Volkswagen to resume sales in Korea with three 2018 models

By Jhoo Dong-chan

It has been a long bumpy road for Volkswagen here, ever since the environment ministry ordered the German carmaker’s Korean affiliate to virtually halt its sales in August last year following the ‘diesel gate’ scandal.

Since then, Volkswagen Korea has had practically no sales for about a year. The German carmaker said, however, next year will be different with its three new models.

“For the last year and a half, Volkswagen Korea has put its utmost efforts to recover customer trust,” a Volkswagen Korea official said.

“It will introduce three vehicle models in Korea next year, aiming at a grand comeback with their differentiated marketability.”

2018 Arteon sedan

Succeeding the Volkswagen CC sedan, the German carmaker’s local affiliate here said it will introduce the 2018 Arteon four-door fastback sedan next year in Korea.

Manufactured under Volkswagen’s MQB production platform, Volkswagen Design Executive Director Klaus Bischoff said during this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, that the model “combines the design elements of a classic sports car with the elegance and space of a fastback.”

“An avant-garde business-class Gran Turismo, it speaks to the heart and the head alike,” he said.

The 2018 Arteon sedan features a widened radiator grille between a pair of enlarged L-shaped daylight headlamps, which look similar to those of Renault Samsung’s SM6.

A pair of sizable front air intakes also symbolizes the model’s sporty driving performance.

Despite its fastback proportions, the Arteon sedan is relatively practical too as its flexible luggage compartment has a volume of 563 liters, expandable to 1,557 liters when the rear seats are folded.

It also features Volkswagen’s latest infotainment systems, including the active info display and head-up display.

The model’s adaptive cruise control helps relieve driver fatigue during in-city driving while the second-generation emergency assistance system automatically maneuvers the vehicle to the slow lane with emergency warning lights on to prevent secondary accidents.

Volkswagen Korea said the 2018 Arteon 2.0 TDI model generates up to 190 horsepower, but has yet to announce detailed powertrain information.

The official said the 2018 Arteon sedan is the most highlighted for its enhanced advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as optimized vehicle structure and effective airbag system.

Thanks to excellence in the model’s safety, the Arteon sedan received the top five-star rating at the Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) in July.

The Euro NCAP awarded the model with its top scores in four categories. Of them, the Arteon received 96 percent in adult passenger safety and 85 percent in child passenger safety.

Separate from its system for passengers, the model also received 85 percent in the pedestrian safety category.

The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV

Once the nation’s best-selling SUV model among foreign auto brands, the Tiguan SUV is also set to return to the Korean market with enhanced marketability.

The official said the second-generation Tiguan will be a “revolutionary model” to suggest a new set of standards in the nation’s SUV market.

Manufactured under the German carmaker’s symbolic MQB production platform, the new Tiguan SUV has successfully reduced its weight by 50 kilograms compared to its predecessor.

With folding its rear seats, the model’s flexible trunk capacity can be extended to 1,655 liters from 615 liters.

It also features the carmaker’s latest ADAS, including the front assist, lane assist and adaptive cruise control, to offer an optimized driving environment.

Like its sister Arteon sedan, the Tiguan SUV also received the top five-star rating from the Euro NCAP in June last year. It was named the safest small off-roader vehicle in the 2016 evaluation.

The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also awarded the SUV model as the 2017 Safest Pick after carrying out five collision tests _ the frontal impact, small overlap, side impact, roof and headrest stability.

The 2018 Passat GT sedan

First introduced in 1973, the Volkswagen Passat sedan has sold 22 million cars. Now in its seventh generation, the sedan model also sold 710,000 cars last year.

Manufactured under the MQB production platform, the new Passat GT managed to reduce 33 kilograms in its body panel, 9 kilograms in its chassis, 40 kilograms in its engine and three kilograms in electronics.

The LED headlamps and radiator grille are horizontally placed for a sporty design.

The model also features the pedestrian monitoring and traffic jam assist system for the first time in a Volkswagen lineup. Other ADAS such as the adaptive cruise control, front assist with city emergency brake, lane assist and driver knee airbag will be applied as well.