They've done a brilliant job.
Modern cars are never going to be as over engineered as the mk1/2 Golfs were but the Modern mk6 is still a quality piece of work.
The design-->production process and comunication at VW was dire, well a shambles, no a disgrace/mess. Its why the mk5 was expensive to produce. I work with Design Engineers similar to ones like designed certain asspects of the mk5 and don't think too far ahead and how are you going to produce that on a large scale to small tolerances. Having to assemble all those tiny parts when you could have made it one larger peace and had the same performance, I have to head them off daily.
Other companies manage to cut the cost but don't cut as many corners and design things the correct way and take basic design principals into account why carn't VW. Maybe its the high labour rates and been held to ransom by there workforce so they have to cut back even further than any other company to keep the price right.
Heres an example, VW in the trade (other car manufacturers) was held in very high regard to there look of the engine bay. They wanted to copy it. The covers the engine skid pans etc. Now they laff at VW for cutting corners in there. :embarassed:
I think The difference is you guys use the word 'quality' like marketing men use it and jounos, basically saying it has a nice feeling expensive looking interior. But i use the word as engineers do, correctly designed, extreme enviromental tested for extended periords, tested to distruction, designed for idiot quick assembly, built right, correctly assembled, no evidence of extreme cost cutting, etc etc. As a designer you don't have to cut corners extremely to cut costs if you know what your doing.
Anyway thats enough of my ranting as im starting to repeat myself... Time to get back on topic for me.
They produce different versions of the same car with different badges because they can get away with doing it and they appeal to different groups. I know alot of other companys thought VWgroup would fall flat on there face doing it as there was too many over lapping cars. Now though alot of them have started doing it themselfs as they realise the BADGE meens alot to some people.
