All Cars, All the Time

Hallmark May Send His Very Cheapest


Okay, so I'm really stretching with that headline. In the March 2006 issue of European Car magazine, Executive vice president of Volkswagen of America, Adrian Hallmark, is quoted as saying

"In terms of product and market segments, it's important to expand and evolve both vertically and horizontally. The Beetle is our current entry-level model and it's been a great icon for the brand, but there's actually a very large market just below it. We need another people's car, something well below $15,000. "

Now if that doesn't say Polo, I don't know what does. There has been a lot of chatter about Dodge and Volkswagen going “halvesies” on bringing the Polo to the USA with both brands having something to sell in the small B segment. VW group Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder told the German magazine auto motor und sport that further cooperation with Chrysler beyond the minivan agreement “would certainly make sense.” DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche told Automotive News Europe “It would not be necessary, but welcome if we could offer a B [small car]-segment model for Dodge. There are a number of potential options for such a model. VW is one of them and it is still open.”

Such a car would more than likely be manufactured at Volkswagen’s Puebla, Mexico plant. Of course, my thoughts immediately run to the Polo GTI hatch, but we might be looking at a sedan for the good old USA.