Volkswagen Plans US Offensive

so vw wants to overtake toyota as the world's number 1 automaker? firstly you cant take their cars seriously (as why would they be accepting their own problems) and now we cant take their visions seriously either. overtake toyota!!!? are they completly mad? vw you need to be realistic in your goals guys. its starts with products that people actually WANT and DESIRE.

It's true, Toyota had reliability on their side, but that is slipping. Hyundai/Kia is the up and coming economy leader. But as for VW, I do cold weather testing for them up in Fairbanks, AK. Desirable cars? How about the GTI/GLI? R32? There are some build issues, but they are fixing them quickly, but the performance is there, and the overall package is terrific performance/value. Meanwhile, Toyota are the masters of blandness and dull design. Take VW's developing portfolio, add the new, incredible TDI engines, instead of the lame, yestertech "hybrid" technology, and I can easily believe VW has the momentum to knock Toyota off it's marketing perch.

so we have a jetta that looks like a bad corolla, what next. things do not bode well if that is the direction of a great company

overtake toyota..thats never gonna happen. First of, theyre too high end on the scale with the Touraeg and the Phaeton (which was very stupid and also a horrid failure). You can't beat toyota in output, especially with their all time best-selling camry.

one should not forgett that the US is the largest single carmarket but by 2018 it will most likely not be that way anymore. VW is very well set up in China and Europe as well as in the south americas, selling somewhat 5 million cars a year. What other long term goal can they set, than aiming at the top spot? the only thing that I do not understand is the direction to design for the us market, if anything sophisticated buyers want european driving manners and style when they shop for a euro upper class car...not a crown vic.

For once I enjoy reading the comments. They're topic related, and without stupid race discriminations. I think VW has a shot but it's highly unlikely that it can overtake Toyota. VW makes some good looking car but it needs work on product reliability issue and product line up. I do miss the Corrado though.

I love VWs, but to take out Toyota as the #1 automaker is going to be a very difficult task if not impossible. Toyota has been building customer loyalty and confidence for over 20 years. With VWs having the reliability they have today it will take until 2030 for that to happen considering they sell 300K jettas/rabbits, 350K passats a year, 100K tiguans, 80K touaregs, ummmm.... pick-up trucks?? enough said.... unless they are the red sox in the ALCS of '04 and '07 they have the odds against them loosing the series 0-3!!!!

I think Volkswagen are on a roll worldwide...but in America they need 3 models urgently. 1.The Jetta TDI sedan . 2.The Jetta sports wagon. 3.The Tiguan. With an American plant making Jettas for America...and vMexico at full capacity...their sales estimated should be reached. I hope so. Love VWs .Find Toyotas bland dull and conservative.