VW forecasts 30% of 2010 Golf sales in U.S. will be for TDI
VW Golf VI - Click for a high-res image gallery
Volkswagen has a major success on its hands with the latest Jetta TDI. Not only has the fuel efficient machine managed to take home nearly every green car award known to man, it's also been selling in numbers well over its initial sales goal. When the German automaker launched the diesel sedan, it had estimated that about 20% of all units sold would be equipped with an oil-burning engine. In reality, about half of all wagons sold have the TDI mill and about 30% of sedans are so equipped.
For this reason, VW is now expecting that 30% of all 2010 Golf hatchbacks will be sold with the automaker's 2.0L turbocharged diesel engine when it goes on sale in the U.S. later this year. Interestingly, fellow German automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz have not seen this kind of success with their latest diesel engines. We imagine that the low price of the Jetta TDI in comparison to its gasoline-powered siblings may have plenty to do with its strong sales numbers.
Gallery: Volkswagen Golf VI
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MikeW 6:08PM (4/13/2009)
Well it is either the diesel or the craptastic 2.5, that 30% seems low.
Make that 50%
Reply
zamafir 6:36PM (4/13/2009)
no... these tend to price at or above the 2.0T level. so it's 2.0T or diesel. Unless they're looking to take a huge loss.
BigWill 9:41PM (4/13/2009)
Considering that the TDI is equivalent to the gas SE model, when you add in the $1300 tax credit for the diesel there's not that big of a difference in price between gas and diesel; at one dealer the tax credit made the TDI cheaper than what they were asking for the gas SE.
xspeedy 6:18PM (4/13/2009)
VW just needs to offer some sort of diesel sport variant of the Golf - a GTI with this engine would be great.
Reply
MikeofLA 6:55PM (4/13/2009)
First time on Autoblog? It's called the GTD and we can hope it comes to the US. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/27/volkswagen-golf-gtd-details-and-photos-released/
Dana 6:18PM (4/13/2009)
Well duh, since Volkswagen keeps pricing its base Golf up to the point people are gonna go; "what the hell are we doing not springing a few thousand more for the diesel?"
Reply
homunculus 6:20PM (4/13/2009)
A city full of roaming packs of hot, shopping women and the dude is out in the darkness admiring the Golf.
Reply
MikeofLA 6:58PM (4/13/2009)
looks like he's a creepy stalker. He does look sad.
alfaBAT9 6:47PM (4/13/2009)
If I wasn't so attached to my current Golf, I'd totally consider this new TDI. Up in Canada, I'd say almost 75% (if not more) of the Mk. 4 Golf's that aren't 1.8T's that I see on a daily basis are TDI's. You can hear them coming a block away with the 'clack clack clack' of the engines. It was a huge mistake not to offer the Mk. 5 Rabbit in a TDI. Up here there are way more GTI's than 2.5's and I think if people had the TDI option, they'd totally go for it.
Reply
Snowdog 6:57PM (4/13/2009)
Talk about damning with faint praise. So once you ignore the good gas engine (1.8T) most people went for the Turbo instead of the craptastic base engine...
Also consider that VW has long been the only affordable Diesel in North America, it is no surpise they sell a significant percentage of diesels.
Formula:
Corner Diesel niche.
Craptastic base engine.
Profit?
Mark K. 6:58PM (4/13/2009)
No, it's not the price of BMW/Mercedes. It is the package. Who needs 3.0 liter diesel in a sedan? What are you going to do with that torque? Pull neighbor's fence out when he p****s you off? For more money than more performing 3.0 gasoline?
Both of them (but especially BMW) have the 2 liter diesel that would make VW's diesel to look like a joke. But marketing "experts" and "geniuses" didn't want to have any of that - I guess not to "downscale" the brand in U.S. Good. Now load them on the boat and return them to Europe.
Call me when you bring 123d for (comparing European prices) $31.000 - and I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one that would be very pleased receiving that call.
Reply
StickShift 6:59PM (4/13/2009)
Do the current diesel models still have year long waiting lists and big time dealer markups? One of these diesel models would be nice, but waiting and paying through the nose for one is less attractive.
Reply
apexjr 7:13PM (4/13/2009)
I am not sure. But when I went in there last year and the dealer wanted 4-5 grand over MSRP I said.. good luck buddy, I am taking my full cash purchase and buying another car. Told him, if that is how VW treats their customers, they can keep the TDI and shove it.
Bought a car that is WAY more fun to drive, screw MPG. I got a Legacy GT. =)
why not the LS2LS7? 7:01PM (4/13/2009)
The low price differential is nice and likely is a big factor.
However, if really 30% of units sold are Diesel, it will harm the legendary (mythical?) resale of the TDI. High supply can easily undo what the historical high demand did.
Reply
Imag 7:09PM (4/13/2009)
There is so much pent-up demand that it will be awhile before the market is satiated. After all, people who can't afford the brand-new cars will want ones that are 2 years old. Also, all the old ones are flat-out wearing out...
I want to know if there's any way to reliably run biodiesel in these...
Quentin 8:07PM (4/13/2009)
For a Golf, I'll take the 2.0T in the GTI, thanks. If we are going the all out economy, practicality route, a Jetta sportwagen TDI is the way to go. If they'd make a damn 4motion TDI Jetta sportwagen, they'd get more of my money.
Reply
Nick 9:12PM (4/13/2009)
A german scientist found out that mixing 30% water to diesel fuel reduces particulate and Nox emissions by 50%
Reply
Kumar 9:19PM (4/13/2009)
Except those emission drops were only realized after the engine seized up and died, dropping the emissions to zero, giving it a 50% average.
BoneHeadOtto 7:40AM (4/14/2009)
another billiant german scientist discovered that driving 50% less produced 50% less emissions.
Swede 3:47AM (4/14/2009)
Must be very special water.