Forget head-scratching model names like Tiguan and Touareg. For its new midsize crossover, Volkswagen scrapped its naming-by-German-committee tradition and turned the process over to its American division.
When the new models goes on sale next year, expect a rugged, easy-to-pronounce name designed solely for the U.S. market, Automotive News reports. That name could be “Teramont.”
Volkswagen isn’t saying what the name is. Hinrich Woebcken, CEO of Volkswagen’s North American Region, claims it might not even begin with a “T.” Executives in Wolfsburg must be nervous, like a parent who just let their child bike to the park by themselves.
The model will carry a “bullish, much easier to pronounce, American-style name,” Woebcken told Automotive News.
A Chattanooga-built three-row crossover is a big part of the company’s plan to reverse falling sales. Diesels and semi-premium posturing is out, and money-making crossovers are in. Add a brawny name to U.S.-bound utility models, and the emissions scandal should fade like cheap upholstery.
The creation of the North American Region earlier this year means more autonomy for Volkswagen’s domestic operations. When the scandal broke, the company was criticized for being too top-heavy and bureaucratic.
“Two or three years ago, it would’ve been a no-go that the region decides an individual name,” Woebcken said. “This is already an early sign that Wolfsburg is willing to let go.”
A trademark filing from early December shows that Volkswagen added the Teramont name to its stable. The name was registered internationally on June 2. The trademark filing predates the creation of the North American Region, but the moniker could already have been on file as a suggestion. If Teramont isn’t the crossover’s U.S. name, it could still show up on overseas models.
If Teramont isn’t brawny enough for American consumers, TTAC came up with a list of names that might do the trick:
Volkswagen Boise Idaho
Volkswagen Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Volkswagen Typhoid
Volkswagen Tuscaloosa
Volkswagen America
They could call it the Toxic.
I like Volkswagen Supreme Panzer.
Or the NOXious. Teramont? Ugh Naming that mimics a development in San Antonio…yeah, that will do it.
Lame.
Not very rugged sounding though?
Silver Lamé
Gold Lamé
Call it the Constantinople because the survival of the ideals of the empire depend on it.
This. Even old New York was once New Amsterdam.
Why they changed it I can’t say.
People just like it better that way.
Hey I fine with any name I can 1) pronounce and 2) is not some useless and no meaning numbers like the GLJDR3947 new model form
A – Caddy
B – Lincoln
C – MB
D- BMW
E- Infinity
My vote is Marco Bus
Touareg isn’t really that much of a head-scratcher–it’s a Berber tribe in the Sahara. Tiguan, on the other hand…Wikipedia says it’s a portmanteau of the German “Tiger” (pronounced tee-ger) and “Leguan” (iguana).
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/articles/images/mali-tuareg-with-knife.jpg
Yeah, maybe lose Toaureg. At least for German domestic sales.
I still don’t understand how a company that wanted to succeed in North America and has sold so many Tiguans in Europe and has access to SO much market research has taken this long to present a re-done Tiguan and a proper 3-row CUV. Talk about mismanagement.
Volkswagen Tebow.
The Tubby!
And then bring the Caddy over.
Towjob
Too little too late. Typical VW. They needed this 2 years ago.
Since this thing looks like a Ford Explorer mated with a Kia Sorento perhaps a more fitting name would be…
Explorento or
Sorplorer.
I am glad I put this business in my rear view mirror. I have no clue to what the majors are doing these days. The American domestics have the pickups to base their high dollar SUV models on, which VW does not. I cannot imagine Martin thinking “we need this three row Canyonero” to boost up profits and compete in the niche. What is the amount of big passenger SUV units sold worldwide? 100,000? 200,000? The established players have refined the game to their benefit and I cannot see a late to the party VW being competitive for several years, if then. See Honda and the pickup truck for analogy. They’re trying to punch above their weight. That $20 billion has to come from somewhere, but not here.
It looks like a Chinese Grand Cherokee clone.
They can call it the Super America Fun Happy Truck. It’ll sell like crazy in China.
Terracan is available.
Volkswagen Toulouse – It describes the steering as well as the likely sales figures (TooLousy).
On a side note, have you ever noticed how suburban tracts are named after what was destroyed to put in the houses?
“Meadow Acres”… “Pine Grove”… “Creekside Ranch”… “Valley Meadow” and so on.
Wait. What is the Inuit word for “late to the party”?
A lemon by any other name would smell as sour.
Volkswagen Mülleimer
Volkswagen Tex or TerraFlex
Hybrid – Tusk.
If it were up to me, I’d name it the Terabul, because I’d be rather surprised if it’s not eventually called that by US buyers. Particularly after they start having to pay for their own repairs.
They might as well call it the Volkswagen GoF*ckYourself, because between the diesel scandal and the pathetically long time this CUV has been under development, I think that best embodies VW’s North American design philosophy.
Terraplane?
The VW San Tan. After the San Tan valley here in AZ.
Neutouareg. Bigguan. Grand Sharan. Passengassen. Drumpfmobil. Revenger. Tera-Tonement. Reparationwagen. Brookeshields. Skoda.
Gemerkelt. Several shades of brown.