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I had an interesting conversation with a Volkswagen rep over Californian wine while staying in Napa Valley, recently. I asked him if VW was “worried” about other car companies finally waking up to bringing affordable, well-performing diesel cars to North America. Since the German automaker has, essentially, held a monopoly over that market in NA for decades now, the idea of competition must make them a bit nervous, no?
No.
Don't think he was being all haughty about Volkswagen's superiority, he wasn't. The German juggernaut isn't worried because they hope companies like Honda, Mazda and Chevrolet will work with them to bring out more diesel buyers in general.
Instead of competition, VW sees the Chevy Cruze diesel, the upcoming Mazda6 diesel and the (hopefully soon) upcoming Honda Accord diesel as allies, a means to bringing more diesels to North America even if they aren't under the VW badge.
Instead of splitting an already small market percentage amongst the different diesels that will be available on the market in the near future, VW just wants to make that percentage grow overall. Instead of 3.4% diesels in Canada, let's make it 10.1% spread across a few different brands. That's the goal here.
Why? Because North America truly is a fabulous market for diesels, we've just not opened our eyes wide enough to the idea yet. Just like that dreadful word “wagon,” we've got to warm up to the idea of diesel and how good they can truly be -- and the fact that they aren't just for pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.
Our aversion to diesel always kind of baffled me. It used to be a cheaper gas option, lasts longer in the tank, and the torque is generally quite fun - so what's the problem? The engine is a bit loud? So what. The gas can smell a bit rank while you're pumping? Keep gloves in your car or carry hand sanitizer in your glove box. The exhaust is dirty and causes the rear bumper to turn black? Um, nope, not anymore. Manufacturers have gone to great lengths to develop clean diesel that not only keeps your car exterior clean, but the environment, too.
As a final thought, the Volkswagen gentleman I was having this conversation with said that one other reason VW truly isn't worried, and is more excited about the prospect, about other manufacturers offering diesel models is their variety of diesels. They've got six different models available with diesel engines. Perhaps that monopoly's not quite over after all. In fact, 75% of diesel passenger cars and SUVs carry a VW badge in the US. If you add Audi and Porsche, that number jumps to well over 80%.
Here's to diesels for all; time to wake up and smell the burning lowered-sulfur.
No.
Don't think he was being all haughty about Volkswagen's superiority, he wasn't. The German juggernaut isn't worried because they hope companies like Honda, Mazda and Chevrolet will work with them to bring out more diesel buyers in general.
Instead of competition, VW sees the Chevy Cruze diesel, the upcoming Mazda6 diesel and the (hopefully soon) upcoming Honda Accord diesel as allies, a means to bringing more diesels to North America even if they aren't under the VW badge.
Instead of splitting an already small market percentage amongst the different diesels that will be available on the market in the near future, VW just wants to make that percentage grow overall. Instead of 3.4% diesels in Canada, let's make it 10.1% spread across a few different brands. That's the goal here.
Why? Because North America truly is a fabulous market for diesels, we've just not opened our eyes wide enough to the idea yet. Just like that dreadful word “wagon,” we've got to warm up to the idea of diesel and how good they can truly be -- and the fact that they aren't just for pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.
Our aversion to diesel always kind of baffled me. It used to be a cheaper gas option, lasts longer in the tank, and the torque is generally quite fun - so what's the problem? The engine is a bit loud? So what. The gas can smell a bit rank while you're pumping? Keep gloves in your car or carry hand sanitizer in your glove box. The exhaust is dirty and causes the rear bumper to turn black? Um, nope, not anymore. Manufacturers have gone to great lengths to develop clean diesel that not only keeps your car exterior clean, but the environment, too.
As a final thought, the Volkswagen gentleman I was having this conversation with said that one other reason VW truly isn't worried, and is more excited about the prospect, about other manufacturers offering diesel models is their variety of diesels. They've got six different models available with diesel engines. Perhaps that monopoly's not quite over after all. In fact, 75% of diesel passenger cars and SUVs carry a VW badge in the US. If you add Audi and Porsche, that number jumps to well over 80%.
Here's to diesels for all; time to wake up and smell the burning lowered-sulfur.
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| Photo: Alexandra Straub |