Volkswagen Korea, which resumed sales in March this year, seems to be completely settled in the market. It has ranked third in the imported car market since May, about two months after the resumption of sales, and in August, 1,820 units were sold, recording a 9.48% market share in the imported car market, recovering to its pre-launch level. In this regard, Volkswagen Korea analyzes that the sales structure supported by Passat GT, its flagship Tiguan, contributed to the recovery of its market share.
According to Volkswagen Korea on the 10th, Tiguan is definitely the core product of revival. It was popular before the suspension of sales, but it is still attracting attention after the resumption. In addition, the import company strategically maintains a reasonable starting price of around 30 million won, and according to the driving method, all-space, which is a four-wheeled roll, is added in addition to the front wheel roll, signaling a high altitude. In fact, sales of front wheel rolling 2.0 TDI during the month of August were 937, ranking second overall in imported car sales, and 240 four-wheel rolling units were also sold.
Then, Volkswagen Korea is also actively promoting the product power of Passat GT. In particular, if the Grandeur is No. 1 in sales in Korea, the Passat GT is No. 1 in mid-sized sedans in Germany, putting various awards records to the fore. He also added that pedestrian monitoring systems, traffic jam assist combined with adaptive cruise control and lane assist, front assist and urban emergency braking systems, lane assist, and proactive passenger protection systems are competitive factors in the recent expansion of advanced driver assistance devices (ADAS). In addition, it also emphasizes that the 12.3-inch interactive TFT display, front seat ventilation and driver’s massage seats, heated steering wheels, power trunk and easy open functions, and area views are commercial compared to domestic semi-large sedans. In this regard, a Volkswagen Korea official said, “Consumer judgment on product power comes from the number of sales,” adding, “Since the launch of the Passat GT, sales have reached 2,400 units, an average of 400 units per month, an increase of more than 300% compared to 2016, when the average was 110 units per month.”
The Volkswagen Polo-based T-Cross is a model located below the recently released T-Roc. Volkswagen plans to unveil the T-Cross, which will strengthen its SUV lineup, at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in October, and the launch will take place in 2019.
T-Cross, which has a similar style to T-Rock, emphasizes practicality as a large indoor space despite its small size. The T-Cross, which competes in the market with Nissan Zuk, Citroen C3 Aircross and Kia Stonic, offers a wider base 455 litres of rear loading space compared to its peers, and will increase to 1,281 litres when rear seats are folded, Volkswagen said.
The newly revealed teaser shows the inside and outside of the T-cross in detail. The T-Cross with the MQB chassis brings the design of the polo and the t-rock, and it changes the personality of the small SUV. Although the actual image has not yet been released, the appearance of the T-cross revealed through spy shots and teasers emphasized an angled style over the T-rock, and the rear was differentiated by a horizontal integrated tail light.
A wide range of options such as gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrids are expected to be provided as power sources for T-cross. Among them, the main engine is a new 1.0-liter turbo three-cylinder gasoline engine, and is expected to exert 115 horsepower at a maximum expected output of 75 horsepower. The transmission comes with a 5-speed or 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, and a dual-clutch automatic transmission is expected to be added as an option.
Volkswagen has said that GTI models can also be released in small models, and attention is being paid to whether this will apply to T-Cross. Polo and T-Cross use the same platform, so if the GTI model is released on the T-Cross, it is likely to be equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo engine. The engine is responsible for up to 197 horsepower in the Polo GTI.
As Tiguan’s position in the market was solidified, Volkswagen Korea immediately put forward the Passat GT. Unlike Tiguan, which has no special competitor, the Passat GT is a medium-sized sedan, so competition is fierce. There are strong competitors ranging from the Grandeur, a domestic car, to premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz C-Class. As a result, the company responded to the market with a North American Passat, which was highly competitive in price and space before the suspension of sales, but this time it competed head-on with a European premium sedan. And the results led to success, with sales increasing from the previous generation after re-entering the market, and in April, when India was fully delivered, it recorded the highest monthly sales ever at 809. In a nutshell, supply cannot keep up with demand.