Mexican News

Air-cooled advances

Production figures from Volkswagen de Mexico for last year make interesting reading. For the Sedan ; the official name for the classic Beetle in Mexico - production during 2000 was 41,260 units. That's an increase of 4,814 or 11.6 per cent compared with 1999. At the end of 2000, total (air-cooled) Beetle production had reached 21,542,000 units. At the current rate of production, it will be spring 2012 before we see the 22 millionth Beetle rolling off the line!

For the uninitiated, the plant in Puebla, a city of some 1 million people about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southeast of Mexico City, employs 16,000 people and with the exception of VW's plant in Wolfsburg, is the German automaker's largest assembly plant in the Western Hemisphere.

Although sales are up, there is now increased competition from budget models by rival manufacturers, including new kids on the Mexican block, Volkswagen's sister company SEAT. However, as mentioned in the last issue of The Mexican Brazilian Beetle as long as there is demand at this level for the classic Beetle, then continued production is assured.

Web: www.vw.com.mx

Water-cooled woes

Whilst production of the original Beetle is up, things aren't looking too rosy for the New Concept' Beetle. Built in a hall just yards away from the classic Beetle line, it has now been three years since the model made its debut in America and almost four years since production began in June 1997.

Reports have been emerging from the US media that sales are showing a downward trend. Production figures from Puebla appear to support this and show that last year 10,824 fewer New Beetles were built (a reduction of 6.7 per cent) than during 1999, which hit a peak of just over 160,000 ; virtually maximum capacity.

Has the NB bubble burst and will critics of the car be proved right? Only time will tell of course, and with a planned model life of only seven years, it will be interesting to see if its classic air-cooled cousin will live to see the day that production in nearby Hall 21 finally stops for the last time.

Tougher import test for Mexican Beetles

The cost of importing a new Mexican Beetle is set to increase this year as tougher tests are launched for non-EU type-approved cars entering the UK from outside Europe. Anyone choosing to buy and import a non-EU car will have to put it through a more difficult version of the current Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) test, first introduced in July 1998. It is to be called Enhanced SVA.

The new rules, announced by Transport minister Lord Macdonald, come into force on 1 August, and importers warn that average cost of a test will rocket from £250 to up to £1500 per car, depending on what type of vehicle it is.

"This extra cost will inevitably be passed on to the consumer," says Richard Moore of importers' group the British Independent Motor Trade Association. Moore predicts higher SVA costs will reduce the number of grey imports entering the UK from 25,000 in 2000 to 20,000 this year. The alternative is to pass costs on to the buyer.

The tougher Enhanced SVA will bring new tests on steering, emissions, security, seat belts, brakes and noise. CAP Grey Book editor Robert Hester says tougher SVA tests will help make grey imports more accepted by British buyers. "These regulations are set to make imports a safer investment, but the developments will come at a price." He said.

Jason Jones of Independent Beetle importer Beetles UK told The Mexican & Brazilian Beetle Register that any extra costs would not be passed on to buyers of 2001 Beetles. The existing SVA will run alongside the enhanced version and apply to amateur-built cars, low-volume manufacturers and personal imports for people who have lived abroad.