ALTHOUGH A CONCRETE BUSINESS CASE for the Scirocco has yet to be made, Volkswagen Australia may bring the low-slung hatchback to our shores in high-performance Scirocco R guise only.
However pricing remains the number one stumbling block, with the cost of the Scirocco putting it well above that of the Golf range and potentially making it an expensive burden for Volkswagen Australia.
“We will never launch a car in Australia that wasn’t profitable for the dealers,” said Anke Koeckler, Volkswagen Australia Managing Director, to Drive.com.au.
“We want to launch the (petrol-engined) Golf GTI and the GTD in Australia before we think about the Scirocco.”
Offering the Scirocco R on its own would enable Volkswagen Australia to market the car as a niche high-performance model, and Ms Koeckler says this is one avenue that VW’s local arm is exploring.
However, with performance of the 195kW Scirocco R eclipsed by the just-revealed 199kW Golf R (a car which would most likely sell for less money), and the Scirocco R requiring its own parts and servicing support, VW Australia’s hesitance in adding it to the local model line-up is understandable.
Despite this, enthusiasm for the Scirocco remains high within Volkswagen Australia. The company is continuing to assess the model for the local market, but has as yet no confirmed plans to import it here.
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makes good sense, a lot of fans love the scirocco but the huge majority would never shell out and buy one, especially if it was above their i30 budget, ultimately no point on having something here that dealers can’t sell and have to pay a lot of money to support it in the country, they don’t make money from bludgers just dreaming about having one! great looking car though, and on paper? whoa, nice. would make the golf r decision a hard one. hopefully there will be enough buyers to make it happen.
logically it makes sense not to launch,
over here in NZ we actually dont care cuz we have them all
But if I were an aussie I’d save the scirocco for something truly special like the R. Who cares if most people can’t afford it? It makes it more special for people who blow out the cash for one
What a stupid idea. Import the whole range. If the Golf is a problem for VW Aus you can point out that everywhere the Scirocco is sold, the Golf is too making it a crappy excuse. I would love a Scirocco GT 2.0TSI model - it’s fantasic to look at and, judging by my Octavia RS, it must be spectacular to drive too! Come on VW Aus, pull your finger out and offer us another nice VW. NZ gets them and Aus sells far more cars a year!
Forget Golf R and bring Scirroco R.
That has made my day TMR, now dont let me down VW!
I can’t see why pricing is an issue. I looked at UK and NZ pricing and the Scirroco and GTI are very similarly priced. So, why should it be more expensive here? It makes no sense. Come on VW Australia, stop fooling around and just import the thing. The ‘punters’ are well aware these days of other markets. If it affects Golf sales so what - as long as the two models combined sell equal or more numbers
If BMW can sell 700+ X6’s here in it’s first year, I don’t see why VW can’t move afew Scirocco’s? After all people who buy Golf’s aren’t exactly that strapped for cash as opposed to people buying Corollas or what not. And isn’t VW seen as a premium brand here anyway?
Plus VW certainly splashed and bled more cash launching and keeping Skoda in Australia all these years. Though sales are starting to pick up I don’t think they do anywhere close to 500 units a month.
How much could it hurt to bring the Scirocco here?
still waiting for postive answer on SIRROCO 2 LITRE AUTO.
I get the impression that VW Australia want to price the Scirroco high, notwithstanding the fact that it is on a par with the GTI overseas. And there seems to be some strange idea that it will steal sales from the GTI. Well yes, it will, but it would also steal them from other brands. Get off your backsides. If NZ can have the Scirroco, and the 3.2 lt EOS why on earth can’t we.