Report: VW wants to buy Alfa Romeo

[Clivey]

As I've stated before: I can't understand how VW has become one of the most profitable car manufacturers in the World when you consider that they're essentially doing the same thing that Ford and GM were doing (badge-engineering half a dozen versions of the same car).

I mean: Let's take the current Golf platform (called the 'A5') - we have:

Audi A3: A supposed "premium"* version of the Golf.

* Read: Overpriced - to be bought by the same idiots that will spend £200 on a pair of jeans for the label, despite them being made to the same quality as the standard product in the same sweatshops. There's nothing wrong with it as such, but it's no better than the standard Golf



VW Scirocco - A "sporty" version of the Golf.

A Golf chassis in a less generic bodyshell - labelled as a "coupé" (when it's plainly just another 3-door hatch like the C4, Astra etc.) and sold at a premium despite being less practical than the Golf 3-door and offering no advantages besides the tarted-up body. Strange.



VW Golf - The "people's car" indeed.

A car that's trying to be everything - It's supposedly a cut above the Fords and Vauxhalls one minute and then the next it's being advertised as cheap or good value. Mostly bought by people with no imagination, who only consider residual values and blindly regurgitate the same dubious stereotypes regarding quality despite data showing average reliability.



VW Golf Plus - Plus what, exactly?

A Golf that...wait...no...I don't know either. It appears that this is VAG's biggest failed product on this platform - even the brand sheep can't figure-out what it is. It's not big enough to be an MPV but it's too big to be a regular hatch. Appeals to the elderly, who due to the high roofline can clamber in easily, or those with a penchant for large hats.



Séat Leon: - A "sporty" Golf...

...wait: Isn't that the Scirocco?

- A "value" Golf...

...wait: Isn't that the Octavia?

Apparently, Séat aren't hitting their sales targets - this isn't hard to imagine when you consider that their business plan is so confused. It's hard to tell what kind of car the Leon's supposed to be - which means that buyers just opt for the default Golf instead.



Skoda Octavia The "value" Golf...

...but isn't the Golf supposed to be good value? The Octavia offers more car for your money, but Skoda aren't permitted to use the very latest VAG technology as a result. Still, it's probably the most sensible choice of the lot - at least it's honest in that it's a decent quality, good value car with zero excitement or panache.

- It seems that this may finally be catching-up with VW: Séat have recently been found wanting in terms of sales figures. This comes as no surprise to me, but apparently VW will axe the brand if things don't improve...so, bearing that in mind: Why would VW want to add Alfa to their portfolio? They already have too many variations of a theme - all they're going to be doing is cannibalising their own sales and destroying a famous brand by turning their range into yet more badge-engineered Golfs or Passats. It seems stupid, to say the least.

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by Clivey

Mostly bought by people with no imagination, who only consider residual values and blindly regurgitate the same dubious stereotypes regarding quality despite data showing average reliability.

The numbers I have seen on Volkswagen reliability (in the form of initial quality as rated by J.D. Power and Associates) does not indicate average reliability - it indicates horrendous reliability.

See below. VW is third worst (in the US market), with 133 problems per 100 vehicles in the initial ownership period. I think the survey entails the first 60 days or a few months or something.

[NSXType-R]

You forgot the Audi TT.

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by NSXType-R

You forgot the Audi TT.

... And that's not all!

[Ferrer]

It's not all indeed.

There's a fundamental difference betweem the big 3 and VAG.

VW doesn't make all the cars look exactly the same.

[Clivey]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

... And that's not all!

I deliberately left out cars like the Audi TT and Skoda Yeti as despite them being based on the Golf platform, they are not competing with the Golf for sales - there is a distinguishable difference between the TT, for example, (it IS a coupé - unlike the Scirocco) and the Golf.

Originally Posted by Kitdy

The numbers I have seen on Volkswagen reliability (in the form of initial quality as rated by J.D. Power and Associates) does not indicate average reliability - it indicates horrendous reliability.

See below. VW is third worst (in the US market), with 133 problems per 100 vehicles in the initial ownership period. I think the survey entails the first 60 days or a few months or something.

I can believe that - Ze Germans are resting on laurels that were earned decades ago. Nowadays, if you want a truly reliable car, you buy Asian.

[Commodore GS/E]

I can believe that - Ze Germans are resting on laurels that were earned decades ago. Nowadays, if you want a truly reliable car, you buy Asian.

I know this sounds like I'm trying to defend our car industry, but... look at the HUUUUUUGE reliability difference between the cars built in europe and the ones built in north and south america. I won't back VW, though (they were never a true premium brand like Merc and BMW), but especially Merc and Opel have improved largely in the last years.

I have to agree that VW's corporation structure doesn't make any sense. Séat is somewhat unnecessary, Skoda's sales are cannibalizing VW's own, Porsche collides whith Audi, Audi collides with VW etc.. Conclusion: they are too big. That nearly killed GM, and it will also threaten VW in the future.

[Clivey]

Originally Posted by Commodore GS/E

I know this sounds like I'm trying to defend our car industry, but... look at the HUUUUUUGE reliability difference between the cars built in europe and the ones built in north and south america.

Have you got any sources of relevant reliability stats you can post a link to or upload? I'd be genuinely interested.

Originally Posted by Commodore GS/E

I won't back VW, though (they were never a true premium brand like Merc and BMW), but especially Merc and Opel have improved largely in the last years.

To be honest, I've never had a problem with Opel - I hadn't thought about them when typing-up my last post because being British, I only tend to see Vauxhall-branded cars and often overlook the fact that they're 'German' too.

Originally Posted by Commodore GS/E

I have to agree that VW's corporation structure doesn't make any sense. Séat is somewhat unnecessary, Skoda's sales are cannibalizing VW's own, Porsche collides whith Audi, Audi collides with VW etc.. Conclusion: they are too big. That nearly killed GM, and it will also threaten VW in the future.

Precisely. All of which makes any expression of interest in Alfa-Romeo by VW all the more bemusing.

[Commodore GS/E]

Have you got any sources of relevant reliability stats you can post a link to or upload? I'd be genuinely interested.

I'll search for the links, but it could take some time . I've already tracked a problem... I don't have acess to Consumer Reports' data (which is extremely relevant).