As Volkswagen works toward its well-publicized goal of selling 800,000 vehicles in the United States by 2018, the automaker’s Virginia-based regional headquarters is beginning to discover a problem: It doesn’t have enough dealers.
While other brands, namely Detroit’s Big 3, have been shedding dealers over the last two years to better align their outlets with demand, VW’s North American CEO says that “double digit” growth next year will require more showrooms.
“By 2014/15 we will have to add dealers across the U.S. to achieve our long-term objectives,” CEO Jonathan Browning told Automotive News last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Last year, VW sold around 253,000 cars and Browning says that it’s on track to deliver more than 300,000. Currently, the brand has 600 dealers in the U.S.
Much of VW’s growth spurt has come from its Jetta (pictured), which was redesigned with a decidedly U.S. focus for 2011. A larger back seat and a much lower price tag have caused grumblings among VW faithful and media critics cautious of VW’s “cheapening” approach, but buyers have lined up in droves. Jetta sales are up 63 percent so far this year and the model accounts for well over half of VW’s sales in this market.
References
1.’VW may need…’ view
