First look: VW pushes people-mover plans

YOU'RE looking at the Volkswagen A-MPV, the German giant's new Golf-based compact people-mover which will make its world debut at the Paris motor show in September and go on sale in Europe next year.

It is the first of three small people-movers expected to emerge from VW over the next few years, the others being a mini MPV based on the Polo platform and a basic five to seven-seater being developed from the small Caddy commercial vehicle.

The A-MPV - a codename - will be one of VW's Paris stars, along with the Beetle cabrio, now that thecompany has decided to delay the debut of its Touareg off-roader until October.

That's because VW has decided it does not want to be whipping the dust covers off its four-wheel drive at the same time as Porsche is revealing the Cayenne off-road wagon, which is closely related to the Touareg.

So the Paris attention for VW will switch to the long awaited Beetle cabrio _ which should arrive in Australia around the end of this year - and the A-MPV, which Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Peter Nochar candidly admits may never get here.

"I'm not sure yet. We're in a watch and see mode alittle bit with that because it's not the product that wereally wanted in some ways," Mr Nochar said.

"We really wanted to attack the bigger people-mover thing. We were hoping to get the Sharan, but we've gone into the economics of that and unfortunately we were a bit late in the model cycle of Sharan to do it.

"And I think with the A-MPV it's a question of whether we can find a market for a small MPV."The A-MPV is based on the next generation Golf - not due to arrive for another 18 months - sharing its rearsuspension and petrol and diesel engines.

But the people-mover will have a different name, in the same way Renault has different badging for the Megane-based Scenic and GM for the Astra-based Zafira.

One of the A-MPV's most noticeable features is its tall roof, while European reports say the wheelbase has been stretched 100mm from standard, ensuring space for three rows of seats.

Mr Nochar said the A-MPV may not justify the marketing investment required to get it noticed in a segment that was not proving to be a big performer.

He said the Caddy may prove the more attractive option, although that was around two years away from sale.

"These small vans with relatively low trim are a relatively inexpensive way of carrying five and sometimes seven people and a good bit of luggage in the back," Mr Nochar said.

"It can be very popular as basic transportation. That might be an area we might look at."Whatever other people-mover decisions are made, Mr Nochar confirmed the Microbus would come to Australia if it was built in right-hand drive.

Skoda set to return

VGA is expecting to hear from Skoda imminently, confirming the VW-owned Czech brand's return to Australian sale from 2004.

Two models are pencilled in for the re-launch, the Fabia Mini and Octavia small car.

The 2004 timing has been determined by the factory because the Octavia is due for replacement that year and it does not want to go through the expense of homologating thecurrent car for a short sales run here.

The Passat-based Superb is another Skoda model being seriously considered for the local Skoda range.

VGA managing director Peter Nochar said current VW dealers were not guaranteed a Skodafranchise because of thesimilarity between the two model line-ups.

"They will be sold through independent dealerships - it wouldn't exclude commonownership but it would exclude selling themanywhere in the same place," Mr Nocharsaid.

"If you had a Volkswagen dealer in the south of town you could arguably apply for one (a Skoda franchise) in the north of town. But we wouldn't want it in the same vicinity because it has to be seen as a completely separate business from our point of view and Skoda's point of view."