on hold until the program can meet production cost targets set by new VW chairman Wolfgang Bernhard. VW is now aiming to debut the Beduin at the Detroit show in January.
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