VW unveils its brand-new logo

VW New Logo

To reinvigorate the brand in time for a new era of mobility, Volkswagen unveiled its new logo and brand design at the Frankfurt Motor Show under the motto of ‘New Volkswagen‘.  “The new brand design marks the start of the new era for Volkswagen,” says Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Volkswagen Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales.

New VW Logo
New VW logo with descriptions

“By formulating new content and with new products, the brand is undergoing a fundamental transformation towards a future with a neutral emission balance for everyone. Now is the right time to make the new attitude of our brand visible to the outside world.”

More Digital

This major upgrade ushers in a new phase for Volkswagen which is innovative, connected, authentic and more digital. The objective is to create a new holistic customer experience that is modern and fascinating throughout the world and across all channels.  Volkswagen’s Chief Designer, Klaus Bischoff, played a key role in the development of the new corporate identity. “In the new brand design, we have created an authentic communications platform for the emotional presentation of e-mobility. We are showing the Volkswagen of the future under the motto of ‘digital first’ and ‘no filter’.”

Recognising the ‘New Volkswagen’

Keeping to its three primary colours of dark blue, light blue and white, the new Volkswagen logo is simple and clearer, reducing it to its essentials, which results in a style that is clear, open, succinct, and digitally appealing.  The logo will also be positioned flexibly with the new “moving frame” in the future.

The brand’s visual language will be different from that projected by Volkswagen to date, with bolder and more colourful imagery that focuses on people in order to create a more human, approachable and authentic aesthetic.

More human

Jochen Sengpiehl, Chief Marketing Officer of Volkswagen, explains that: “We have created a new holistic global brand experience on all channels and across all touch points. As a general principle, the aim in future will not be to show a perfect advertising world. In our presentation, we want to become more human and more lively, to adopt the customer’s perspective to a greater extent and to tell authentic stories.”

For the first time, the brand will have a sound logo, replacing the former brand claim.  Furthermore, the Volkswagen brand will have a female and a South African voice in the future. The first of which, can be seen in the new T-Cross television commercial which will start flighting on the 21st of September 2019.

In South Africa, the new brand design was launched in conjunction with Volkswagen’s first-ever compact SUV: the T-Cross. The new brand design will be unveiled at the T-Cross customer event, T-Cross City, between the 21st and 22nd of September at Montecasino in Johannesburg. Customers will also get to view and experience the new Volkswagen South Africa website from the end of September.  The new brand design will be seen in dealerships commencing from September.

Putting power behind the ambition of becoming the global leader in electric cars, Volkswagen is preparing for an electric future. ‘New Volkswagen’ will become visible and perceptible in the design of the vehicles, in customer contacts and in corporate branding.

“The automotive industry is one of the leaders of the fourth industrial revolution. It is one thing understanding our consumers, but we want to go even further and help move them forward into a new world,” concluded Glendinning

Volkswasgen T-Cross coming to South Africa in 2019

In the second half of the year, Volkswagen will introduce its first compact SUV to the model line-up. The T-Cross will join the Tiguan and Touareg in the Volkswagen SUV model range and advance the company’s offensive strategy in the growing SUV segment.

In 2018, the compact SUV segment consituted 8.7% of the total market. Where most segments have shrunk, the compact SUV segment grew year-on-year from 2014 to 2018. In 2014, the segment accounted for 19 027 of new vehicle sales, whilst in 2018, the sales volume increased to 31 982 units, which equates to a 68% growth. This is one of the many reasons that attracted Volkswagen in the segment. 

The T-Cross is based on the same MQB platform as the new Polo. The 
T-Cross slots into the Volkswagen product portfolio under the Tiguan.

The vehicle is 4 237mm long, boasts a wheelbase of 2 551mm and is 
1 584mm metres high. While it is a compact SUV, the T-Cross is practical with 377 litres of boot space. This can be expanded to 455 litres if the second row of seats is moved forward. By folding the rear seats flat, the carrying capacity is increased to 1 281 litres.

A host of standard as well as optional driver assistance features will be available in the T-Cross.

The T-Cross will be available with optional LED headlightswith wheel sizes of up to 18 inches. The interior of the T-Cross is similar to that of the new Polo and will be offered with optional Active Info Display.

Volkswagen’s compact SUV is a great value for money; the starting price of the T-Cross will be below R300 000.

The T-Cross will be available for pre-orders from the second half of the year and will officially be launched into the South African market towards the end of the year.

As from 2020, Volkswagen will add another SUV model in the line-up for the South African market. The premium, sporty and stylish T-Roc, which is the first Volkswagen SUV that is available to order in two-tone paintwork, will make its way into the local market next year.

The most powerful Golf ever sold by Volkswagen South Africa

In the four decades since first launching in South Africa, over 350 000 Golfs have been sold in the country. Since the launch of the seventh generation Golf model range in 2013 the Golf GTI, Golf GTD and Golf R models have made up more than 45% of all Golf sales in South Africa.

Volkswagen is adding more power to the seventh generation Golf R performance derivative by increasing the power output to 228kW from 213kW – making it the most powerful Golf ever sold by Volkswagen South Africa.

