Product expert, analyze for us Volkswagen stand

What better opportunity than the Frankfurt Motor Show to take a look at our German rivals? We took advantage of the show to interview Frederic Papkoff, an analyst in the Product Planning Department, about the new models on the Volkswagen stand. He agreed to examine with us the significance of the brand's latest news.









www.Dusterclubs.ru: What new models have been revealed on the Volkswagen stand at this 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show?
Product expert: The main one is the Golf Sportsvan, which has replaced the Golf Plus. The name of this MPV based on the Golf has changed, but not the concept. It’s about the same length as the hatch version, the styling is typical of a Golf, and it will be competing with five-seat MPVs in the segment: Scenic, C4 Picasso, C-Max and Meriva. Seven-seat versions have been left to the Touran. With its sliding bench seat, the Golf Sportsvan is just as flexible as the Golf Plus.
Like the rest of the Golf range, it offers plenty of driving aids (the famous ADAS).


Other new models on the stand included electric versions of the Golf and the Up.








As regards exterior design, there is little difference between the electric versions and their conventional equivalents. Electric mobility is highlighted by some touches of blue around the headlamps and chrome elements. The e-Up includes some changes such as a luminous signature in the form of two large commas for the daytime running lights, and a redesigned grille.

Inside, the car features white and blue lacquer for a more relaxed, modern atmosphere.
These two vehicles are scheduled to go on sale by the end of 2013 or the start of 2014, mainly in Europe.







What are the strong points of the VW electric cars compared to ZOE?

There are no striking differences between these cars and a ZOE or Nissan LEAF. They do not have a bigger range: 160km for the Up and 190km for the Golf in an approved cycle (whereas ZOE offers 210km). They are not more spacious either. The recharging methods are similar to those used for ZOE, which will also be offering recharging from a domestic power point shortly.

As for prices, the Up will go on sale in Europe for €27,000, excluding tax incentives and including the battery. That brings it in line with the market and it is finally not cheaper than ZOE. The German magazine Autobild has compared the models and found that a driver would have to hire a ZOE for six years to close the price gap between the two vehicles in Germany.

The Golf should soon offer a battery hire system as we do with our electric vehicles.
The VW models do have one advantage: they offer drivers a choice of customised braking modes with two strengths of engine braking available through steering-wheel paddles. That’s reassuring for customers who can access more or less brake energy according to their needs.





Volkswagen is moving into the electric market in a big way. Is that bad news for us, less than a year after the launch of ZOE?

Volkswagen is obviously our most direct competitor as regards electric vehicles. It is the only volume manufacturer to have stated, as we have, that it wants to be the market leader and to have made a huge investment. But contrary to what one might think, this is actually more like good news for us, for several reasons. First, experience has taught us that when German automakers move into a segment, that helps it seem more credible and legitimate. Especially as the Golf has adopted the same business model as the one we chose: battery hire, which makes our economic model a benchmark. Second, the fact that a German automaker is moving into the market in a big way may speed the introduction of tax incentives in Germany, a country that is interested in electric mobility. Finally, the arrival of other manufacturers on a similar scale can only encourage the expansion of the recharging network.

Generally speaking, what are the current strong points of the Volkswagen brand?

It can easily be seen on the Volkswagen stand and the group’s other stands that the brand’s strong point is the standardisation of the parts used. Everything not immediately visible is identical in a SEAT, a Skoda and an Audi. The MBQ common platform on which today’s C-segment vehicles are based (the Golf, Audi A3, SEAT Leon, Octavia) will eventually cover all the vehicles in the range from the Polo to the Passat. Imagine the profitability of a platform on that scale, which is even broader than our CMF1 platform… Another point where Volkswagen clearly has the edge is perceived quality, even though it is not progessing as well as in the past. What’s interesting is that they have managed to maintain a very high level of perceived quality although the materials vary according to the brand.