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Auto Motor und Sport reports Volkswagen vants to conquer ze world! The German automaker aims to displace Ford as world number three automaker this year and then, eventually, take on Toyota. Yes, well, anyway, Wolfsburg can't get there from here without fixing its NorAm ops. To that end, VW is considering bringing a subcompact "similar to its Polo" stateside. The Yaris/Fit fighter would take VW back to its small, fuel-efficient American roots. Bloomberg reports that Vee Dub's also looking to produce a market-specific version of a future Polo in the U.S. of A.. Power could come from one of VW's new low-pollution powerplants, built at a forthcoming engine plant in Puebla, Mexico. Better late than never?
29 Comments on “VW Campaign in U.S. for World Domination...”
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I think this is smart, but very late. The Polo has been around for quite a long time and should have been brought over here during the Piech administration…but he was too busy with Phaeton. In many ways, these sort of decisions were just as dumb as the domestic SUV focus, but on a smaller scale.
Just leave the annoyingly colorful Bon Jovi Edition interiors in Europe, please.
I’ll take mine with the 1.2 TDI.
It’d be about time.
Only if they are going to build it in North America. Nobody wants a $25K Polo.
43 mpg euro speced right? it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen vw mpg drop once american safty is added. Heck.. look at the smart car referenced here a few days ago. You can’t well be “safe” and light at the same time, unless you consider safe to be advoiding the accident all together because you weigh less and can stop faster… darn american politics.
Go for it guys. Just remember build quality is important — your real competition is from the land of the rising sun.
Sounds good to me. I’ve driven Polos in the UK and quite liked them. After driving around in a Smart car, the Polo seems big enough to keep me happy. Makes me wonder what kind of economy the TFSI or TDI engines will yield in the EPA cycle.
As long as they aren’t like the polos in Brazil, I’d be willing to try one.
“Only if they are going to build it in North America. Nobody wants a $25K Polo.”
All Rabbits, Jettas and Beetles for the US market are built in Mexico. Whatever the cause of VW’s US competitiveness problems might be, it isn’t because of building them in Europe. VW also has massive operations in Brazil, Hungary and other low cost locations. Honestly, I am puzzled why they want to expand US production instead of expanding in Mexico.
FOX REDUX: Wanna bet it will most likely end up being a farkled-out Gol made in Brazil with generic VW 1.6L 4 speed autobox, selling for 16k-17k 3 years from now?
John Horner wrote:
Honestly, I am puzzled why they want to expand US production instead of expanding in Mexico.
Maybe they are worried that if Obama gets into the White House, NAFTA could be in trouble, and then bringing cars from Mexico wouldn’t be nearly as attractive as it is now.
Since, I recently traded my MkV Jetta for a New Honda Element, I haven’t looked back. Best is Oil changes don’t cost $70+ at the dealer. Honda charges me $30, gives me a large clean waiting area, beverages, snacks, TV, Newspapers and Free Wifi and has me out in an hour.
VW come in at 7am, maybe we will have you out by Lunch and by the way, you car needs another $300 worth of filters, fuzzy dice and farvenhugennnnnnnn
Oh…THis is about the Polo. Make it as cheap to own as the FIt and they will score a goal??? VW do have lotsa SOUL>>
The Polo is no match for the Fit IMHO. They only have a chance if they sell it at a significantly lower price point.
No need to beat Ford. VW just needs to stay where they are as Ford falls past them down the list like a brick.
As for the Polo, bringing this to the US market is a no-brainer. Especially as the Fit/Yaris are doing so well. One wonders what took them so damn long to figure this out? Well, that explains why they are not above Ford on the list now!
–chuck
A mexican-built german-engineered car. No wonder they’re so reliable!
# John Horner Says:
July 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
All Rabbits, Jettas and Beetles for the US market are built in Mexico. Whatever the cause of VW’s US competitiveness problems might be, it isn’t because of building them in Europe. VW also has massive operations in Brazil, Hungary and other low cost locations. Honestly, I am puzzled why they want to expand US production instead of expanding in Mexico.
The Peso has been rising against the slumping US dollar and the Euro, erasing currency-based savings. No surprise, as Mexico is an exporter of oil. With current currency valuations the way opening a US factory would be analogous to opening a Chinese factory.
“All Rabbits, Jettas and Beetles for the US market are built in Mexico.”
wrong.
Rabbits are built in Wolfsburg. Every single one of them.
“Rabbits are built in Wolfsburg. Every single one of them.”
Are you sure about that? I know that when the were called the “Golf” they were made in Puebla, Mexico, at least the 4 door version.
According to Edmunds, Rabbits are made in Germany, Jettas are made in Mexico.
Toyota has been marching towards #1 in the market, based upon a reputation of bulletproof reliability.
Volkswagen, at least in the US, has been virtually in last place in terms of reliability, for at least the past decade.
Sorry, VW, but people aren’t buying your pieces of junk because they have been pieces of junk.
Get a grip.
Hopefully these Polos will be built at the new Chattanooga plant in the future…
I’ve got a Mexican built VW Cabrio and it’s been okay. Not great but about on par with the domestics that my friends and family drive. Except for a dead cruise control module ($75) and a clockwork spring inside the steering wheel ($???), everything electrical still works just fine. Did need a $14 ignition switch around 105K miles (50K miles ago).
Polo 2.0TDI with 140ish hp… perfect!
I’d like to see them make a pickup. Specifically, their midsized one. But only if it has better mileage than our current trucks.
Really? They’re that close to number three automaker? I never would have thought.
# Busbodger Says:
July 21st, 2008 at 11:40 pm
“Did need a $14 ignition switch around 105K miles (50K miles ago).”
don’t hang too much on your key ring. i know it’s stupid, but if you want a VW ignition switch to last, your best bet is to not hang anything from your VW key. at least that’s what a tech told me.
as for a polo made specifically for the US market? you mean a ruined polo. the only reason people buy any VWs at all in spite of their poor reliability record is because they’re not like other cars sold in america. well, the GTI at least.
It would be nice if VW would do this. VW enthusiasts have only been begging for a Lupo and Polo for about 8-10 years or so. (Slow down, VW) I don’t need a car as big as my Jetta. I think a Polo TDI would be great. However, if they Americanise it, then I’ll have no interest in it. I’ll take a base Polo TDI with an AM/FM CD player and crank windows. They should include ESP as standard equipment, and make A/C an option.
43 mpg euro speced right? it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen vw mpg drop once american safty is added.
It’s not safety regulations, it’s different testing procedures. European figures are much more optimistic, and there’s far weaker regulations about how those can be obtained (manufacturers do their own testing, for one). There was a story posted recently, about an independent journalist discovering European ratings were grossly inaccurate for many cars.
And yes, this is after the conversion from Imperial to American gallons.
I blame a lot of the diesel enthusiasm on people taking the European highway figure for a given car, rounding up to the nearest 5mpg mark, and then somehow assuming that this translates directly to EPA combined.
i would like a Polo GTI. i believe they have 180hp version. that would be great. I love my MK5 GTI but 98% of the time its just me driving around so there is no need for all that extra car.
There is deff a hole i the market for a performance oriented sub-compact. most are in the 110hp bracket. If VW brings me a polo with 180hp, disc brakes, 6spd MANUAL and it sunder 20k…im sold.
oh god
just what we need
more of these pieces of crap
I’ve owned a vee dub and two audis – all garbage.