The seventh generation Golf R continues to be a benchmark for driver assistance systems in the compact class, employing technologies that significantly improve safety. These include the optional Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert as well as Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking System.

DESIGN

New exterior design highlights include the optional R Performance Titanium exhaust as well as optional R Performance brakes with brake calipers painted black with the ‘R’ logo. Standard features include the ‘R’ designed bumpers, LED headlights and LED taillights that create a design that gives the Golf R a dynamic look. The tailpipes are placed further out to the sides giving the car a wider appearance. The exterior mirror housing caps come in Matte Chrome or optionally in Carbon. There are also various 19-inch wheel choices – the standard being the “Spielberg” 19-inch alloy wheels or the optional 19-inch “Pretoria” alloy wheels in grey metallic.

As with Golf derivatives, the infotainment systems, such as the 
optional 9.2-inch Discover Pro with gesture control are also available in the Golf R.

Standard on the Golf R is the Active Info Display, panoramic sunroof and drive profile selection which includes the Sport Human Machine Interface (HMI) feature. Adaptive chassis control in an optional extra and offers the same feature – Sport HMI. In the Sport profile, the ‘Sport HMI’ of the infotainment system on the centre console shows current engine parameters such as power output and G-forces in play.

The Golf R is offered in the following colours: Tornado Red, Pure White, Atlantic Blue Metallic, Indium Grey Metallic, Deep Black Pearl Effect Oryx White Mother of Pearl Effect and the classic Lapiz Blue Metallic paint finish.

PERFORMANCE

2.0 TSI with 228kW. The Golf R rockets to 100 km/h in a swift 4.6 seconds thanks to 228kW of power and 400Nm of torque. This gain in dynamics is attributable to an extremely fast-shifting 7-speed DSG and the standard Launch Control feature as well as the overall high engine output.

Recommended Retail Price (VAT and emissions tax included)

2.0 TSI R 228kW DSG                                            R676 000

The Golf R comes standard with a 5 year/90 000km Service Plan, 
3 year/120 000km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service interval is 15 000km.

VW’s bold campaign encourages South Africans to drive dry

Nomuzi Mabena

Johannesburg – December in South Africa typically sees a culture of ‘the party doesn’t stop‘, #MonatiHaoFeli, until it does, #MonatiWaFela. This month, as South Africans are making their new year’s resolutions, Volkswagen in partnership with Drive Dry, a Diageo South Africa initiative, seek to make a positive change when it comes to drinking and driving by urging people to pledge to #VWDriveDry in 2019 in order to make the party stop before their life does.

The #MonatiWaFela campaign which kicked off in December 2018, saw popular hip-hop artist Nomuzi Mabena who goes by the stage name Moozlie, posting images on her social media pages which were indicative of drinking and driving. She was seen getting behind the wheel shortly after partying, making stops at a popular fast food outlet at 2am with a red beer cup, sharing her secrets on avoiding metro police, and blatantly drinking what appears to be gin, all whilst behind the driver’s wheel. Her holiday culminates in a heart-stopping live Instagram video, whilst Moozlie is talking about her dreams for 2019. Within seconds there is a sudden screech and crash and the audience realises that she has been in a car accident. For 12 hours after the accident is shared across social media, fans speculated and contemplated the reality of what they had just witnessed.

After an agonising day of her fans imagining the pain she and her family must be going through and reflecting on their own beliefs and behaviours, Volkswagen, Moozlie and Drive Dry released a video which revealed the truth about the accident. The crash and all subsequent posts leading up to it were staged in order to drive a powerful message home.

With another December of devastating road fatalities, many caused by drinking and driving, Volkswagen and Drive Dry wanted to create an impactful campaign that will make South Africans wake up to the realities of the behaviours that are condoned on social media. The campaign aims to inspire drivers to make a behavioural change and think twice before drinking and driving. The campaign also hopes to encourage friends and family to speak out against their loved-ones when they identify signs of drinking and driving.

“We wanted to showcase the journey and the consequences that can occur when drinking and driving is condoned. It is time for us as South Africans to take a pledge and make the change to ensure safer roads,” said Nomuzi ‘Moozlie’ Mabena.

‘‘By tapping into the insights of social media behaviour, we wanted to create an introspective campaign, where South Africans could reflect on condoning drinking and driving. The seemingly harmless behaviour at the time can have detrimental effects on road users around you and your loved-ones that you leave behind,‘‘ commented Andile Dlamini, Head of VWSA Group Communications.

There have been close to 14 000 road fatalities in South Africa every year, for the last three years. Drinking and driving, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), has caused 58% of those fatalities. “With these kinds of statistics, our mandate is even more pertinent than ever. Our goal is to contribute to the WHO target of reducing harmful drinking by 10% by 2025. If one person decides to make a change in their behaviour, that one change could be one less fatality on our roads, and every life counts,” said Lebogang Mashigo, Alcohol in Society Manager at Diageo SA.

Take the pledge and make the change to Drive Dry in 2019. Share your pledge by hashtagging #VWDriveDry on social media.