Steve Grauman

<< Anyway, I have
stated for years that VW should offer a (perhaps slightly raised*) AWD
Jetta Wagon in the US. It would compete well with the Forester, >>

Makes sense to me. The Allroad is really an A6 Avant with a beefed up chassis
and special suspension. A VW version could be based off the Jetta wagon or even
the Passat wagon. The Jetta and Passat are due for replacement, but VW has
finalized the MKV platform that the Jetta will be using. A compact SUV based on
the MKV Golf platform would be great. Or they could keep the B5 platform alive,
probably at a very low price, with a B5 Passat based compact sporting the new
200Hp 2.0T as it's base engine and a 225-230Hp version of the 2.8 litre VR6 as
an option.

Mike Smith

Steve Grauman wrote:

> A compact SUV based on
> the MKV Golf platform would be great.

Sure, how about something derived from the Touran?

--
Mike Smith

JP Roberts

There's much talk here in the old continent about a new A3 SUV.

JP

"Mike Smith" <mike_UNDERSCORE_smith@acm.DOT.org> escribió en el mensaje
news:vr0pbk9lhgedf2@news.supernews.com...
> Steve Grauman wrote:
>
> > A compact SUV based on
> > the MKV Golf platform would be great.
>
> Sure, how about something derived from the Touran?
>
> --
> Mike Smith
>

Mike Smith

JP Roberts wrote:

>
> "Mike Smith" <mike_UNDERSCORE_smith@acm.DOT.org> escribió en el mensaje
> news:vr0pbk9lhgedf2@news.supernews.com...
>
>>Steve Grauman wrote:
>>
>>
>>> A compact SUV based on
>>>the MKV Golf platform would be great.
>>
>>Sure, how about something derived from the Touran?
>
> There's much talk here in the old continent about a new A3 SUV.

Why use the A3 platform? Isn't the A5 platform even bigger?

--
Mike Smith

Steve Grauman

>Why use the A3 platform? Isn't the A5 platform even bigger?>>

The A3/S3 are built on the Golf platform, the A3 is really just an "Audi-ized"
Golf.

TransFixed

Steve Grauman wrote:
> << Anyway, I have
> stated for years that VW should offer a (perhaps slightly raised*) AWD
> Jetta Wagon in the US. It would compete well with the Forester, >>
>
> Makes sense to me. The Allroad is really an A6 Avant with a beefed up chassis
> and special suspension. A VW version could be based off the Jetta wagon or even
> the Passat wagon. The Jetta and Passat are due for replacement, but VW has
> finalized the MKV platform that the Jetta will be using. A compact SUV based on
> the MKV Golf platform would be great. Or they could keep the B5 platform alive,
> probably at a very low price, with a B5 Passat based compact sporting the new
> 200Hp 2.0T as it's base engine and a 225-230Hp version of the 2.8 litre VR6 as
> an option.

The Golf/Jetta platform makes sense to me because

- it is approximately the size of competitive small SUVs, especially
with the new, larger MKV version
- VW already has the Touareg and the Passat 4Motion in the US, Audi has
the allroad and (soon) the Pikes Peak
- a somewhat rugged AWD Jetta Wagon would not compete much with the A4
- as I said before, there is a significant market for smallish
cross-overs (Forester, CR-V, RAV, Hunday, Escape/Tribute, ...) and VW
could excel in the sporty & practical yet inexpensive category
- VW has (at least) three good engine options for such a car - a little
bit for everyone

- D.

Toby Groves

In article <20031111213753.28917.00000073@mb-m17.aol.com>, Steve Grauman
<oneactor1@aol.com> writes
>>Why use the A3 platform? Isn't the A5 platform even bigger?>>
>
>The A3/S3 are built on the Golf platform, the A3 is really just an "Audi-ized"
>Golf.

As someone put it:

"A Golf is a Focus for badge snobs"

"An A3 is a Golf for badge snobs"


--
Toby

Mike Smith

Steve Grauman wrote:

>>Why use the A3 platform? Isn't the A5 platform even bigger?>>
>
>
> The A3/S3 are built on the Golf platform, the A3 is really just an "Audi-ized"
> Golf.

OK, so is the previous poster talking about "an SUV based on the Audi
A3" or is he talking about "an SUV based on the VWAG A3 platform, which
was the basis for the previous-generation Golf, Jetta, and Audi A3, back
in the late '90s"? That's what confused me. The platform on which the
next Audi A3 is being built is called A5, and will also be the platform
for the new Golf. But being a RAMVWer, I assume you know this.

--
Mike Smith

Steve Grauman

<< OK, so is the previous poster talking about "an SUV based on the Audi
A3" or is he talking about "an SUV based on the VWAG A3 platform, which
was the basis for the previous-generation Golf, Jetta, and Audi A3, back
in the late '90s"? >>

We're talking MKV (A5) based SUVs. The VW version would resemble the MKV Golf,
while the Audi version would resemble the MKV A3, which are essentially the
same car anyway. The VW Cabrio was the last car using the A3 platform, and was
dropped. Although VW has decided to follow suit with it's replacement, the
Beetle Cabrio. The NB will remain the only VW/Audi model built on the MKIV
platform. I'm hoping they start retrofitting it with the multi-link rear
suspension designed for the MKIV based R32.