Yes it is, and it doesnt come with engines from the K-period either like the Jetta. The Golf sells like icecream in hell all across the world, VW just made car #111111111, a blue Golf GTI.
No, the GTI isn't selling well at all here in the US - which is what I am referring to.
There's a reason all premium car brands of the world come from Germany, that's where the demands on the products by the customers are the highest and where the natural enviroment is the toughest (in short: extremely picky owners and the autobahn).
This doesn't come from Germany.
Neither does this.
May be owned by Germans now, but it sure as hell does not come from Germany. Sorry, but in the hierarchy of badges, the German marques aren't in the same league as Rolls and Bentley. And Bugatti is French.
Same reason tiny Sweden has two of the biggest truck manufacturers, much heavier and longer vehicles than most of the world and a harsh cold climate.
Yeah, sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of all the Freightliners, Peterbilts, Macks, Internationals, Kenworths, Isuzus, UDs, Mitsubishis and the like that all outsell the entire heavy truck production of Europe.
mmmhh, ok that not a typicle grey plastic middleages interior anymore, but if the European version turns out to be just like a 1980's mk3 Escort interior again, they fail again.
Its all about quality, a Kia or a Hyundai still sounds like its beeing assembled at a Fridge factory, some cars still looks and feels like. (Like this horrible Shitbox I posted yesterday)
Um, looked at the A3 lately? One reason they're not selling well in the US is because they want a boatload of money and don't sound any better than said Kia or Hyundai.
Besides, why would they spend any effort on a continent of badge snobs who generally aren't going to buy their product anyway yet impose ever increasing regulation?
Were I in charge of their product development I'd relegate your continent to "leftovers," too - especially considering how fast Hyundai and Kia are growing in North America and Asia. (The US buys more cars in a year than, IIRC, all the countries in Europe combined. By not a small margin, either.)
It's a simple matter of priorities and economics; if you conquer the Asian and North American markets, you're set. Conquer the European market and you still don't have that much sales. Do you pay more attention to the market in which you can sell 1 million cars a year, or the one in which, best case scenario, you will maybe ever sell 100,000? I know which one I'd go after first. (And, I would point out, the larger market is also one at which many of the 'top line' and 'most popular' manufacturers from the smaller one have been kicked out of despite bringing their 'best' products.)