Volkswagen has confirmed a new budget-beating brand which is due to launch in China in 2019 and then simmer through to Mexico, Brazil and India depending on how well the cars perform in the market. The line-up will consist of a small sedan and SUV which will utilise the old Golf’s platform.
After an interview with Auto Express, it was revealed that the unnamed brand was strategised while using Great Wall’s Haval brand as a quality and sales yardstick for the Chinese market. This is how Volkswagen’s senior officials came up with a target opening retail price of around R135 000.
The PQ chassis architecture of the Mk6 Golf will be used as a means of keeping costs down but Volkswagen’s development boss Dr Frank Welsh has mentioned that the brand would also use some of the MQB’s components. The vehicles will be built in partnership with VW’s Chinese joint-venture partner FAW.
Dr Welsch also conveyed that VW’s Chinese operation “has been immune from any Dieselgate emissions-cheating fallout, because the Chinese don’t tend to buy diesel passenger vehicles.” As a result, the new budget brand’s vehicles will be powered by Volkswagen’s petrol powered engines.
Considering that we currently have the Polo Vivo range, it is unlikely for us to see this brand emerge in South Africa, however a cheaper SUV from the brand doesn’t sound like a bad idea as a competitor for Suzuki and Mahindra. We do get the Indian-built Polo Sedan (internationally known as the Vento) so only time will tell if this division ever sees South African shores.