Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 03:52:42 -0400
Reply-To: Alex Towner <altowner@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alex Towner <altowner@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: T5 vans
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
From what I have read, the new Multivan (a large rather square van like the Eurovan) and the Microbus will both be built on the T5 platform. The Multivan and the Microbus will be substantially different in size nonetheless. As one list member mentioned, the Microbus will be a moderate size minivan, smaller than Honda Odysseys and Dodge Grand Caravans. I'm guessing it will be near the length of a Mazda MPV. The Multivan, on the other hand, will be the size of the Eurovan - it really has to be since it is used for commercial purposes in Europe. VW is not going to give up selling delivery vans, ambulances, etc.
I do believe that I read somewhere that the Multivan and the Microbus will both be sold in the US. I'm guessing that the camper version will only be on the Multivan because it is roomy enough for beds, stove, fridge, etc. The Microbus really isn't. If you look at the concept vehicles, you'll notice that the front seats end at almost the middle of the wheelbase - add in two more rows of seats and there isn't much cargo room. Or, add in a full camping outfit behind those front seats, and you'd have to be very small to move around in there. I hadn't heard that there was a Microbus camper at the Detroit auto show - I'd be interested to see what they did in such a small space. Even the Eurovan was stretched to accomodate the camper.
As a total stab in the dark, I would guess that we'll see some sort of new VW van before the end of 2004. I think the Microbus will absolutely be available by the Summer of 2005. I think theories from other list members about VW not admitting to any new products in the pipeline is correct. VW doesn't want people to hold on to their money for the next two years waiting for a new product. They do want you to take what they have for sale now. I remember inquiring about the TDi engine around 1994. VW said they had no plans to offer them. I could have gone and bought a gas engined Golf based on this information, but I didn't. About a year later I get a catalog in the mail promoting the new TDI Golf, Jetta, and Passat. Surprise, surprise. It took 6 more months for the Passat to show up at dealers and nearly 2 years for the Jettas. The Golf 3 TDI never surfaced. Once the marketing plans were in place and the vehicles had been certified however, suddenly they were going to be sold. First of all remember that the people answering the phones at Volkswagen are "customer support specialists" or some such thing, and aren't sitting in on meetings with product planners, etc. Second, Volkswagen isn't going to confirm the existence of a product until they can be reasonably sure US government hurdles will be overcome and that a marketing plan is in place. When they say they have no plans to sell campers in the future, it only means that there is no confirmed plan; it doesn't mean there isn't discussion about the subject.
All of the above being said, VW is starting to become a big time brand again (relatively speaking). I think I read that Volkswagen sold more cars in 2002 than it had in any year since the early Seventies. VW may no longer be interested in low volume vehicles that don't add much to the bottom line. The big Eurovan price drop a few years ago illustrates that profit margins had to be sliced way down to move enough product. Volkswagen might see the Multivan as a continuation of the Eurovan in this market; a slow seller that doesn't add to the corporate coffers. If these conditions truly exist, it might not make sense for Volkswagen to invest in all of the marketing, dealer training, etc in order to launch the Multivan. Also consider that Winnebago must make a substantial investment to create a Multivan camper. If they didn't make much money selling Eurovan campers, why should they bother with a Multivan?
Let me end with some positive speculation - what if VW stretched the Microbus to Multivan length (they are on the same platform after all) and created a big Microbus camper?
|