VW Sales Continue To Hemorrhage - Down In 12.8% August

The 2015 Jetta sedan has been refined with updates that include some important updates including a crisp new look designed with aerodynamics in mind, a new interior, new diesel engine offering and a host of newly available driver assistance systems. The vehicle has already earned the top five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Standard safety equipment on the Jetta includes six airbags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control. New optional safety features include a blind-spot monitor, plus rear traffic alert and forward collision warning. The 2015 Jetta will go on sale this fall. Total Jetta deliveries for August, including SportWagen, accounted for 15,361 units.

The all-new, seventh generation Golf is off to a strong start with the Golf TSI and TDI Clean Diesel models are now more readily available in dealer showrooms. The all-new Golf and the all-new GTI are continuing to earn high praise in the industry including a Top Safety Pick + rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and most recently an “A” rating in the Edmunds.com Top Rated Awards, the highest rating handed down by the editors and evaluators at Edmunds.com.

“This summer we made some significant product introductions with the rollout of the all-new Golf family featuring more fuel efficient engines, improved versatility and safety along with an array of new technologies," said Mark McNabb, chief operating officer, Volkswagen of America. “With the updated 2015 Jetta hitting dealer showrooms this month, offering more driver assistance features and a NHTSA five-star rating, we are confident our refreshed lineup will spark more consumer demand for the brand."

The Chattanooga-built Passat totaled 9,190 units delivered for the month. In August the Passat TDI, the only clean diesel in the midsize sedan segment, delivered 2,767 clean diesels or 30.1percent of total Passat sales.

The Tiguan and Touareg delivered 2,151 and 686 units respectively.

ImTiredOfBeingRightALLTHETIME - 9/3/2014 12:02:31 PM

+1 Boost

When you have 5 Saturdays to sell cars in a month, Saturdays are by far the best selling days for any car dealer, and you still lose almost 15%, you might as well close up shop. That's pathetic!

America sure doesn't want anymore VW's.

USNA1999 - 9/3/2014 12:07:22 PM

+1 Boost

It has always been this way, they should close shop, cut all those jobs, save the headaches with the unions and move on. This is the same story with LEXUS and the European markets.

ImTiredOfBeingRightALLTHETIME - 9/3/2014 2:14:57 PM

+2 Boost

At least Lexus is growing overseas, not losing 15% a month.

USNA1999 - 9/3/2014 2:56:22 PM

+2 Boost

Actually sales in Europe and in South America are down, LoL!

USNA1999 - 9/3/2014 2:57:05 PM

+2 Boost

Oh wait, in most of South America they are still sold as Toyotas.

carsnyc - 9/3/2014 12:17:11 PM

+2 Boost

There's little chance for a VW come back in the near term. They recently introduced their 2015 line and you just wanted to cry.

Lexus in Europe, on the other hand, is more of a cultural barrier problem. The cars are good but the Europeans will not warm their hearts to them that easily.

mini22 - 9/3/2014 12:50:46 PM

+3 Boost

Well 2 bright spots are the new Golf which appears to be taking hold and the Jetta which appears to be bottoming out. With the mid cycle refresh on the Jetta, it's sales should start to pick up. It has improved interior materials, improved crash structure, a great performing 1.8 engine and decent interior room. While stile conservative the exterior is also been improved in my eyes. I think VW really needs to figure out the Beetle and how it should be positioned. If VW is not bringing in the Scirocco than the suspension and chassis on the Beetle should be updated to make it more of a sports car rather than just a runabout. I would lower it by a couple of inches,update the suspension, give it's engine slightly more power than the Golf or Jetta in 1.8 guise, include sporty seats and sporty gauges on the dash. Further offer the Dune in a Sport AWD form and give it 300 HP. Due a Roadster or Spider. As for the Passat it needs a more luxury looking interior. Even base models should have wood accents. It's exterior needs a restyle to separate it from Jetta. Again-still no larger American made SUV at a lower price point than Tiguan. That vehicle is still overpriced. VW should look at a pickup truck as well.

carsnyc - 9/3/2014 1:59:42 PM

+1 Boost

The Golf might be picking up but small hatchbacks (regardless of how special they feel) will never produce bulk numbers in the U.S. This has been proven by VW itself.

The Jetta is tiring to look at regardless of how many silly gadgets you keep adding to it. Also, I'm not so sure what great performing engine you are referring to in this car.

The Passat is handsome but it desperately needs a replacement. No Accord/6/Fusion shopper would even consider it especially with an engine 10 or 15% less powerful.

The Tiguan: No comments!

All of the above on top of VW's ill-perceived quality that does not seem to go away. Years later, people still complain about the electrics, brakes, A/C, etc...

IMHO, VW needs to ask mama Audi for their high output engine leftovers; e.g. 2.0 liters producing 220+ horses, and package them in better rounded Jettas and Passats. Inject them with all the Euro flair that attracts people to the more expensive German counterparts; and finally, offer the most extensive warranty coverage in the U.S. -They are the VW Auto Group and their coffers are full$ to cover the big expense.

MattDarringer - 9/3/2014 8:05:01 PM

+1 Boost

Stupid products + bad reliability + high maintenance costs = clusterblam. VW is imploding in its own stupidity. Piech need to have a heart attack and die, Mulally needs to take over, and their greedy union needs to be shanked and eviscerated!

Autopinion - 9/3/2014 11:10:13 PM

+2 Boost

What's the deal? This headline features VW sales "Hemorrhage" and then continues with VW sales pitch / press release content about the ANEMIC 2015 Jetta refresh? Agent 009: you're giving VAG too much slack.

mini22 - 9/4/2014 4:26:30 PM

+1 Boost

carsnyc-The 1.8 engine in the Golf, Jetta, and Passat is a very refined engine with plenty of power. Frankly it has transformed the Jetta from an also ran into coming in second place with a recent Car and Driver comparison. Also is it really required that a car maker equip it's dashboard to look like Nintendo Game Boy like what Honda does with the Civic. What really hurts VW is it's reliability. Why can't they figure this out? Also it seems it's a no brainer that they need to build more of their vehicles in either the US or Mexico. Why is it taking them so long to replace the Tiguan with a larger and cheaper vehicle? Where is the pickup truck? Where is the 4dr Beetle. Where is the Roadster Beetle? When will the Passat be styled away from looking like a large Jetta? I understand that Scirocco sales would only potentially ever add a sliver to sales but should there not be a halo vehicle. I mean Germans are smart people. VW sees what the competition is doing in the US. What is stopping them from observing and learning. It's if VAG lives in a vacumm unaware of what is going on around it. Mind boggeling!!!

40flash - 9/5/2014 9:33:06 AM

+1 Boost

Reliability and the perceived cost to own and operate is a big deal. These things hurt both VW and BMW. BMWs market share would go through the roof if it weren't for the perceived cost to own & operate. I've never owned a BMW even though I've been turned on by many of them. I think many people would buy if they weren't perceived as overpriced and that they are perceived as having a high cost to own & operate. VW suffers from the same problem except their boring to look at. Most Americans buy based on looks & perceived costs. People don't want to spend that much money on boring looking cars. BMW doesn't share that problem which may explain it's better market share.