The long journey back from the economic damage wrought by the diesel emissions scandal is taking Volkswagen down new roads.
In a bid to boost the profitability of its remaining non-diesel lineup, the automaker will introduce a wholly new model aimed at the premium car crowd, Bloomberg reports.
A company spokesperson claims the model will sport four doors and a fastback profile, similar to the Sport Coupe GTE Concept unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. That’s right, it’s not an SUV — Volkswagen already has plans for those.
According to the spokesperson, Volkswagen’s unnamed model has the European market and overseas customers in its sights, including the U.S. The model could appear as early as next year.
No doubt eyeing potential profits with the hunger of a child peering into a candy story window, company executives know they can’t repeat the experience of the big-bucks, low-demand Phaeton. That ultra-premium model bit the dust last year, so another foray into the six-figure price range is unlikely. Expect the new model to bridge the wide price gap between the Phaeton and the midsize Passat.
The pre-scandal Sport Coupe GTE Concept rode into Geneva on Volkswagen’s MQB modular platform. Powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and two electric motors, the concept put a combined 374 horsepower to all four wheels and boasted an all-electric range of 32 miles.
If a model with a similar powertrain makes it to production, it would bolster Volkswagen’s much-sought-after green credentials.
That color is…….interesting. Maybe VW can break the color code of white,silver,black,grey shades so prevalent today.
Reflex Silver, Tornado Red, Candy White, Tempest Blue, Platinum Gray or Go F Yourself!
Car and Driver’s Euro-spec Golf R test car was a very pretty dark green. If VW made that shade of green available on the Golf R over here it would meaningfully increase my odds of buying a Golf R.
Ever since the Mk5 came out, the GTI has been the car that I “should” buy if car buying were just a left-brain box-checking exercise. Probably because it checks so many boxes for me, I’ve always rebelled against it a little bit and never seriously thought about buying one. An irresistible color would make me less rebellious.
I’m a fan of BMW colors lately. There’s a new 530 in the garage in this great ice blue metallic. And I’ve seen a 3-Series in a lovely dark DARK blue/purple metallic color recently.
The sad thing with the nice beemer colours, at least in Europe, is that you’ll have to pay a premium for every colour except black.
As BMW customer I’m proud to pay extra for the privilege of color.
Only if you’re riding a motorcycle…now, premium colors on a Bimmer are a different story!
looks like an updated CC replacement, not gonna set the sales chart on fire.
Yes it totally looks like a CC.
VW had a nice little side business in the past selling expensive but plain-looking sedans and wagons. A friend’s Mom (who was well-off by any measure) always drove a new obscure VW, like a 4wd Passat wagon with all the options. She didn’t want to be a Mercedes or Audi driver, but still wanted that level of finish and handling. The CC and Touareg are the last remnants of that type of VW.
They could probably do it again if they tried hard enough.
This has to be the new CC.
It’s really funny that they would think a sedan would be the way to boost profitability. VW in the US will live or die by how the Atlas and the revised Tiguan do.
@dal20402
US is still very much a minor market for VW. This is aimed at many global markets
“child peering into a candy story window”
Tell me a candy story!
Also, this is plainly the (long) overdue CC replacement.
Well, if nothing else Der VW-Skandal has shown that Germans do indeed possess a sense of humor.
They need to stop the premium faux-Audi-ness because there’s already an Audi…its called Audi and they own it already.
Back to basics – simple, Euro-styled, fun-to-drive, fashionable cars with charm.
Excellent point. Brand dilution = bad.
The long term plan for VAG used to be that Audi was suppose to compete with BMW, Volkswagen with Mercedes, Skoda with Volvo and Seat with Alfa-Romeo. The last part was accomplished without much effort I’d imagine.
And a really good warranty that they will honor without a class action suit.
@flybrian – couldn’t have said it better.
@felix – now, that would be going all in. As much as I would love to see it materialize, something tells me every new owner should anticipate having to file with a class action, and look forward to the toilet treatment at the dealership.
Looks like a nice replacement for the CC. Let’s hope VW puts some money into marketing it, and gives it a more memorable name!
VW is a great example of the glacial inertia of corporate culture.
So the only question is…how many is Jack ordering??
VW is aware that they own Audi, right? I think if the CC went away it wouldn’t be a big deal. Just offer an Audi CC, FFS.
You mean something like an A5 sedan? Pretty sure that car was in a recent film The November Man. The B8 A5 came as coupe, cabrio and sedan/liftback variants.
I always thought the CC was the best-looking car in VW showrooms. If this does turn out to be the next CC, it looks like a winner, at least from the rear.
It looks like a lawn vacuum, at least from the rear.
drpower.com/productimages/image.axd/i.llvx13mn/w.280/h.280/prompt+for+ll2+13.28+pro+new_r.jpg
Sorry, not seeing the similarity.
VW does not seem to get the upscale/near luxury/luxury branding thing. Lexus doesn’t sell solely on the car, but also on the dealership experience. As a former Lexus owner, now a Hyundai Genesis owner, I will tell you the dealership experience (attitude of service writers, waiting room, donut selection, loaners) is far different. I buy the car and can get my own donuts and coffee, but I think that the “experience” is a BIG hook for Lexus.
You’d think that marketing at VW might have learned that after the Phaeton.
(Sorry about
“down new roads”? Methinks this Steph writer-clown has forgotten there is still a CC being sold TODAY. TODAY, 8 OCT 2016. It was probably also on sale when that was written…
Let talk about VW mileage! Unless now’s not, a good time,?