Press Release

The company: Philosophy and business areas

• Specialists for attainable dreams

• Volkswagen Individual GmbH builds cars with exclusive optional equipment as well as ready-built cars

• Tailor-made solutions for all mobile avenues of society

The demand for individualized ready-built vehicles and exclusive equipment features is constantly growing. Some drivers only want uniquely-designed wheels or their iPod integrated into the standard Volkswagen sound system. Others dream of a refined interior with special leather or wooden inlays. And then there are a large number of others who dream of a car individualized to the core.

In order to be able to fulfill all these dreams in a highly flexible manner and deliver them in convincing quality, In February 2003 Volkswagen AG founded Volkswagen Individual GmbH headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Ever since then, Volkswagen has been developing, manufacturing and marketing cars that come with a certain extra in terms of individuality, specialization and/or sportiness under the name of Volkswagen Individual. While at the same time under the roof of Volkswagen Individual high-end technical equipment and special-purpose vehicles for government use (e.g. police) and rescue units (e.g. ambulances) are developed and produced.

For almost all series of the high volume brand and in addition to already existing programs, Volkswagen Individual GmbH offers high-end refinement when it comes to design oriented optional equipment or innovative upgrades. Volkswagen Individual has centered its program into three business areas, “Individual”, “R” and “Product Impulses”, and covers everything from high end components to ready-built vehicles with especially elegant or sporty optional equipment direct from the factory up to implementing totally new vehicle designs. Additionally, Volkswagen Individual GmbH’s staff of 207 manufactures built-to-order vehicles, the Exclusives. The maximum range of feasibility can be found in the “Phaeton Lounge” exclusive, a unique stretch version of the luxury class series model. All projects are conducted in close cooperation with Volkswagen's R&D and with Volkswagen Design.

It is quite remarkable that through Volkswagen Individual all Volkswagen customers have access to an upgrade program otherwise only offered by luxury brands such as Bentley. Assistance and consulting is offered through Volkswagen dealers and through an independent service-hotline. No matter if a Golf customer is selecting his wheels or a Touareg owner his individualized V10 TDI they can always expect a high level of expertise and proficiency.

The product brands of Volkswagen Individual in detail

Volkswagen Individual

The VW subsidiary designs and sells both exclusive models as well as individualization options direct from the factory under the “Individual” label. The selection ranges from special exterior paints, design-oriented attached parts, wheels and refined applications and multi-colored leather equipment in the interior to entertainment systems.

Thus far, the Volkswagen Golf, Eos, Passat, Passat Variant and Touareg are the ready-built vehicles being offered as "Individual Models". In addition, individual elements of the Individual program can be combined with one other. This way, customers that don't opt for a ready-built Individual car have extensive options for fine tuning their car. Options include, for example, design packages with exclusive leather interior equipment, special body paints or modern entertainment systems.

The Volkswagen specialists offer tailor-made "individualization" for the Golf, Golf Plus, Jetta, Touran, Eos, Sharan, Passat, Passat Variant, Touareg and Phaeton. At the top of the service offering under the "Individual" label are the partially handmade individual items, the Exclusives.

R models

Already with the first Golf R32, still based on the fourth Generation of the bestselling Golf, Volkswagen satisfied the demand for an exclusively equipped, top of the line Golf with especially high-performance engines. 14,000 units were sold, far more than originally planned. On the foundation of this success the idea arose to develop a whole series of R models in the future – a typical job for Volkswagen Individual GmbH. The second Golf R32, 184 kW / 250 hp, equipped with 4Motion four-wheel drive as standard equipment, made its start in 2005. The new Passat R36, which debuted at the Essen Motor Show 2006, also captivates with confident understatement. The most powerful Passat of all times has a 3.6 liter six-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine (3.6 FSI) with 220 kW / 300 hp.

The special tasks of Volkswagen Individual in detail

Product Impulses

With a high level of creativity Volkswagen Individual GmbH carries out complete vehicle projects on a regular basis. Innovation and a lifestyle orientation stand out in these models. Examples of these are special series such as the Golf GTI Edition 30 and the Polo GTI Cup Edition. In addition, the specialists also develop new vehicle ideas, the crossover models, for instance. Crossover is a category that combines the best of two worlds. They are cars that fill market niches or create new ones. Here Volkswagen Individual has also developed a complete program, which under the label with the extra "Cross" designation merges two segments into a new one. The first model of this new series is the CrossPolo, introduced in 2005. The smart four-door combines the advantages of a compact car with the style elements of an SUV and thus lends itself as a practical and lifestyle-oriented all-round talent. Another example is the CrossGolf, which Volkswagen premiered at the Paris Auto Show 2006. It merges the can-do qualities of a compact SUV with the versatility of a small MPV into a new crossover model.

Development services

As an R&D partner Volkswagen Individual creates ready-built special-purpose vehicles (e. g. police cars and ambulances) and equipment components for special-purpose vehicles (e. g. cars for handicapped and driving school cars). Another field of activity with increasing relevance in times of constantly rising gas prices is the development of alternative propulsion systems. In taking that into account, the company is banking on natural gas as an especially economical and low emission source of energy. The latest examples here are the Touran EcoFuel and Caddy Life EcoFuel.