2018 Tiguan making immediate impact at area VW dealerships
Whether it's inside the showroom or outside at one of the Southeast's largest cruise-ins, the redesigned 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is getting noticed and generating sales for First Coast dealerships since arriving three weeks ago.
Here are four major reasons:
+ The Tiguan has a new masculine shape. In fact, many are calling it a "Baby Atlas'' - VW's all-new and first seven-passenger midsize SUV. It features sharper lines than those of the first-generation Tiguan, Atlas-like chrome bars in the grille, and LED taillights and Daytime Running Lights. LED headlights are standard on the premium model.
+ The Tiguan is also bigger. It's grown 10.6 inches in length, creating more second-row legroom, space for the small third row and 57 percent extra cargo capacity - all the way up to 65.7 cubic feet.
+ Plenty of new technology and safety features along with an array of amenities for riding comfort.
+ Like the Atlas, the Tiguan offers the best bumper-to-bumper warranty among SUVs in America: a six-year or 72,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty that's transferable.
Not surprising, all these aforementioned upgrades have resulted in positive reaction from customers at Tom Bush Volkswagen and O'Steen Volkswagen.
"The biggest plus is the extra room and then the updated styling,'' said Jim Reynolds, sales manager at Tom Bush Volkswagen on Atlantic Boulevard. "So combined together, this is exactly what we need.
"It's perfect,'' Reynolds said. "We have a little bit more room for the Americans along with German engineering, not to mention the upgraded warranty.''
Reynolds brought a nicely appointed Deep Black Pearl SEL model to last Saturday's Automotive Addicts Cars &Coffee at The Avenues mall. The Tom Bush Family of Dealerships has been a longtime sponsor of the popular monthly event that drew 1,000-plus vehicles last weekend.
"The reaction was overwhelming,'' Reynolds said. "People were impressed with styling, the warranty, the fit and finish. I'm excited; good stuff.''
Among the car enthusiasts at the show checking out the Tiguan was Jacob Deeb.
"Very nice small SUV, although you can fit seven passengers in it,'' Deeb said. "It's an excellent car for the price [$33,955 base price for the SEL].''
The Tiguan has four trim levels - the base 2.0L TSI S FWD model starts at $25,345. The top-of-the-line SEL Premium starts at $36,250. All four FWD trims have the third-row seat as standard equipment; it's optional on the all-wheel-drive models.
The most popular trim so far seems to be the SE model. It comes with leatherette interior and some other features unavailable on the base S. The panoramic sunroof is also an available option on the SE.
"The SE is kind of the sweet spot right now - it's doing the best right now with the price point,'' said David Schomp, sales manager at O'Steen Volkswagen on South Philips Highway. "The price point is so good because it's right at $30,000."
Having two seven-passenger SUVs has resulted in both dealerships seeing new customers on their lots. The additional third row has given the Tiguan a competitive edge in the crossover segment that features the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5.
"They're bringing in a lot of Toyota, Honda and Mazda customers who looked at their models in the past but now are looking at Volkswagen because of the size and because it has the seven-passenger capacity,'' Schomp said.
"Volkswagen didn't have those vehicles [SUVs] to compete,'' Schomp said. "Before, you weren't even considered. Now, some people are putting Volkswagen back on their list of cars to consider. The price points are aggressive on both those vehicles [$34,875 for the Atlas Launch Edition], so that makes a big difference as well.''
The two dealerships have an inventory of Tiguan and Atlas models for immediate delivery and receive regular shipments of both vehicles.
For more information, visit tombushvw.com, osteenvw.com or vw.com.
Joe DeSalvo: (904) 359-4366
