The following was in Automotive News Europe - an industry pubilication whose siter publications are Automotive News (US news) and Autoweek. Will they build it? - Flip a coin? John Reynolds 81 Westy http://www.autonewseurope.com/stories114/microbus114.htm Microbus production decision due Ralph Kisiel Automotive News Europe There's a 50-50 chance that Volkswagen will build a Microbus. That prediction came from Bernd Pischetsrieder, who will formally succeed Ferdinand Piëch as VW management boad chairman in April. The decision may rest on the outcome of product meetings being held in Detroit between executives of Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen of America Inc. They are reviewing the results of focus groups and are evaluating various Microbus configurations. A decision will be made during the first half of this year, Pischetsrieder said. "We're all excited about it, but we've got to make money on it." Volkswagen unveiled its Microbus concept at the Detroit show last year. VW would hope to capitalize on the same nostalgia that made the New Beetle so popular in the USA. The focus groups made a few things clear to VW, said Charlie Waterhouse, director of market and product strategy at Volkswagen of America. He said the Microbus must be less than $30,000 (E33,660) and must offer more flexible seating than was shown in the concept. -- |
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