Is VW considering a new logo?
Volkswagen has a very simple and instantly recognizable logo which has seen subtle changes through the years. In the end, though, it has remained generally the same. The German Car Blog is reporting that VW chief Martin Winterkorn has decided to give the logo a freshening, making the symbol larger (must be a trend) while also better separating the V and the W from the outer ring. The new look will be more 3-D, but the branding itself will retain its central location on the grille. Look for the new VW ornament to bow on the Golf VI.
[Source: The German Car Blog]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Bart 12:12PM (7/18/2007)
If anything they should shrink them down some. The Mercedes logo for example actually adds to the shape of the grille, but the VW logo is just a metal tag. A hideous obstruction at times.
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Don 7:04PM (7/18/2007)
Yeah, that's brilliant...sales are suffering big time, so get rid of the only thing folks recognize in regards to V-dub.
harleygirl1629 12:05PM (7/20/2007)
The least VW should worry about is the size or appearance of their logo. They should be concerned with the garbage they produce in the first place. How about a vehicle that doesn't require service quartly or more if your lucky enough to get suck with one of their bigger lemons.
Max 12:27PM (7/18/2007)
Winding road is reporting that VW is considering pulling out of the US market. So, maybe the redesigned logo isn't the only thing on the table.
VW is really grabbing at straws right now. It still amazes me that they are trying to force the brand upmarket when cars like the phaeton failed so miserably. With Audi here, VW needs to get back to its roots of selling cars for the people. $30k GTI's are not the answer.
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1337 12:44PM (7/18/2007)
VW is as likely to ditch the US market as Ford is to build the Airstream concept. You can't believe every rumor--most of them are full of crap.
zamafir 1:31PM (7/18/2007)
...umm they are refocusing, hence the next golf speculated to cost less both to make and to the consumer (I'm surprised you've not picked up on any of these articles).
Though I'm with you, rather then making a pretty new logo, they might want to focus on their us product offerings and pull a 'toyota' as I call it, design a vehicle specifically for the US market to do well in the US market ie the Camry (long story short, my VW dealer was bitter I purchased a hybrid camry to replace the tdi passat scorning ‘you know it’s made just for our market’ to which I replied ‘maybe that’s why it sells so well’).
Anywho Max, VW is definitely not leaving America, go to any VWoA sponsored enthusiast event and you’ll understand, and while I love my Jetta (2.0T) and GTI dearly, I’ll be more then happy to acknowledge the brand needs a new focus away from Audi. And back to it’s more economical roots – like scion (though it would appear scion is also moving northward with the xD replacing the xA at quite a chunck of change more).
Vexorg 2:52PM (7/18/2007)
A GTI is not $30k unless you cram it with options (all the way down to the nav system.) A reasonably equipped GTI can be had for around $23-24k with a manual.
Carl 12:44PM (7/18/2007)
They'll switch it back within 2 years.
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Richard 3:27PM (7/18/2007)
Yep!
Every dog, every hydrant.
Why change one of the world's most recognizable brands? Especially when it is associated with a good - near great product for over 70-ish years?
CEO egos are the cause of these issues.
Jonathan Hicks 5:31PM (7/18/2007)
No Way VW should change its logo.
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1337 12:45PM (7/18/2007)
The "new" logo is so similar to the current one that the average consumer will never notice. This is good, because the "VW" logo is nearly as recognizable as the Benz 3-pointed star or BMW's propeller.
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1337 12:46PM (7/18/2007)
*Recognizable to the average consumer.
elaine kunert 10:47AM (7/20/2007)
We just traded our VW Passat which we loved to a Sante Fe--reason--it cost a small fortune every time we wanted work done on it--they should change that and not the logo!
Nick 12:49PM (7/18/2007)
Well, it seems this may signify them officially having tried everything outside of correcting their actual problem to spur sales.
Note to VW: STOP CHARGING PEOPLE A PREMIUM FOR YOUR DIARHEA ON WHEELS!!!!!
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B Montgomery 1:29PM (7/18/2007)
True, but the sad thing is that Mercedes is at the very bottom of reliability (#36 out of 36) and people still trip over themselves to own one. I think VW was #32 so it is not much better at all. Japanese cars own the reliability dept and the only other European cars worth mentioning are Audi (right behind Infiniti), then BMW, and finally Volvo rounding out the top three (in that order) according to Consumer Reports.
Note to VW: Close your Mexico plant, and follow the lead of the other products from Lamborghini, Audi, Bentley, and Bugatti, that you already own. The Pueblo Mexico plant is what keeps you guys at the bottom.
psarhjinian 3:15PM (7/18/2007)
Nah, German- and Mexican-made VWs suck pretty much equally. But it's easier for German engineers to wrap their minds around the possibility that Mexican assembly is to blame, rather than themselves.
The German makes, as things stand right now, have a problem with:
Complexity for complexity's sake: A VW powertrain has far more moving parts than an equivalent Honda one. Mercedes' electronics are, by far, more complex than those the Lexus deploys.
Poor QA: A good manufacturer designs products to be reliable and does QA at every stage. Europeans don't do QA until very late in the assembly process. Quality is an add-on, not built-in, to a European make.
The vehicles are generally quite impressively engineered, but it's not sustainable engineering. The North Americans have wrapped their heads around this--more or less--and are building better cars as a result, cost-cutting notwithstanding. The Japanese and Koreans have been doing it for decades and are reaping the benefits. The Europeans seem to have this built-in arrogance about their ability to engineer a product.
You can see the epitome of this at Mercedes. They're terminally incapable of admitting that they're not Gods of All Things Automotive. VW isn't quite that bad, but they're not good, either.
psarhjinian 12:52PM (7/18/2007)
Right. VW messing with the logo would be like Apple or Nike doing the same. You can, but it's an awfully risky proposition for a brand with such an, err, iconic icon.
Of course, when reliability and profitability are falling, there's nothing like distraction activity to keep from addressing the real problem.
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ckm 12:55PM (7/18/2007)
You mean, kinda like when Apple switched from a multi-colored apple to a white one?
psarhjinian 12:59PM (7/18/2007)
Actually, yes, exactly like that. Apple was in trouble at that time, too.
Of course, they actually went on to fix their product line. Hopefully VW will, too.
JC3 1:00PM (7/18/2007)
They're known for their spirited performance and fine interiors.It's too bad their build quality and long term reliability aren't up to par.
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