Inspiration and a sense of proportion
Volkswagen unveiled several world premieres at the Group event hosted by the company on the eve of the first European motor show in 2009. In the Halle de Sécheron, 500 national and international journalists took the opportunity to find out at first-hand about the diversity of the Volkswagen Group. From A as in Audi A4 allrad quattro to Y as in Skoda’s Yeti – all the brand chairman had a surprise up their sleeve.
The smallest of the newcomers – the new Polo – made it big in Geneva. The car has grown up and is living proof of the company’s maxim to cut emissions and consumption but not compromise on anything else.
Every model in the Group seeks to re-inspire a passion for cars while at the same time responding to the present difficult economic situation and the challenges of the future with a sense of proportion.
Group Chairman Martin Winterkorn emphasized in his speech that people want and have to remain mobile. ‘They want cars that appeal to their heads and their hearts. And that holds true across the entire model spectrum from neat small cars through spacious family vans to luxury sedans.’ He added that this made the Volkswagen Group unique the world over.
The issues that Volkswagen will be devoting its attention to over the coming years are downsizing, lightweight construction and DSG as well as second-generation biofuels, modular matrices and electric traction. In the field of battery technology, Volkswagen has two strong partners in Sanyo and Toshiba to get to grips with this issue very thoroughly and swiftly.
Winterkorn underlined that the strengths of the multi-brand Volkswagen Group are paying off during, and more importantly, after the crisis. The company is not only in a good financial and structural position; it also offers exactly what customers want – fascinating cars!
