New VW Beetle coming in two years, Scirocco still not in cards for U.S.
Malibu Barbie VW New Beetle Convertible – click above for high-res gallery
We're in Wolfsburg, Germany right now for the launch drive of the 2010 Volkswagen Golf and we've just returned from a presentation at the company's design center with Walter de Silva. We'll have more on de Silva's comments a little later, but first, we did have a chance to chat with VW of America CEO Stefan Jacoby about future products.
First up, despite de Silva's promise that VW wont do retro designs, there is a new New Beetle coming. When the NB debuted a decade ago, we lamented the fact that it officially carried the "New" prefix (unfortunately, Autoblog was not yet born so no one at VW heard our complaints). This time around it will just be called "Beetle." Contrary to some speculation that it might move to the NSF platform of the forthcoming Up! model, the Beetle will still ride on the Golf's chassis when it appears in two years. Jacoby didn't say how the next Beetle might change to meet de Silva's "no retro" statement, but it will continue to fill VW's niche quotient.
Speaking of niches, the Scirocco remains dead to us, despite the fact that Lower Saxony seems to be crawling with them. The problem, Jacoby explains, is that the Scirroco appeals to almost exactly the same buyers who opt for the GTI. Company research indicates that there would be almost no incremental sales increase with the Scirroco, instead it would just cannibalize the GTI. Why not just replace the GTI? Adding the coupe would be another niche product that requires more parts inventory, training, marketing dollars and so on. While we as enthusiasts might want another coupe, the numbers just don't add up for VW – especially when every Euro costs $1.47. Sorry.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
StanleyVanBuren 2:36PM (10/07/2009)
I want a Scirocco!
And I currently drive an 09 GTI. So I suppose I am not surprised by those numbers.
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Noidor 3:16PM (10/07/2009)
And with the dollar resuming its freefall foreign automakers will experience more pain pre late 2008 pains. Build plants in US? Not sure...I'd wait another year to see where car market goes. Then there is the issue of environmental laws in US, coupled with taxes might turn off automakers from assembling products here.
garlinski 4:04PM (10/07/2009)
The dealers can't give away the Beetle... give up somethign we can really enjoy... sorry, had to get that off my chest... now I'll go home in my Jetta SportWagen...
jonnybimmer 2:37PM (10/07/2009)
Oh come on VW, please sell the Scirocco here. It's not the most financially ideal product, but then again, neither was the Veyron. Plus, you could save money on marketing and just borrow Jeremy's "Scirocco: It's explosive" clip and you'd be good!
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James 2:39PM (10/07/2009)
VW...ditch the Eos and bring the Scirocco instead!!
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Trace 3:01PM (10/07/2009)
EOS = supercalifragilisticexpialidociously BORING!
Tabajara Labs 2:46PM (10/07/2009)
Maybe "da Silva" and not "de Silva"? :oO
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Jeff Johnson 2:47PM (10/07/2009)
what scares me is in the pink flamer mobile... where there should be guages for engine info... there are little photos of what appears to be family members.
*shudders*
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Mark 2:53PM (10/07/2009)
I'm interested in a Scirocco. I'm not interested in a GTI. Eat that, Volkswagen.
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Jrejre 3:42PM (10/07/2009)
Same here. I'm not interested in a sport version of a golf at all, but I would definitely consider the scirocco. It looks like a sporty car, not an A to B vehicle with sporty parts underneath.
BoxerFanatic 5:32PM (10/07/2009)
Those cars look a hair's width different.
A lower roofline and different headlights, and some detail changes. It isn't as if Scirocco is a fastback sleek coupe, (which would instead be redundant with Audi TT...) and Golf remains it's boxy self... they look almost the same.
They might as well cancel the GTI and make Scirocco the alternative... other than that means there has to be a whole 'nother set of body parts, a whole federalization process since it has a different name, and a handfull of different parts... which will cost all sorts of money... so they are doing the opposite. Keep the GTI, and deny the Scirocco.
Chances are, THAT is why Scirocco, and A5 Sportback, and Avant models, and other such cars are not coming to the US market. HIGH cost of federalization for somewhat redundant or low-selling products.
Ain't it great? :D >:-(
010111 9:03AM (10/08/2009)
"It isn't as if Scirocco is a fastback sleek coupe, (which would instead be redundant with Audi TT...) and Golf remains it's boxy self... they look almost the same."
having seen several Sciroccos driving around last winter... i can assure you that in actual real-life they don't look like a Golf at all really (not the ones on sale and on the road then anyway). impossible to mistake them. even non-car people were asking me if i saw that 'cool white VW' driving around. 'oh yeah. the Scirocco... i don't think we're getting it here. kinda lame.'
the EOS on the other hand is almost completely 100% forgettable and basically invisible. before they were out i passed one and didn't even realize it until a few minutes later i was like 'wait a minute! the EOS isn't out yet!' ... that is how forgettable it is. i saw it again a few days later and checked it out better... hideous.
Aki 2:55PM (10/07/2009)
Yet, VW still doggedly insists to bring back the Phaeton here, in spite of its total failure.
/facepalm
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Power Beauty Soul 2:58PM (10/07/2009)
I saw a Scirocco mule here in AZ over the summer. It's a pretty good looking car. They really should bring it here.
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InSaNeBoY 3:01PM (10/07/2009)
I'd much rather have a Scirocco.
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theSAWzall 3:04PM (10/07/2009)
Why not make the GTI only in 4-door form, and leave the more sporty character to the Scirrocco.
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Glancing Aft 4:59PM (10/07/2009)
I like your thinking!
happyfun86 3:08PM (10/07/2009)
Could they find a bigger flower to put in this lady's hair?
I'm all for the Scirocco. Besides having one of the most awesome names in the auto industry, it's much more appealing to me than a 2-door GTI. I understand the business case, but...well, smart business decisions don't always equal fun or appealing cars.
Though, I gotta say, I'd much rather they spend their money on bringing the Scirocco here than trying to develop a sub-Boxster Porsche model.
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Derek 4:01PM (10/07/2009)
This lady? Did you seriously not realize that's Heidi Klum, quite possibly the hottest German chick ever?
happyfun86 4:46PM (10/07/2009)
Actually, I didn't realize that was Heidi Klum (I don't know my models). Regardless, my use of "this lady" is valid.