Das Auto: Volkswagen Philippines establishes cyberspace presence

Volkswagen is about to make its long-awaited return to the Philippines on Sept. 27 via a brand launch event, with a public event to follow on Sept. 28-29 at the Greenbelt Park. To highlight what the German brand has in store for the Philippine market, VW has just launched its new website, www.volkswagen.com.ph

The website was constructed in compliance with VW’s global standards, following a standard design. The presentation of models, variants, specifications and features is done in a logical, relatively easy-to-navigate setup. Highlighted are the brand’s German technology, innovations and a link to the international YouTube channel.

And of course, you will find das autos, or the cars. As first reported in August, the initial VW lineup will be comprised of five models:

Beetle compact hatchback: in Basic 1.2 TSI Manual Transmission (MT) and Design 1.4 TSI Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG)

Jetta compact sedan in Trendline 1.2 TSI MT and 2.0 TDI MT. Six-speed manual in the 1.2 and five-speed manual for the 2.0. Six airbags are standard.

Touran compact MPV in Trendline 1.2 TSI MT and Comfort Line 2.0 TDI DSG. Flexible seating for seven, standard ESP and hill hold control, available six airbags

Tiguan compact SUV in Trendline 1.4 TSI MT and Trendline 2.0 TDI DSG. The 1.4 comes with start-stop and regenerative braking, adaptive chassis control on the 2.0, standard ESP on both variants

Touareg large SUV in 3.0 V6 TDI Automatic Transmission. Nine airbags, ESP, adaptive chassis control and regenerative braking, 243 HP, 550 Nm, eight-speed automatic

TSI is the designation for Volkswagen’s direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engines. These combine small displacement with relatively high-power delivery, a pairing that should equal good fuel efficiency with adequate performance. Turbocharged diesel power is denoted by the TDI variants. DSG means a dual-clutch transmission with multiple shafts designed to deliver seamless power while shifting through its gears; it can be left in automatic mode.

Coming soon will be a microsite that will contain details on the big VW event on Sept. 28-29. The microsite will also have information on how customers can get the chance to win a brand-new Volkswagen Beetle.

The website is a solid announcement that Volkswagen is back and determined to deliver the complete customer experience.

Initial plans for the local market

Volkswagen Philippines, officially known as Ayala Automotive Holdings Corp., earlier announced its initial plans for the local market. According to John Philip Orbeta, chair and president of Ayala Automotive Holdings, the vehicles will not be sourced from China, despite the robust manufacturing presence of the VW group in that country. Restrictions on supplying other countries including the Philippines are in place. Instead, the Beetle will be from Mexico and Brazil, while the MPVs and SUVs will be supplied by (as hoped by many) Germany.  Orbeta said that the lack of a full VW manufacturing and distribution hub in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region is one of their challenges.

The first showroom will be in Bonifacio Global City, right beside the current Honda dealership.

VW Group is the world’s No. 2 automaker by unit sales, selling over 9 million vehicles in 2012 and 4.8 million vehicles in the first half of 2013. The group also owns the brands Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche. Ayala Corp. has other automotive investments, in Honda Cars Philippines and Isuzu Philippines.