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Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Design/Style
There was a lot of built-up excitement surrounding the larger and less costly
2011 Volkswagen Jetta, but the anticipation deflated among critics when the model's less-than-impressive interior was revealed to the world. Critics chided the cheapened cabin, and quite a few negative reviews followed.
It's tough to argue that in the process of its upsizing, the Jetta's interior wasn't downgraded with lesser plastics and trim. The
2012 Passat does a much better job in this regard, but even then there are some areas where it feels like cost has been taken out of the cabin. But none of that is apparently enough to stop designer Jae Min from taking issue with these characterizations.
Ward's Automotive reports that VW's chief U.S. designer claims that the Jetta and Passat interiors were not the victims of cost-cutting. Min claims that the money was simply re-purposed, with money shifting "from here to there." The designer went on to add that the automaker was able to lower the starting price of both vehicles in part because of more flexible vehicle architectures and shifting production from Germany to the States.
While Min sounds convinced that no pennies were pinched, we're not so sure - unless when he says money was shifted "from here to there" he means "from where you can see and feel to where you can't." Regardless of what we think, one statistic is impossible to argue: Jetta sales have shot up 43.9 percent this year and Passat sales have skyrocketed by 80.9 percent. That, ladies and gentlemen, is letting the numbers do the talking.
Volkswagen designer claims no cost was taken out of Jetta, Passat interiors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 18th, 2012
Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Design/Style
There was a lot of built-up excitement surrounding the larger and less costly
2011 Volkswagen Jetta, but the anticipation deflated among critics when the model's less-than-impressive interior was revealed to the world. Critics chided the cheapened cabin, and quite a few negative reviews followed.
It's tough to argue that in the process of its upsizing, the Jetta's interior wasn't downgraded with lesser plastics and trim. The
2012 Passat does a much better job in this regard, but even then there are some areas where it feels like cost has been taken out of the cabin. But none of that is apparently enough to stop designer Jae Min from taking issue with these characterizations.
Ward's Automotive reports that VW's chief U.S. designer claims that the Jetta and Passat interiors were not the victims of cost-cutting. Min claims that the money was simply re-purposed, with money shifting "from here to there." The designer went on to add that the automaker was able to lower the starting price of both vehicles in part because of more flexible vehicle architectures and shifting production from Germany to the States.
While Min sounds convinced that no pennies were pinched, we're not so sure - unless when he says money was shifted "from here to there" he means "from where you can see and feel to where you can't." Regardless of what we think, one statistic is impossible to argue: Jetta sales have shot up 43.9 percent this year and Passat sales have skyrocketed by 80.9 percent. That, ladies and gentlemen, is letting the numbers do the talking.
Volkswagen designer claims no cost was taken out of Jetta, Passat interiors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 18th, 2012
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Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Design/Style
There was a lot of built-up excitement surrounding the larger and less costly
2011 Volkswagen Jetta, but the anticipation deflated among critics when the model's less-than-impressive interior was revealed to the world. Critics chided the cheapened cabin, and quite a few negative reviews followed.
It's tough to argue that in the process of its upsizing, the Jetta's interior wasn't downgraded with lesser plastics and trim. The
2012 Passat does a much better job in this regard, but even then there are some areas where it feels like cost has been taken out of the cabin. But none of that is apparently enough to stop designer Jae Min from taking issue with these characterizations.
Ward's Automotive reports that VW's chief U.S. designer claims that the Jetta and Passat interiors were not the victims of cost-cutting. Min claims that the money was simply re-purposed, with money shifting "from here to there." The designer went on to add that the automaker was able to lower the starting price of both vehicles in part because of more flexible vehicle architectures and shifting production from Germany to the States.
While Min sounds convinced that no pennies were pinched, we're not so sure - unless when he says money was shifted "from here to there" he means "from where you can see and feel to where you can't." Regardless of what we think, one statistic is impossible to argue: Jetta sales have shot up 43.9 percent this year and Passat sales have skyrocketed by 80.9 percent. That, ladies and gentlemen, is letting the numbers do the talking.
Volkswagen designer claims no cost was taken out of Jetta, Passat interiors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 18th, 2012
Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Europe, Volkswagen
Few automakers can produce the kind of sports sedans that the Germans do. And for most of the country's automakers, those performance vehicles can be recognized by one letter (or a combination of a few): M for
BMW, RS for
Audi, AMG for
Mercedes-Benz... and R for
Volkswagen. The relatively new performance division at Wolfsburg has now gotten its hands on the
Passat, and these are the results.
Well, almost, but not quite. You see, this isn't a full-on R performance variant, but an R-Line model that gives the midsize sedan (and wagon) a sportier look and an upgraded suspension, but without the engine mods you'd expect to come with it.
It also isn't the same Passat as the one we get here. Ours is made in America (Chatanooga, Tennessee, to be specific). This is based on the European model, and as such is available (in Europe, anyway) in both sedan and wagon form. In either body-style, the Passat R-Line includes a new aero kit (complete with sportier bumpers front and rear, side skirts, rear diffuser and deck-lid spoiler), 17-inch alloys, a sport-tuned suspension and a cabin decked out with sports seats, stainless steel trim and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.
The R-Line model stands as a separate trim level atop the Passat range - selling for €30,225 in Germany (equivalent to about $39k) - but buyers of the Comfortline and Highline trim levels can also specify the aero kit for an extra €990 (~$1,300). Check it out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.
Volkswagen gives the R-Line treatment to European-model Passat originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 10th, 2012
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Filed under: Etc., Europe, Volkswagen
Apparently the
Jetta and
Passat redesigns are working well, because
Volkswagen is reporting 1.36 million vehicle deliveries for the first quarter of 2012. That's an increase of more than ten percent over last year, and in March alone, VW delivered a record 536,600 cars.
Wait a minute, aren't things bleak in Europe? Indeed, while Volkswagen managed to eke out a 5 percent increase in European market deliveries, that's mostly thanks to solid sales performance in Germany. Deliveries to the rest of Western Europe drooped by almost four percent. It seems Volkswagen is compensating for this challenging situation by selling the bejeezus out of its vehicles in markets like Russia, China, South America, and the United States. You know, the entire rest of the world. Check out the press release posted
after the jump.
Continue reading What crisis in Europe? Volkswagen announces best-ever first quarter sales
What crisis in Europe? Volkswagen announces best-ever first quarter sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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April 14th, 2012
While Volkswagen is content to show off the
Volkswagen Passat Alltrack as a production car
in Tokyo, the German carmaking giant deigns us fit to get the Alltrack as a concept. What, nobody here likes a good longroof?
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April 4th, 2012
