New VW Touran - In Depth

Press Release

Page 1 - Overview of facts and figures
Page 2 - Positioning
Page 3 - Interior
Page 4 - Body
Page 5 - Transmission
Page 6 - Running Gear
Page 7 - Equipment
Page 8 - Auto 5000 GmbH

New VW Touran - In Depth

1.) Positioning Multivariable family, leisure and business transport

• 72 percent of potential customers have children under 18
  
• Volkswagen’s third MPV now joins the Sharan and Multivan
  

In the first quarter of 2003, Volkswagen is adding the innovative Touran compact van to its model range. In addition to the Sharan and the latest Multivan model generation just introduced, Europe’s largest automobile manufacturer now has a third attractive van model line to offer its customers. It s 53 years since Volkswagen began to build its first-ever “van�, the Type 22, which became world-famous as the “VW Bus� and can be regarded as the ancestor of all today’s MPVs. Volkswagen’s aim with the Touran has been to produce a thoroughly well-planned form of multivariable transport for the family, leisure and business purposes The body, the interior, the running gear and the driveline concept are totally new developments; the Touran has five separate seats, but another two are available as an optional extra. Among this van’s most significant features are its multivariable interior layout, which makes exceptionally good use of the available space, its high quality standard, its pioneering suspension design and an innovative driveline concept. The Touran’s character as an all-rounder makes it ideal as highly versatile transport for family, leisure and business transport. Within Western Europe’s ‘A’ market segment comprising the lower midsize or ‘Golf’ car category, the multipurpose vehicles (MPVs) represent the second-largest group, with sales of approximately 1,200,000 in 2001, equivalent to a 22.4 percent share of this segment. In the long term, forecasts state that the MPVs could even account for a 50 percent share of this segment. They achieve their highest sales volume in Germany and France, followed by Italy, Great Britain and Spain. Although series production will only start in 2003, Volkswagen plans to deliver some 130,000 Tourans by the end of the year. From 2004 onwards, there will be production capacity for up to 200,000 of these compact vans annually in Wolfsburg. The Touran reaches the market with the most innovative interior layout, the most modern engines and the highest quality Many of its features elevate the Touran to the status of ‘best in class’. As a new model line, this van will make its conquests from two existing vehicle categories in this class. The first is the traditional ‘estate car’, which will lose sales to the much more versatile MPV. The second and more important group consists of direct competitors. The Touran is superior to them on account of its exceptionally intelligent interior layout, its higher perceived quality, its more advanced engines and transmissions and its remarkable agile, safe running gear. 72 percent of the Touran’s potential customers in Europe have growing children To the extent that market research can determine, the typical Touran purchaser will have the following characteristics: 72 percent of the potential customers in Europe have children under the age of 18, the customers’ average age is 42, 60 percent run a second car and their average net household income is approximately 3,000 Euro. It is interesting to note that for about 60 percent of potential customers in Europe, functional efficiency and versatility lie ahead of available space as the most important reason for purchase, followed by size and available space (33 percent) and price/value for money (28 percent). Incidentally, there is no other type of new vehicle for which the purchase decision is taken as frequently by the complete family (70 percent). The bottom line of the socio-demographic analysis is that the main groups of people who choose the Touran are families, active people who need plenty of carrying capacity for their sport and leisure interests, customers looking for greater functional efficiency and versatility and self-employed people who will run the Touran privately and/or for business purposes.