2009-1974=35. Just sayin...

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http://www.vw.co.za/models/citi/pricesandoptions/

Base-model TenaCiti 1.4i is R84,700.00, including 14% VAT. Because US car MSRPs don't include that, we'll take that out, for R74,298.25. That's $9,597.18, although rarely do car prices match up between different countries.

To compare, we'll use a Jetta TDI 2.0 Sportline Manual vs. a base model US Jetta TDI.

To make the South African car comparable to the US car, we need to add ESP, the multifunction steering wheel, satellite navigation (because the South African car doesn't have the touchscreen+Sirius radio available that the US car comes with standard,) and armrest CD changer (as the US satellite navigation comes with that,) and add satellite navigation to the US car. The total comes in at R334,420.00, or R293,350.88 without taxes. This is $37,892.43.

Compare to a US Jetta TDI with navigation added, at $25,200.00. This is a 150% markup on the South African car.

That puts the base CitiGolf at $6,382.51 normalized to US car market prices.

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Cool...so I imagine that Nano will not sell in the US for under $5k, so this is pretty comparable in price. Of course, the Nano will likely have more airbags than just a driver-side, but still, it'd be kinda cool to tool around in a 'modern' Golf Mk1 rather than a Nano...

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+ that on the picture is Golf 2, not the initial Golf 1 which VW started with in 1974

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Followed by: why can't I buy one? I want it!

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And we all thought Ranger/B-Series was old design. :D

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oh well. that's VW for you. a cheap ass company that recycle a 30 years design while not spending a penny to improve their car.

Don't get me wrong. VW for NA is decent, but VW elsewhere, at least in 2nd and 3rd country, are blood sucking vampires. oh yes, i have plenty of rights to say that because i came from China, one of the VW's most profitable country, if not THE country that kept VW afloat during 1990s.

I give VW kudos for being the first foreign car manufacture that went to China as early as 1985 (maybe because their reliability was so abysmal that they needed to find another country to dump their cars), their risk was payed off as Chinese officials uses VWs and Audi brand exclusively for almost 20 years. Unlike U.S, the Chinese government purchased vehicle accounted for more than 50% of total vehicle in China during 1990s, not to mention they count almost all of the luxury vehicles. that was what kept VW and Audi afloat when those two brand experienced huge losses even in their home country.

So what does Chinese get in return? WOOO. a 30 years old design that is STILL SELLING TODAY, the god forbidden disgusting VW Santana. this car was designed in 1981 as Passat Mk2. to save cost and increase profit margin, VW never bothered to re-fresh the car with new models, but put newer models as a "higher model" while kept the old model. as i type, China has FOUR different Generations of Passet on the market NOW. they are Passat Mk2 (Santana), Passat B2 (Santana3000), Passat B5 (Magotan), Passat Mk5 (Lingyu). I mean.. what the F is that? on the top of that, those 1.8L 97HP engine burns Motor oil so quickly (5 kilometer and you will need to replenish them) that people who drove Passat has to store a bottle of motor oil in the car. it was so notorious that most Chinese had the misconception that cars need to burn motor oils.

imagine, just for a second, what happen if Honda stalling 7 different Accords (Gen 2 to Gen 8) to U.S., and charge you for each newer generation? and they charge you as much as 30 thousand dollar for an Gen 2 accord while other country get the newest accord for 20 thousand dollar?

lucky Honda didn't do that. when they first introduce Accord 7 in China, they just bought their latest and newest U.S. spec accord. which was an instant hit and became the best selling luxury (consider all car cost twice as much in China, and people make 10% of what we make here). and when Accord 8 arrives, despite the still hot selling accord7, they just cut it and bring the newest and best model to the market.

for that reason, i will never buy a VW/Audi for as long as i live. they suck so much blood out of poor country and give them crap products in return. they to use their government connections to monopoly and create illusion to fool the uninformed people. Shame on Chinese government for letting them do that, and shame on VW for doing that.

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I think your kinda misconstrued, the reason they kept the older models would be because its much cheaper to keep making a car that's for all intense and purpose paid for itself. Its a win win for both the common person in China (cheap) and the company. Long as they can sell it at a profit and there's demand for it why stop making it?

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Alpha is dead on. Sean, get over yourself. If VW sold this in the US market today I would look at it before most of the current overpriced cars we get stuck with that are loaded with extra features I do not need and government mandates I do not want. Simple, easy to work on and fun to drive FTW!

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In 25 years, they can.

They don't meet 2009 US safety standards, nor do they meet 2009 US emissions standards, so they'll have to wait until they're classics.

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1. Import to mexico.
2. Drive crappy golf across border
3. Hire banditos to swap VINs
4. Drive back.

TADAA!!!!!!

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Maybe I've got this wrong, but I thought a person could get around the red tape by having the car and drivetrain shipped separately, and then assembled at the destination as a 'kit-car'. I'm probably missing some details.

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They said 25 years of production at the South African plant. Perhaps the ZA plant didn't begin production until '84, when the Mk2 was released.

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