Parlare con CAR, VW design guru Walt de'Silva admits he isn't exactly thrilled about VeeDub's current design direction. Pensare? The Jetta looks like a Corolla and the Passat looks like a bar of soap. So VW’s styling will "return to simple design language that’s easy to understand – a clear hierarchy of grilles and rear-end treatment." Scribe Adam Towler says "Expect the next generation of VWs to have spiritually more in common with the late 1990s range of cars rather than the current set." For those of us that have long lamented the descent of VW into aspirations of ascent, this is fantastic news. The biggest question: where will this makeover leave the Volkswagen brand in the European market? When Ferdinand Piech decided to take VW into Mercedes territory, matching the Mercs models for model, Skoda and Seat filled VW's cheap and cheerful, honest and robust, everyday car remit. Maledetto! It sounds like someone has too many brands.
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It was an illusion as well as an allusion Justin. I must admit I couldn’t care less about VW. They are completely off the radar for me.
Can they add fuel efficient gas engine(s) for the US to that “to do” list? I wish they’d offered an updated version of the 2.0L motor from the last gen of Golf/Jetta rather than making the 2.5L I5 standard.
VW’s strategy in Europe never translated very well in North America anyway. Of course it doesn’t help that VWOA consistently does the Marketing equivalent of hypermiling: occasional applications of throttle followed by long periods of coasting, frequently with the engine off.
Add to this the truly abysmal VW dealer network here in the USA. The planet’s most rapacious Service network outside of Ferrari of course. I would never recommend a VW purchase to anyone who can’t DIY their car’s general maintenance.
Bancho is right as well, with their oddball powerplant changes over the past several years. They really hit their groove with good engines in the 90s (the 2.0 gasser and 1.9 TDI, both mated with nice manual gearboxes would turn excellent MPG), and then for some odd reason went off to the Horsepower War Gunfight with that pocket knife the 2.5 I-5 engine. Huh??
The recent restyle of the Jetta is just too bland/Toyota looking to even be recognizable as a VW.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
Where are they going with the Passat CC then? Oh, they mean the next next generation, right?
This is good to hear. The only way I’d buy a current Jetta is with the TDI. However, I’d still have to deal with the chrome on the front end, which means I’d have to buy the front end components from a GLI and install them. Too much work for me to “de-grampa” my Jetta.
VW should just get rid of the chrome and the Corolla-like design altogether. I like the understated styling of my 2003 Jetta, and before that I loved the design of the B4 (’95-97) Passat. When I first saw the “new” Jetta in late 1999, I thought it was a Mercedes until I saw the VW badge. If VW could put cars out with decent styling again along with decent engine choices, I might consider upgrading.
And what Chuck says is right. If you don’t know how to fix your car, or you don’t have a capable independent mechanic, then VW is not for you! (Unless you enjoy getting bent over without lube at the dealer.)
If they were more “spiritually connected” to the early 90s cars I might care. The automotive abortion that was the MKIII Jetta (as pictured) is not something I’m interested in going back to.
I wonder if the City Jetta and City Golf products up here in Canada might have been a trial run for the direction VW wants to go in North America. They basically took the previous (mark IV) generation of both cars, slightly updated the nose and rear end, and offer them at low prices with only the 2.0L I4 (the old engine, not the new 2.0T). I’m starting to see a fair number of them around town.
I have a white ’97 that’s almost identical to the one in the post. I liked the style of the ‘99.5 when it came out but this last gen’s styling is horrific. If I wanted to drive something that looked like a Corolla I would buy a Corolla. All the marketing BS can’t make up for their latest design trends.
After 11 years the 2.0L and trans are still great. The problem is everything else is falling apart.
Hey Wunsch, have you seen the Citi model sold in South Africa? It looks like VW is still making and selling the Mk I (1970’s) Rabbit/Golf. ZAR to USD conversion works the pricing out to approximately $9,000 – $12,000. I’d love to see these over here, but I’m sure it’ll never happen. Can anyone recommend a good auto smuggler?
That’s why I get comments on my 98 Jetta because it was the last of the classic boxy design. There is so much room in this car, it’s not even funny. 10 years and it’s still running strong. Can’t say much about the Jetta’s after the new design came in 99.
Rear-end Treatment?
I think that’s what GM shareholders have been getting.
Greg,
Yeah, I second your thoughts. On a recent trip to South Africa, my counterpart picked me up at the Johannesburg airport in her brand new Citigolf! I almost fell over! Nice rims, updated dash and air conditioning in what appeared to be a mid 70’s Golf. That was so incredibly cool. But at $12,000 it wouldn’t stand a chance here in the US.
@greg
Yeah, if you look at VW’s line-up around the world, they do that sort of thing in a lot of places (selling slightly refreshed versions of their old cars), sometimes even alongside the new version. They just play mix’n’match with the product names in each market.
To the best of my knowledge, though, this is the first time they’ve done it here.
Bancho :
Can they add fuel efficient gas engine(s) for the US to that “to do” list? I wish they’d offered an updated version of the 2.0L motor from the last gen of Golf/Jetta rather than making the 2.5L I5 standard.
Our equation (and that of thousands of others):
Jetta = lousy reliability + 21/29 MPG = f*ck it, let’s just by the Civic.
Justin,
Great blog. If VW did their styling as well as you wrote that, they’d be doing a hell of a lot better.
I must be in the minority – I kind of like the styling of the latest versions of VW cars in the US.
I question their reliability and have never heard a good story about (all too frequent) dealer service visits, but I always thought they looked good. And drove fairly well, too (more than once I’ve tried to talk myself into a new VeeDub at the local dealer).
Back in 2000 VW ownership was the shit, and usually meant you were an asshole.
Now all owning a VW indicates is a punt buying decision.
VW = The Saab of Germany. Major styling identity crisis.
I sure hope VW gets back to the cool, clean style we used to call Tectonic. I thought the 88-93 Passat with no visible grill was one of the best looking cars of it’s day. The motor mouse seat belts, on the other hand, were horrible. It was quick enough and great handling.
The current Passat is simply too much gadgetry and overstyled.
So yes please, bring back clean, elegant and functional styling. Wagons and hatches!
I want a VW Saveiro
They hit their pinnacle with the Mark IV’s. Well designed and well built. They really had no where to go for “improvement” styling wise.
It’s interesting what they’ve been doing with the City cars up here. There’s a ton of them around — killer price points — and if they’d stick a TDI into a City there’d be no stopping them, of course it would kill the Mark V’s.
i enjoy the current styling of the MKV GTI
(ehh on the jetta)