Walked into VW dealer, and was surrounded by Vauxhalls

[Yusee]

It was like stepping back into Thatcher’s Britain on my last visit.

“ ghost town “ playing in my head

That’s just you looking for an excuse to play retro music in your head! 😁

All the main dealers down my way seem well stocked and doing a brisk trade. Must be all those “poor” farmers spending their millions to avoid inheritance tax! 🤐

But the service department are haranguing me constantly to book my service in which I can’t be bothered to do just yet. I’ll book it in for Xmas Eve to see if I get a free mince pie…

I’m a retro kind of guy 😉

Honestly, it’s the only tune that fits- the place was dead.

I too got a booking as soon as I wanted.

Hope you’re keeping well- I see you’re driving a 2023 car - getting a bit old, isn’t it?🤪

[Exonian]

2023 is pure retro by now too!

[Rudedog]

Had my rear pads done today so was interested how my local dealer was going to look like after many of the comments here.... it was absolutely rammed! Outside every space was full, cars were double parked while drivers dropped them off, stacks of new/used cars mainly ICE but a section had many big EVs - inside there were new cars around although I didn't note what they were.

Got given a 74 plate Golf GTE which I guess was a Mk8 (climate slider was not illuminated) - very odd car especially as the service guy described it as 'sporty', noticed how high off the ground it was compared to my GTI, not sure of the ICE engine size but going up a local steep hill it changed down and revs shot up to 4k - no idea what gear it was in - normally this would be 4th gear hill at 1900 rpm in my car - I even had to fill the screenwash as that was flashing up saying it was empty, soon discovered how bloody heavy the bonnet was - it weighed a tonne.  Can't say it was my cup of tea.

One small thing with the Dealers - I run my car setup to show kilometres, normally at it's yearly service I try and remember to switch it to miles - today I forgot and the paper work now has the 'mileage' shown as the value in kilometres (76k instead of 47k) - I know I should have changed it but to me it's a detail that should have been spotted (Km at end of number) and maybe brought up at handover.

Anyhow - all looks ok ay my local dealers.

[symonh2000]

I visited the local BMW last week, as my car needed an airbag recall.

In the showroom was a brand new BMW M135i.

I felt the same, it looked unremarkable and the interior wasn't especially great quality either. Certainly not what you would expect on a car with a £50k price tag on the screen.

Manufacturers are having to hike prices and cut quality just to survive in current market, sadly that is just going to make matters worse.

[Exonian]

A neighbour of mine has recently taken delivery of an F70 1 series, the exterior changes look pretty decent if you like Ford Fiestas, but the interior looks like they’ve done a VW as regards a 7.5 interior compared to a mk8(.5) - a lot of cost cutting gone on. You do still get a gas bonnet strut though. 😁

[P6GTD]

Prompted by the last two posts I looked at the BMW website for the 1 series.

Looks terribly bland …… the original version was quirky but at least different. Latest version is rather anonymous.

And ……. Looks like the 128ti has been dropped. That’s a shame.

Not many GTI alternatives left now.

[EB2019]

I was chatting with a VW 'scene low rider' recently and always wondered why VW were so S**t at coupe/saloon options.

The Bora had potential in the MK4, it was interesting with the front end, with lots of practicality in 4 door and a big-ish boot.  Later in the ROW the Jetta was bland and uninspiring like the Passat, but BMW produced and made it work with the Coupe/2 series. Which is now an enthusiast dream.

VW had an opportunity to develop an R a GTi version in a saloon but missed the boat IMO, it would have been a cheaper milder M2 or M135I equivalent with boot space and 4 doors, they could have even used 4WD and not followed the very niche 2 door TT which I like but was only a 2nd car for most.

The RS3 starts at 60k now, so plenty of room underneath for another model that could be a coupe/saloon, but it seems VW have so little vision/money/interest in providing anything interesting.




 

[Exonian]

The Scirocco being long dead now having morphed into an SUV (T-Roc) leaves VW with only the Arteon R if they still make it? The Passat CC never really made any headway this side of the Atlantic even when fitted with the VR6. The Yanks still get a decently styled Jetta GLi I think, but few in Europe would buy one.
I’d say an RS3 would likely be well north of £60k now once specced to how a typical RS3 owner would want one. And the humble Golf R is not far off £60k once specced up to the R brigade’s de facto level I’d imagine.
Mad world. VW are in the cart anyway, maybe they should switch production to tanks and drones to flog to their neighbour; only the Chinese do EV’s at the price point people can afford (at least in the UK where they don’t get hammered by import tariffs) so the Euro legacy marques are a bit stumped - can’t produce EV’s that people will buy in decent numbers and can’t sell too many ICE or they’ll get fined. Catch22.

[fredgroves]

Good summary exonian.

The problem as I see it is that with a combination of required safety equipment and emissions control you've increased the cost of any car. Then factor in the end of cheap finance and soaring inflation (impacting both your manufacturing costs and your customer's ability to have disposable income for a car) ... It basically means a car makers potential customer base is much smaller than for the last decade plus.

It's the perfect storm unfortunately and it's going to probably end mid price European manufactured cars.

High end of course will stay, the rich don't care but middle market with middle income customers...

What I think we will see at a minimum is this middle section reducing in model availability.

For vw specifically this is largely their place in the market. It's going to hit them the hardest of any marque IMHO

[EB2019]

Looks like death by a thousand cuts

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cje9kv3q94po

The attitude of slowly trying to cut cost over the next 5 years may leave them stuck between, investing in the future and more low quality offerings. The Germans already seem stuck with an economy with lots of manufacturing that no one wants, the  "Socially responsible manner" of the savings will only be good news for the competition, and by that I mean China.