Good Idea? Volkswagen Ponders Performance Version Of The Passat

You are bleeding cash because of scandal and you think this is good idea...not. Piss on that Passat.

I'd encourage VW to earn back consumer trust by doing this:

(1) Create reasonably priced, practical people movers, with few defects, few visits to the repair shop, and reasonable maintenance and repair costs

(2) Treat your customers real nice, as though you actually care about them, and not just the money they drop at your feet

(3) Stop being the VW of the past and present. Be much more open, transparent, and honest. If you vehicles aren't genuinely compelling, then make better products instead of lying about their attributes and benefits.

(4) Once you got the basics nailed down, then think about a sportier this or slicker that.

With Passat sales deader than dead, why not try a Hail Mary move?

VW needs a 10/100 warranty.

As they introduce new models, the cars need to be given new names.

Advertising should have one corproate man i.e. VW's "Iacocca" who is the face and voice of VW. The tone should be that of an "outsider" "The VW that cheated is not the VW I came to work for. This is the new VW and over the next months and years, I will bring you exciting new models that are also honest."

Build the Up and Polo in China for the US market to get the Up at the Mitsubishi Mirage price point and the Polo at the Fiesta's price point.

Merge Golf and Jetta into the Jetta nameplate with Jetta being the only name worth saving

New mid-sized sedan with a new name.

A VW Avalon aimed at Buick

Crossovers right and left.

The real problem underlying the poor sales of VW in the USA is reliability - or rather the LACK of reliability- AND - the high cost of repairs. Some parts for VW are priced based on what they would be worth if made of gold(Price a transmission). So - what has happened is that people bought their first VW and unless it was a diesel - it was likely their last VW (unless they got lucky). There are already enough high performance versions of cars - and a limited market for them in every day cars. While it might result in a few sales that they would not have otherwise gotten (If the car is good) - I doubt it would be very profitable - and if VW goes heavy on the price as they normally do for higher line versions - it will sit in the show room.

A 10/100 warranty MIGHT address some peoples concerns - but as others have shown - people still would prefer a more reliable car that they do not constantly have to repair - instead of who pays for the repair.

I do not agree with your comment about the ADs - prolonging the time people remember the problem is not something they should even consider doing - people have for the most part already forgotten the unintended acceleration problems with Toyota - and consider that to be a reliable car.

I doubt that VW would consider coming in at LOW price points - their production in Europe is not that cheap to begin with. Coming in at Mitsubishi prices would devalue the whole brand - and they were trying to take VW upscale - not down. The fact is - though - they cannot even compete with Hyundai right now - there is nothing compelling about their cars - they are simply too conservative in the size areas they compete (Even Audi is too). Americans do not buy many hatchbacks - where the Golf sells well in Europe because they still do - along with Station Wagons. I believe there is a more compelling argument that could be made for bringing more station wagons here. But even that market is limited here.

It might take a new name(They have lots of them) - with more adventurous styling - to get them selling in the USA again.

After a little more consideration - I think that buying FCA might be the right move for VW. FCA needs the modern platforms that VW already has or are in development - and the engines as well. What FCA can offer is the apparent ability to design a good looking car - along with the ability to offer and "AMERICAN" make of car. Chrysler is looking for someone to produce their small cars for America - VW has lots of small cars that could be tweeked by FCA stylists to fill the bill. THis would be cheaper than trying to design an AMerican lineup of cars that VW really needs to be competitive. And VW would get the competitive 4x4s and Pick -ups that they don't have too. Won't happen - germany has already failed at Chrysler once - I doubt they would try again - but at least it is a thought.

Buying FCA would be a European clusterfuck that would take down VWAG and FCA. I love watching orgasms that result in perdition. Bring it on.

It needed to be a number of years ago and it needed to be the CC.

The parts are already there, VR6, B6 R-Type suspension components, Body panels. All it needed was to be trimmed up inside, and bigger wheels and tires.

OOOOHHH!

If VW buys FCA - the resulting carnage would provide years of schaden-freude viewing pleasure to me, that would make the Tesla debacle seem like a 3 minute infomercial.

I will be settling into my baracalounger to watch the carnage unfold!
If VW buys Fiat, maybe their will be a public pi--ing contest between Sergio Marchionne and whichever German guy now runs VW. It would be epic.