What’s next for Volkswagen Philippines? (Part 1)

This is a two-part article. The link to Part 2 can be found after the last paragraph.

If you follow news about the Philippine automotive industry, you would be familiar with the fact that Volkswagen products sold here are made in China, by SAIC-Volkswagen to be exact. SAIC, which stands for Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, is the largest automaker in China and is one of VW’s joint venture partners in the country. The other one is First Automobile Works or FAW. 

You also may have read a previous article here on our website about the slightly updated Volkswagen Lavida in China. We noticed it while scrolling through the Chinese Volkswagen website as we wanted to see what possible models could the german brand add to its Philippine lineup. The company’s Chinese lineup actually has a wide variety of models made by SAIC and FAW, and imported from other countries as well. We’ll focus on the models made by SAIC-VW as the current Philippine lineup is sourced from them.

So what models do we think have the possibility of being introduced in the Philippines?

Lavida

The main topic of our previous article on Volkswagen was a slightly updated version of the Lavida compact sedan. As we wrote in the article, the overall car looks basically the same but with some minor differences. In front, it has a slightly updated bumper design. The halogen fog lights have also been replaced with a set of LEDs. The new design gives the front end a slightly more modern look. The rear on the other hand is basically the same but with lightly smoked taillights. according to the website but it isn’t very obvious. 

We noted in the article that there is actually a newer generation of the Lavida already available in the Chinese market. The one that was launched locally in 2018 is the second generation of the compact sedan. The new third generation Lavida is built in the Volkswagen Group’s MQB Platform which underpins many global models such as the new Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Arteon, Volkswagen Atlas, Audi A4, and Audi Q3 just to name a few. It looks very similar to the current generation Jetta which was sadly never introduced here.

The 3rd generation Volkswagen Lavida is powered by a 1.5-liter multi-point injection gasoline engine with 111 hp and 145 Nm of torque, paired to a direct shift gearbox if our Chinese translation skills are correct. It retails in China for RMB 136,900 or around Php 970,400. Considering the price of the current Lavida, the new one could come at just below Php 1,300,000.

Tiguan

One thing that disappointed many car enthusiasts and buyers was the fact that VW PH replaced the locally available 2nd generation of the Tiguan crossover with the Chinese-made 1st generation Tiguan L. What we got instead of the all-new model that was already available here and elsewhere around the globe was a long wheelbase version of the 1st generation Tiguan. It was definitely an upgrade compared to the older Tiguan made available when the brand was relaunched here.

What we did notice however was that the Tiguan L we get here is no longer listed on the Volkswagen China website. Only the second generation Tiguan and Tiguan L are available, basically the standard short wheelbase and a long wheelbase version. Could that mean that we might see a replacement for the current Tiguan L offered in our market? 

If we are still to get the Tiguan, we’ll probably continue to see a long wheelbase version but in 2nd generation form. This is made more evident by the fact that the SWB Tiguan is imported from outside China. For comparison, the Tiguan L’s body is 226 mm shorter than that of the standard wheelbase Tiguan. The Tiguan L is also available with a 7-seater option which is a feature that many Filipino car buyers want.

As for powertrain options, there is a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 147 hp and 250 Nm of torque, paired to a 6 or 7-speed Direct-shift gearbox. This is the same powertrain we currently get in the Philippines. The other option is a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 183 hp and 320 Nm of torque, paired to a 7-speed Direct-shift gearbox.

Pricing in China starts at RMB 221,800 up to RMB 253,800 or around Php 1,570,000 to Php 1,800,000.

Viloran

The Volkswagen Viloran is one of the newest models manufactured by SAIC-VW. While it currently isn’t on sale yet, this looks like a model that we want to see in our market rather than what Volkswagen PH may need to sell. The exterior and interior are very upscale and look like what you’d get on more expensive luxury cars.

Based on photos, it looks like it makes good competition for the Honda Odyssey. Upon checking actual dimensions, it might be able to compete more with the Toyota Alphard. It is actually wider and longer than both the Honda Odyssey (JDM version) and Toyota Alphard. Like the two models, it comes with second row captain’s chairs.

While it is still in the pre-order stage, pricing starts at RMB 350,000 all the way up to RMB 400,000, or around Php 2,480,000 to Php 2,830,000. For comparison, the Philippine-spec Honda Odyssey is priced at Php 2,138,000 to Php 2,498,000. The Toyota Alphard meanwhile is priced at Php 3,910,000.

Those are the first three models from SAIC-Volkswagen that we think Volkswagen PH might offer. The first two, Lavida and Tiguan, would be upgrades of what we already have in our market today. The Viloran on the other hand would be more of wishful thinking. Of course the company keeps everything in secret for now, but you never know. They might just surprise or tease us. In fact, two new SUV models should be launched soon. Read more about it in part 2 of this article.

For Part 2, click this link.

Images from Volkswagen