Scirocco one step closer to Australian shores

[adrock]

This may have been covered before but I'm only new to VW. What's the reasoning in NZ having this model but not Oz?

[Buller_Scott]

it's because we are the world's backward laughing stock... good for making people laugh with antics about crocodiles and kangaroos, but not, according to our politicians, capable of driving something like the 'rocco without making it dangerous for other motorists.

simply pop it onto the list of things that make other countries laugh their asses off at us, like:

-cost of living in melbourne exceeds cost of living in inner city tokyo
-$400 snowboards overseas cost more than ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS here
-local car industry keeps persisting with DINOSAURS, thinking that a $500 discount will help make the decision to buy a car that uses $100/week more fuel, easier,

etc etc

[dodgey]

LOL, some people couldn't wait (Not me...)

Scuderia Imports/City Performance had a showing today...

[mikinoz]

Hot dang!!!!!

[Lima]

DO WANT!

More pics at AUSmotive.

[jasn78]

yeah its nice till u see the price.

Detail Paradise Forums-viewtopic-VW Scirocco launch

and trust detailers to find out about the launch first

[cme2c]

So, what else is out there for $70k? True, it should be cheaper, but that's what you pay for individual importing. It could be worse, look at the Camaros.

I know they are AWD, but a TTS is around $100k.

I am watching with interest

[goodfella]

here's another persective...
J-Spec Imports - VW Scirocco approved for SEVS

[team_v]

Geez, it looks horn and it's the R as well.
70k isn't too bad considering the camaro as said above.

Still, for 70k you can get an R36.

[Lima]

This may have been covered before but I'm only new to VW. What's the reasoning in NZ having this model but not Oz?

I don't know exactly, but it has a long history. And not just with Volkswagen.

My guess is that it probbaly has a lot to do with our Australian Design Rules which cars must meet to go on sale in our market. A couple of examples of how ADRs can affect locally sold cars imported from Europe.

1. ISOFIX child seat anchor points, where a baby seat pretty much just clicks into place, are good enough for Europe, but AFAIK they are still deemed unsuitable for Australia because the ADR states a child seat must have a tethered tie down point behind the seat. I do believe this rule is going to be changed so that ISOFIX points are legal, but not sure if it has happened yet.

2. When the MINI was first launched in Australia we were the only market in the world where the large central speedo was disallowed. The ADR at the time stipulated that any centrally mounted speedo needed to be angled towards the driver by no less than 12° or somesuch. I understand BMW lobbied to have that rule changed and as a result the second gen R56 MINI now has the speedo centrally mounted like the rest of the world.

Partly ADRs exist because we have a local manufacturing sector. That is, back in the day Holdens etc needed some guidelines to meet, and I'd say the ADRs are a hangover from that period. It is pretty naff that a car that is suitbale for sale in pretty much every other market in the world might need some sort of alteration before it can go on sale in Australia.

So, if you're an importer you're going to think twice about bringing cars here just to test the market if it means you need to invest some amount of money in aletring an otherwise perfectly good car just to satisfy ADRs.

Having said all that I reckon there's more to it from the Volkswagen side than potential ADR issues. Stuffed if I know what they are though. The Scirocco will steal sales from the GTI angle is one I've never understood and if any of our dealer friends on here have any theories as to why that is a problem I'd love to hear it.

I ordered my S3 a bit over 12 months ago now and the Mk6 GTI wasn't available. We already have a GTI in any case so buying another one was unlikely. But if a Scirocco was available, well instead of losing a sale to Audi, Volkswagen might have picked up a new sale from an existing customer. For all the sales "lost" to the GTI I dare say the Scirocco would pick up a few more as well.

I just don't get it, haha!