VW Golf is tops in Europe

The Volkswagen Golf will remain the best-selling car in Europe this year, but General Motors Corp. could have unseated the longtime leader if it had chosen a different name for its popular new compact MPV.

The Proposed Golf based MPV

Despite a 4 per cent decline in sales, the Golf had an insurmountable lead after November, with 633,395 vehicles registered in the 17 countries of Western Europe, according to Navel SA in France. GM's decision to call its compact minivan the Zafira, instead of the Astra Zafira, kept it from being No. 1. If the Zafira's sales were added to the Astra's, GM would have the best-selling vehicle in Europe with 716,931 units sold.

For the most part, Europe's list of best-selling cars is little changed from 1999. The Volkswagen Passat fell out to the Citroen Xsara, a victim of slow sales in its home market of Germany. VW hopes its restyling for 2001 will boost sales by 25 percent. The VW Polo and Golf remained unchanged.

The Golf has been at the top of Europe's sales lists for most of 25 years. It has slipped only when, as in 1997 when the Fiat Punto was on top, the Golf was going through a model changeover. "Volkswagen is the leading automaker in Europe, and the Golf is aimed at the middle of the market," said analyst Jean-Michel Prillieux of Mavel. "The fact that it's No. 1 makes it more desirable."

The Golf was first introduced in 1974 after Volkswagen had retired its earlier sales champion, the original Beetle. It is now in its fourth generation which resemble each other in style.

"People buy the Golf for logical reasons, not for passion," said Prillieux. "They are aimed at people who don't have a lot of money, but who aren't poor."

The Golf once had a large lead over whatever car was No. 2, but that has evaporated. Thanks to its MPV version, the Renault Megane is close to the top of the mountain. Volkswagen plans to defend the Golf's role as king of the mountain. The Golf MPV is due on the market in 2002.

Auto.com - Dec 2000

sent in by Pete Frost