Volkswagen Dealers Get a First Look at the Company’s New Chattanooga Assembly Plant and Exciting Line-Up of New Products

U.S. and Canadian dealers to drive a parade of more than 700 all-new 2011 Jetta vehicles from Atlanta to Chattanooga

HERNDON, Va. - Volkswagen of America Inc, is meeting with its 582 U.S. and 130 Canadian dealers to prepare them for what is certain to be a busy year ahead. The meeting, which takes place in Atlanta, will include a welcome address by Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen AG, as well as a drive of more than 700 all-new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles to the company’s brand-new assembly facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This will be the dealers’ first opportunity to drive the all-new Jetta, which will arrive in showrooms beginning today. The 2011 Jetta delivers sophisticated style, precision German engineering and Carefree Maintenance, all at an extremely accessible starting price of around $16,000.


“We have a clear vision: to take the Volkswagen Group to the top of the auto industry by 2018,” said Prof. Dr. Winterkorn. “In terms of sales and profit; but also when it comes to the best team, best quality and best customer satisfaction. Size is not the essence for us, and size is not an end in itself, our focus is on quality growth.”



As part of the meeting, dealers will view some of the company’s most exciting new vehicles, including the Golf Blue e-Motion, which is completely new and designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. The Golf Blue e-Motion will have a range of 100 miles and is expected to be in market by 2013.


“Volkswagen dealers are the lynch-pin for our strategy to grow the business here in America,” said Jonathan Browning, President, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “I’m looking forward to meeting with our dealers and sharing a preview of Volkswagen’s incredible new products, along with providing a first look at our new assembly facility in Chattanooga.”


“I’m eager to show our dealer family the plant we are building here in Chattanooga,” said Frank Fischer, Chairman and CEO of Volkwagen’s Chattanooga Operations. “Our factory design is innovative, our plant is environmentally friendly and our workforce is producing a high-quality car that is designed with the North American driver in mind. I am sure their visit to the plant will convince dealers that the plant is here and the NMS is real,” Fischer said.


Volkswagen’s new assembly plant in Chattanooga opens next year and represents a $1 billion investment by the company in the United States. The plant will build Volkswagen’s new midsize sedan (NMS). The facility is creating thousands of new jobs and is a key to Volkswagen’s growth plan in the U.S.


“The state of Tennessee is pleased to welcome Volkswagen dealers to our state and to showcase the world-class Chattanooga facilities Volkswagen has built in record time,” said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. “Volkswagen is an incredible partner, a world-class employer for the state of Tennessee and we look forward to world-class vehicles rolling off the assembly line in Chattanooga"


“As a state with a longstanding and dynamic automotive sector, we welcome Volkswagen’s dealers,” said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. “Our state has a long history of hosting events that keep Georgia on the mind of the participants long after they leave.”


In addition to opening the Chattanooga plant in 2011, Volkswagen of America will introduce four all-new or refreshed models – NMS, Beetle, Tiguan and Eos. These vehicles join the 2010 launch of the all-new Jetta and new Touareg. Each of these vehicles is critical to achieving Volkswagen Group’s target of selling one million vehicles annually in the US by 2018 (Volkswagen: 800,000; Audi: 200,000).


The Volkswagen brand grew deliveries by more than 21 percent in the first half of 2010 and continues to expand its market share (2.3 percent vs. 2.0 percent last year). As new products are introduced, the company and its dealers see tremendous opportunity to continually increase volumes and market share in the U.S.


Volkswagen of America and its network of 582 dealers are working together to significantly improve the company’s quality and customer satisfaction. In fact, 40 dealers are investing approximately 200 million dollars in expanding their business. At the same time, Volkswagen is aiming to open new dealers in key growth areas throughout the U.S.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Eos, Golf, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.media.vw.com or www.volkswagengroupamerica.com to learn more.


About Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations LLC

Volkswagen will invest $1 billion in the local economy for the Chattanooga plant and create more than 2,000 direct jobs in the region. According to independent studies, the new Volkswagen plant is expected to generate $12 billion in income growth and an additional 9,500 jobs related to the project. The Chattanooga plant will build a new midsize sedan specially designed for the North American market.