Following the surprise resignation of Volkswagen chief executive Bernd Pischetsrieder, CEO-designate Martin Winterkorn has already announced plans for restructuring at the automaker. Winterkorn wants to see more development synergy between the company’s brands, in order to reduce costs, according to Germany’s Spiegel weekly magazine.
One major change will include the formation of brand groupings. Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti will form a luxury/performance division, which only existed in hypothetically before. The arrangement is expected to be similar to Ford’s Premier Automotive Group.
Meanwhile, the Volkswagen brand, Skoda, and SEAT will form the volume division. It’s unclear how the changes will affect sharing between the VW and Audi brands, or how the four luxury brands might collaborate in the future. It’s also not clear how future involvement by Porsche might affect the arrangements.
11/13, 8:52 AM
posted by:
Brendino
Cool.
11/13, 9:14 AM
posted by:
angelo
PAG has been a “great” idea…. let’s copy it!
11/13, 9:14 AM
posted by:
angelo
(sarcasm)
11/13, 10:51 AM
posted by:
1234
When will VW give us a new microbus? Do they realize how strong the market still is for all those old VW vans in this country? It’s insane that we do not have all those great small vans that are all over the world here in the US.
11/13, 10:54 AM
posted by:
A4
hahaha yeah Ford isnt exactly someone i would want to mimic right now. I think its best off as it is right now… they ought to move Audi into the volume group. Yes they would prefer it to have an upscale image, but when next to bentley, lamborghini, and bugatti, it looks pathetic. Make bentley, lambo, and bugatti an “exotic” grouping, volkswagen and audi another group, and skoda/seat another group, with overlapping between each. oh wait, that would basically just make it what it is now… why bother changing it
11/13, 11:10 AM
posted by:
eam3
It certainly beats this clunker of an idea:
“Hey, I know, let’s release a $70K uber-sedan that is heavier than our own Audi A8 and we’ll slap a huge VW emblem on it because we know how prestigious the VW name is – especially in America where the VW name is equal to top notch quality and reliability.”
11/13, 11:27 AM
posted by:
audiot
Where is the Jetta wagon? It would instantly be one of the biggest sellers.
11/13, 12:06 PM
posted by:
A4
its coming… dont worry… spring 2007 or earlier is its estimated US launch. there is a GLI version confirmed as well
11/13, 1:47 PM
posted by:
kurtamaxxguy
About time. Now Audi can drop its entry level models (which are really Volkswagens) and focus on what it really wants to make/import – mid to high end street legal race cars with luxury interiors.
Hopefully VW will get a little more american mojo; all black GTI interior choice options are fine, but at least Audi understood not every sports car driver wishes to drive from inside a coal bin.
11/13, 1:55 PM
posted by:
A4
you can get tan interior on the GLI, better than nothing i guess, id still rather have black
11/14, 9:18 AM
posted by:
Aussie#1
wont make much difference really