Volkswagen Confirms Crossovers Above And Below Tiguan - Will This Stop The Downward Spiral?

Volkswagen has announced plans to add two new crossovers to its lineup in the years to come.

Speaking to CarAdvice during the Australian launch of the Skoda Fabia, Volkswagen Group Australia managing director John White said VW will expand its crossover offerings by adding two new members, one positioned below the Tiguan while the other above it. The first one is expected to be a production version of the Taigun concepts and will be slotted in the subcompact crossover segment where it will compete with the Renault Captur, Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X and others.

TheSteve - 7/8/2015 4:06:51 PM

0 Boost

SUVs and crossovers are the preferred form-factor du jour for 4-wheelers, so it makes sense for VW to try to capitalize on this trend.

That aside, VW is plagued by the widespread perception that they make only entry-level vehicles, the purchase price is too high for what it is, there are too many initial and ongoing defects (meaning visits to the shop will be more frequent than expected), and the cost of maintenance and repairs is much higher than one would expect. These factors, together, will work against VW, even if they get their new SUVs right.

MDarringer - 7/8/2015 7:21:58 PM

-2 Boost

(1) VW is playing catch up on the trend given that the SUV trend began with the Jeep Cherokee of the 80s and the subsequent Ford Explorer. Forget that they missed the CRV and RAV4 being massive hits from the get go. Forget that that missed the Highlander and Pilot being big hits.

(2) VW does not design with the intended market in mind. Thus the Tiguan and the Touareg are non-competitive in the market.

(3) The CrossBlue was shown about two years ago and it's about two years from the showroom. That is incredibly slow to market.

TheSteve - 7/9/2015 11:32:31 AM

+2 Boost

I also don't get VW's market positioning. For example, their Touareg is more expensive than their sister company's Audi Q5, and yet Audi is branded as the luxury division, and to my eyes, the Q5 looks a lot better and is better equipped.

I believe the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) need to deliver products according to each brand's identity. Have VW be the practical people mover, which means it needs to be more cost-effective, and let Audi handle the upscale sales.

MDarringer - 7/10/2015 12:04:23 AM

+1 Boost

@The Steve VW has always been incoherent in its market placement. It's like it's utterly ashamed that it once made the Type I (Beetle) but that ethic of simplicity and durability is what they should embrace. They should have NOTHING that sells in the near-premium or premium segments.

Dr550 - 7/8/2015 7:14:12 PM

+2 Boost

VW needs to keep it simple. Great exterior design with a clean/modern interior. Also basic engines: a 3.2L V6 and a 2.5L 4 cylinder. No turbos or complex 4 wheel drive systems for better reliability. Learn from Toyota/Honda. Keep those same engine designs for 10+ years so they are bullet proof.

atc98092 - 7/8/2015 7:51:01 PM

+1 Boost

Can't hurt, unless they take forever to get them out and price them too high. We shall see...

MDarringer - 7/9/2015 9:43:54 AM

+1 Boost

And the CrossBlue is lagging to market.

carsnyc - 7/8/2015 11:04:49 PM

+4 Boost

I don't know. The damage is already done and buyers will tend to skip VW for a few years until reliability is reestablished

dumpsty - 7/10/2015 10:53:31 AM

+1 Boost

If VW sold Tiguans that look like the article photo, they'd probably sold a lot more. Every single example I saw in the road was bland. A broad set of exterior trim & tire/wheel packages would have done miracles.