VW have announced that VAG will be split into 3 Divisions:

 

Volume Vehicles - SEAT, Skoda and light vans

Premium Vehicles - VW and Audi

Super Premium Vehicles - Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini

 

A neat move to make keep the German Unions quiet and to make sure Skoda can't raid the new parts bin anymore

The Karoq may be the last Skoda that is actually better than it's VW counterpart

 

Just how they intend to convince a sceptical US Market and the rest of the World  that VW is a premium brand will be interesting to watch - remember the Phaeton?

 

 

 

Mike

 

With the VW Golf aimed at the Ford Focus and in direct competition with it, and being in that particularly niche market, I wouldn’t call it exactly premium.

Edited 14 April, 20188 yr by Karman

BMW, Mercedes, Audi are German premium but VW is 'go to, if your budget is less, think that is general trend, VW considered to be cheaper alternative and yet reliable choice for customers.

 

Think VW has challenge ahead. However Skoda has way to go too, if i take for example VW Touraq, i think if i load it with all options it does come out looking and feel more premium than loaded Kodiaq.

Edited 14 April, 20188 yr by vadimo

Karman,

I thought it would be the other way around, the Ford Focus aimed at the VW Golf .

 

Colin

They are I would say in direct completion with one another, which to me is the mass market.

Skoda & SEAT sell in Low Volumes compared to VW's.     So probs there as in Lost in Translation..

The 19 new Skoda Models by the end 2020 are not going to be all Budget are they, 

Hybrid and EV, vRS / Sportline Kodiaq / Karoq / Superb's.

 

Up!MiiCitigo  built in the same factory,  Budget cars except the e-Up,  but the Citigo-e is supposedly coming.

 

Cupra  is now supposedly the Performance arm of SEAT.

 

You can fool some of the people all of the time but not all the people all of the time.

Edited 14 April, 20188 yr by Offski

VAG can allocate whatever names they like to their vehicles. If customer service, price and quality do not meet that of their competitors then they are in trouble.

Thanks to stupidly cheap leasing deals I don't really regard many car brands as  'premium' as I used to.

 

There are kids round here that look as if they couldn't run a bath, but they can run a VW Golf GTi, Audi A1/A3 et al?

 

I really don't live in an affluent area and yet I cannot  move for RR Whateverstheflavourthisseasonsfavourite, Masaratti Quatroporte's, Jaguar F Type SVR's, 2 Ford Mustangs and a Bentley Bentayga.

 

When I was much younger and I saw someone driving that eras equivalent to those listed above, I used to think someone had made it. Now I just wonder how cheap the lease is. 

37 minutes ago, Fin69 said:

Thanks to stupidly cheap leasing deals I don't really regard many car brands as  'premium' as I used to.

 

There are kids round here that look as if they couldn't run a bath, but they can run a VW Golf GTi, Audi A1/A3 et al?

 

I really don't live in an affluent area and yet I cannot  move for RR Whateverstheflavourthisseasonsfavourite, Masaratti Quatroporte's, Jaguar F Type SVR's, 2 Ford Mustangs and a Bentley Bentayga.

 

When I was much younger and I saw someone driving that eras equivalent to those listed above, I used to think someone had made it. Now I just wonder how cheap the lease is. 

You are so right you are, now kids just past their test drive around in Mercedes or BMW on cheap pcp or pch deals.

10 hours ago, Fin69 said:

Thanks to stupidly cheap leasing deals I don't really regard many car brands as  'premium' as I used to.

 

There are kids round here that look as if they couldn't run a bath, but they can run a VW Golf GTi, Audi A1/A3 et al?

 

I really don't live in an affluent area and yet I cannot  move for RR Whateverstheflavourthisseasonsfavourite, Masaratti Quatroporte's, Jaguar F Type SVR's, 2 Ford Mustangs and a Bentley Bentayga.

 

When I was much younger and I saw someone driving that eras equivalent to those listed above, I used to think someone had made it. Now I just wonder how cheap the lease is. 

So so true in my day if you had. Escort xr3i it was a sign you were quite high up for example in the bank like the manager, while people like my dad would have the poverty spec escort and be a admin worker.

 

It's scary to think pcp lease deals are the way forward now.

 

Davy

22 minutes ago, Skodaboy1983 said:

So so true in my day if you had. Escort xr3i it was a sign you were quite high up for example in the bank like the manager, while people like my dad would have the poverty spec escort and be a admin worker.

 

It's scary to think pcp lease deals are the way forward now.

 

Davy

Just like the good old US of A. Does anyone finance their own cars there these days. Call me old fashioned but I still bankroll my own cars. Saying that after 5 years they are hardly worth much so there is a point to it. Time you factor in excise duty and repairs.

^^^ Just do not buy crap volume or premium VW Group vehicles then that can be worth little after 5 years, rent those because that is how the VW Group work, as a Lender of Finance,

Just buy their best built ones without all the snagging faults that they build in version after version, or properly built cars from other manufacturers and make them a keeper.

10 years or more and funnily they can still be desirable and worth a few grand selling, or just keep them even longer.

 

 

Edited 15 April, 20188 yr by Offski

1 hour ago, Offski said:

^^^ Just do not buy crap volume or premium VW Group vehicles then that can be worth little after 5 years, rent those because that is how the VW Group work, as a Lender of Finance,

Just buy their best built ones without all the snagging faults that they build in version after version, or properly built cars from other manufacturers and make them a keeper.

10 years or more and funnily they can still be desirable and worth a few grand selling, or just keep them even longer.

 

 

Some very good T-Roc petrol options around at sensible money.

https://usedcars.volkswagen.co.uk/en/used-cars/volkswagen/t-roc/2017-15-tsi-sel-150ps-evo-fkblc8t

https://usedcars.volkswagen.co.uk/en/used-cars/volkswagen/t-roc/2017-20-tsi-sel-190ps-4motion-dsg-gjbll3z

 

 

Edited 15 April, 20188 yr by vrskeith

Ferdinand Piëch had this idea 20+ years ago. I'll believe it when I see it.

To get good fuel consumption and low emissions they have had to go VW508 /509 with the 0w 20 FS LL oil. 

 

That is certainly Prestige / Premium priced. Good for those leasing and on Variable / Flexible servicing or a Service plan and it being done maybe once before the car is handed back and in the used car market.

 

Running costs of AWD / DSG Petrols and Diesels are going high now, Haldex and Brake Fluid at 3 years, DSG 38,000 or 40,000 miles Audi or VW/Skoda/SEAT dependent.

A/C servicing at 2 years, Pollen Filter @ 2 years. VW Washer Fluid,   Heavy tyre air!!

 

Those buying these 3 year old or nearly bargains best make sure Full Main Dealer Servicing means that the Servicing was all actually done to the Manufacturers Service  Schedules 

AKA 'Guidelines'.

Might let Skoda do their own thing again.

 

Car prices are so random now. The lower brands have pumped their prices so much they make the premium marques look good value.