The U.S. auto market may be in the midst of a decline, but Volkswagen feels that it can boost its U.S. sales by 5 percent this year. The German automaker is hoping the launch of four new products this year will help it reach its sales goal for 2008.
But a 5 percent increase won’t be easy, even with four new models. Through the first four months of the year, VW has sold 69,970 vehicles in the U.S. — a 0.8 percent increase over the same period last year, according to Automotive News. That means that VW will have to record 162,878 sales during the remainder of 2008, a 6.8 percent increase in business compared to the last eight months of 2007.
While most automakers are relying on heavy incentives to boost 2008 sales, VW will rely on its brand image to meet its 2008 sales goal. “Instead of discounting the product, we add value,” Toscan Bennett, vice president of product marketing and strategy for Volkswagen Group of America Inc., told Automotive News. “We want to sell the car, the brand and aspiration of driving a Volkswagen.”
VW will launch its Tiguan compact SUV this month, followed by the Jetta wagon in July, Routan minivan in September and CC sedan in October. VW will also launch a 50-state legal diesel Jetta in August.
Volkswagen is targeting 800,000 U.S. sales annually by 2018 — which will be aided by a soon-to-be-announced U.S. factory — but the automaker’s U.S. sales have been under 300,000 units a year since 2003.
