Why the wait for GTI?
Volkswagen Australia boss says sorry for long waiting lists on cars like Polo GTI, pointing out that high global and local demand is a double-edged swordRead through the numerous comments on some of our Volkswagen reviews, and you'll see that many people have been turned off a purchase because of long waiting lists.
When the Volkswagen Golf GTI was first launched the German car maker underestimated demand, and waiting lists extended to beyond a year. Volkswagen seems to have overcome the Golf GTI's popularity problem, a car that accounts for one in every four Golfs sold in Australia.
However the same problem is now plaguing the Volkswagen Polo GTI. Read our review of the Polo GTI and you'll come across a couple of interesting reader responses, the first from 'The Warden', who says:
"I agree with you Roger re the DSG, that combined with ridiculous wait times (no it's NOT worth the wait) means I will not be a buyer, many have said the same to me. They [VW] can't even deliver a 1.2 Comfortline (six-speed manual with Sports Pack) in a respectable time. Shame VW, shame".
Another reader, 'CI', added that the long wait had made him reconsider his decision, saying:
"I wanted one of these [VW Polo GTI hatches], until I was told that there would be a 12 month waiting list."
Why such a long wait, and what can potential customers expect in the future? We chatted to Volkswagen Australia's Managing Director Anke Koeckler about the recurring issue of waiting lists, and here's what she had to say:
"The problem we have with Polo GTI is that it's a popular model. So everybody is now asking for higher amounts of cars. I can't get all the cars I would like to sell in 2011, but we still have a very significant volume increase this year compared to last year.
"Right now Volkswagen worldwide is doing very well. Many countries are selling more than forecasted and we also did very well coming out of the economic and financial crisis. So, many countries right now are selling between 10 and 20 per cent more cars than predicted and the plans from around one or two years ago were much more conservative," noted Koeckler.
"When it comes to the waiting lists, we try to keep customers informed, but I know with Polo GTI we are almost sold out. Only a few cars are left in the country. This means that some of our customers have to wait longer than they expected, and I am sorry for this.
"We are working on getting a much larger shipment [of Polo GTI] for 2012," stated the Volkswagen Australia chief.
"The most important thing is that we are working honestly to get cars to customers. If it's six months waiting, some people are still happy to wait this long and so now we are doing our best to make sure that our 2012 supply doesn't [dwindle]. We are aware that we need to get a bigger portion of these cars that in high demand."
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