Volkswagen Adding 100 US Dealerships by 2018
Volkswagen is planning to increase its presence in the U.S.
The German automaker is looking to add about 100 new dealerships in the U.S. by 2018 as part of the company’s growth strategy. Volkswagen currently has about 650 dealerships in the U.S. and will focus on expanding its dealer network where it currently lacks a presence. For the past two years, Volkswagen has struggled in the U.S. and the company is readying new products in hopes of reversing that trend including a new midsize crossover that is being previewed by the Cross Coupe GTE concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
2015 Detroit Auto Show Coverage
The production crossover is expected to arrive early 2017 while a redesigned, long-wheelbase Tiguan will come in the second quarter of 2017. Along with the crossover and SUV models, the company also is planning a redesigned Jetta for a late 2017 launch that will be followed by a new Passat in 2018.
According to Volkswagen CEO Michael Horn, “The U.S. market now is a key focus of the Volkswagen Group. It’s the most important market for us to get our further growth.” Other initiatives Horn outlined as part of rejuvenating the brand in the U.S. includes a new high-level board committee to make strategic decisions locally, a new engineering and development center at the company’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee and shortening the life cycle of its passenger cars to five years instead of seven.
GALLERY: Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE Concept
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Will service improve? That is what is needed. Dealing with the dealership the day after warranty expired was enough of a pain to steer me away and into the Mercedes dealership,
VW needs to work on the quality of the cars first before making such an expansion across the US. They have excellent products but they need to have reliability in them as well.