Volkswagen Philippines recently made motoring headlines when it unveiled a lineup of new vehicles that were aimed at a wider segment of the market. These vehicles, keen observers will note, weren’t just new; they were affordable as well. And this was what caught everyone’s attention.
Not that Volkswagen vehicles were expensive to begin with. They are, after all, German and this somehow entails a higher premium (in our market, at least). But thanks to the lower tariffs (around 5%) brought about by the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement, VW is able to offer the Santana MPI M/T Trendline at just P686,000. The Lavida 230 TSI DSG Comfortline goes for P1,171,000, while the Tiguan 280 TSI DSG Comfortline retails for P1,648,000. The two other offerings, the Santana GTS MPI DSG Comfortline and the Lamando 280 TSI DSG Highline, that will arrive in November shouldn’t be too pricey either.
And these are well-equipped models, mind you. Sure, they hail from China. But no less than Volkswagen Philippines Chief Operating Adivser Klaus Schadewald assured everyone that the China stigma does not apply here. During an informal media get-together last May 31, 2018 at Volkswagen Quezon Avenue, Schadewald explained that Volkswagen ensures that the high standards set by the brand are always maintained, wherever the cars come from.
Volkswagen is known for producing a wide range of vehicles in different parts of the world. The German marque has around 120 production plants across Europe, as well as 11 more in Asia, the Americas, and Africa. And yes, VW stakes its name on each and every vehicle, making sure that all of these meet the highest standards set from Day One.
If this isn’t enough to convince you, then consider this: out of the 10,038,650 vehicles sold globally in 2017, 4,173,834 were sourced from and sold in China. That’s how confident VW is about its Chinese-made vehicles.
Of course, VW still hasn’t forgotten about its other models, particularly the best-selling Jetta and Golf GTS. While it pushes the Sanata and company, VW will still offer the two erstwhile models with a full backing of parts and service. The brand did say, however, that it wuld “re-evaluate” their future availability based on market demand.
Moreover, VW is making ownership much easier and lighter on the pocket by offering a 3-year warranty on all models, along with a once-a-year or 10,000km service interval. This means you can stay on the road longer and not worry too much that running your ride will cost an arm and a leg.
So there you have it. Another assurance from the German carmaker itself that you need not worry about getting poor quality cars. As for the Jetta and Golf GTS, we do hope that they’ll be here to stay. After all, offering them side-by-side with their Chinese stablemates would only mean more choices and hopefully, more sales.
