Dr. Herbert Diess North American International Auto Show Detroit, January 14th / 2018

Dr. Herbert Diess North American International Auto Show Detroit, January 14th / 2018

ALL-NEW 2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT AT THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening and welcome! Since this is the first time we have met in the new year. I would like to wish you all good luck, good health and success in 2018. I hope you had a great start. I'm really pleased to be with you here in Detroit.

For some of us the automotive year kicked off at the CES. I was in Las Vegas, too. And I'm impressed by the dynamic between digital technologies and the auto industry. As our partners, U.S. technology companies play an important role at the forefront of this dynamic. They show: The United States is a great industrial nation, a great automotive nation. And we are proud to be part of it.

Our common goal is to keep writing the unique success story of the automobile for many decades to come. The automobile will continue as the most popular means of transport for people. That is thanks to innovative technologies.

The revolution we are experiencing at the moment marks the beginning of the next golden age of the car. We will see new services for individual mobility. However, I believe people will still want their own cars in the future. They will still drive – greener cars, safer cars, fully connected and more and more autonomous. All of that will bring innovative uses for vehicles. And it will make driving even more enjoyable.

Today's cars are already incredibly good – and they will get even better. So we can look forward to the years ahead. Volkswagen will be right out in front, shaping these developments.


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let's begin by taking a moment to look at the present. By Detroit at the latest, you all expect the first data from the past year. In a nutshell, I can say that 2017 was a pretty challenging year for Volkswagen – but ultimately a successful one.

We made further progress with the biggest model offensive in the history of our brand. This includes new models such as the Volkswagen Arteon, the new flagship for our brand. It has already won many awards and will make its debut in the U.S. this year.

We presented the long wheelbase Tiguan. Worldwide, the Tiguan is going from strength to strength. With sales of 720,000 it is one of the world's Top Ten bestsellers.

The new Polo is an all-round success. With its MQB technology it has once again raised the bar in the small car segment. The modern, youthful T-ROC compact SUV is a fresh highlight for our brand.

As far as the markets are concerned, we have continued to regionalize our global organization. The turnaround programs are paying off, particularly in North and South America. We have realigned the brand and given the regions much more responsibility and we are improving operations. Most importantly, product decisions are made now much closer to the market.

Here in the U.S. we are laying the groundwork to position Volkswagen as a relevant volume manufacturer. Volkswagen has a long tradition in this country. Americans loved the Beetle and the Microbus. Recently, though, I'm sorry to say we have disappointed many people. And not just here. We must, and we will make up for that. We are working hard on it.

On the other hand, when we took the I.D. Buzz to California last summer, we saw just what potential Volkswagen still has in the U.S. We experienced the strength of the brand in this country. The future successor to the Microbus made a huge impression. It made people smile, and that was really great to see.

That motivates us to work even harder. 120,000 people are giving their all – at our factory in Chattanooga, in our US dealerships and at our suppliers all over the country. This market is a touchstone for our success. At long last, we want to get it right.

For example, Hinrich mentioned it, we have made our debut in a US market core segment with the new Atlas. The Atlas is an American Volkswagen – and it has been given a warm welcome. We have the same expectations of the Jetta which we will be presenting tonight.

This is just the beginning of our model offensive. We are pushing really hard and I won't rest until Volkswagen has rebuilt its position as a reliable, trustworthy and successful brand in the U.S.

The year 2017 showed: We are on the right track. The brand is growing against the market trend. With 340,000 Volkswagens we saw our market share grow slightly to 2 percent.

Hinrich Woebken and his team did a great job and made real progress in very difficult conditions. Thank you everyone – I really appreciate your work.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I know you also want to hear something about the brand's general development. As I already said: 2017 was a challenging year for us. Managing the diesel crisis, realigning the brand and mastering the technological transformation of our industry pushed us hard.

That is why I am particularly pleased to announce we finished 2017 with the best performance ever in the history of Volkswagen. We delivered 6.23 million vehicles. That is an increase of 4.2 percent.
The highlights included an increase of 5.2 percent in the U.S., 19.7 percent in Brazil, 5.9 percent in China and 20.4 percent in Russia. In Europe deliveries grew by roughly 1 percent. This was mainly due to the 4.7 percent decline in our home market, Germany. Overall we could increase our world market share to 7.5 percent.

The entire Volkswagen team was totally committed. I'd like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all our colleagues everywhere in the world.


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Most important for our future success are the right products. The Jetta is such a product and I'm really happy to present our new Jetta to you tonight.

This car is one of the world's most successful sedans, with more than 17,5 million models sold worldwide since 1979. And it has long been Volkswagen's best-selling vehicle in the United States. It is a really cool car in the US.

Now based on the award-winning MQB platform, with its combination of innovative technology, fuel-efficient drivetrains, sporty styling, upscale interior – it is the best Jetta ever! We expect that it will make a huge splash in the compact sedan market when it goes on sale.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let's reveal the all new Volkswagen Jetta!                       

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the entire Volkswagen family, I am proud to present you the new Volkswagen Jetta.

This car is based on Volkswagen's MQB" architecture. Compared with the current car, the new Jetta grows outside in every direction. It offers a longer wheelbase with shorter overhangs, and is longer, wider and taller than the outgoing model. The increased exterior proportions add up to more interior space than the previous car as well.

Outside, the Jetta marks an evolution in Volkswagen's clean and timeless design, with modern lines and a refined appearance. The combination of a large front grille and sharper lines expresses a bold character. The addition of more chrome and standard LED lighting lend it a premium feel. Have a look at the fast-sloping roof line with its sportier, coupe-like profile. When sitting inside you will see that it does not compromise the usability of the rear seat.

Inside, the Jetta's fully redesigned interior combines high-tech features with everyday usability and refined fit and finish. High quality soft-touch materials give the vehicle an upscale, a modern feel.

In terms of infotainment the Jetta also features Volkswagen's Fully Digital Cockpit. The available Volkswagen Car-Net system offers compatible smartphone integration. And, last but not least, the new Jetta is the first Volkswagen in the U.S. to offer a 400-watt Beats Audio system. Important as the Jetta has always been the car for the young crowd in the US.

The Jetta's technology upgrades include a comprehensive suite of driver assistance technology like:

•    Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking,
•    Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert,
•    Adaptive Cruise Control,
•    High Beam Control and Lane Departure Warning.

With these new features we experience a dramatic increase in safety. Thanks to the technology used in Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Breaking, for example, the number of accidents involving third parties has been almost halved – where ever we introduced it.

To go down on the street the new Jetta will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI engine, making 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque – the highest in the compact sedan class.

And for sure, every Jetta model will come with the People First Warranty, America's best bumper-to-bumper new vehicle limited warranty.

Even better: this great car, with all its premium features, will start at 18,545 US Dollar in the United States. This is less than the outgoing car. Cost efficiency and productivity improvement, driven by the region, makes this offer possible.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The 2018 automotive year has just begun. We are putting the pedal to the metal in the U.S. market with this new Volkswagen – the best Jetta of all time. We are driving forward with our worldwide model offensive. We are currently working on over 50 new Volkswagen cars. The preparations for launching our all-electric I.D. family are in full swing. And we are stepping up our efforts to make autonomous driving available in the volume segments as fast as possible.

Digital technologies open the door to possibilities no one could imagine before. At Volkswagen, we want to harness these technologies to make progress in individual mobility and give as many people as possible access to this progress. That has been the goal and the mission of our brand from the very beginning. And it will carry on into the future.

May I wish you all an enjoyable evening, good conversations and a great  motor show.

Thank you very much!