"Volkswagen will step up its presence in the crossover-SUV market in a big way as the automaker elbows its way into the mainstream of the U.S. car market.
VW is in the early stages of an ambitious plan to boost its American car sales from 324,400 last year to 800,000 by 2018.
"We need a core of products to drive our volume," VW of America CEO Jonathan Browning says.
A couple of years ago, the goal looked like a pipe dream. A couple of strong new cars changed that. Sales of the Jetta compact sedan soared 54.5% last year to 150,513. After just a few months in production, the new Passat midsize sedan is selling so well that VW hired 1,000 people at its new U.S. assembly plant, a move that will raise its capacity to 170,000-180,000 cars a year. Further refinements at the plant are expected to increase its output to 250,000 Passats annually.
After decades of trying to convince Americans to buy cars engineered and priced for European tastes, VW aimed those cars at the heart of the American car market. It reduced Jetta prices to compete with popular models like the Honda Civic. The new Passat's size and price pit it squarely against favorites like the Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry." [Read more]
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