Electric Volkswagen Golf

Fun Stuff from Mexico

And so, the short series that's too long comes to an end.  This last set of pictures didn't fit in the other categories, but I like it anyway.  First, we have a medium sized Toyota van.  That means it's between the size of a US market minivan and a full sized van from the D3.  From there, we have an Aveo police car from Cholula. It makes me wonder what the police package is like.  In the US, the police version is usually close to what the civilian version should have been.  Can anyone identify the old VW?  I think it might be a Quantum, but the name is unreadable.  I searched and couldn't find anything like it.  I suspect it's Brazilian.  The red box has recently been mentioned in the automotive press.  It's the Hyundai Atos.  I have seen the Mexican market version around for the past few years.  The series closes with a car that's a press darling of the, "If only they sold it here!" variety, the Suzuki Swift!

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Welcome to Volkswagen do Brasil!  Mexico has lots of cars from there.  Here are the Gol (Portuguese for "Goal") and the Crossfox.  I talked to one Gol owner who is very happy.  These cars capture what Volkswagen should be, better than anything does from Germany.  They're cheap, fun and practical.  Both of these qualify as people's cars.  On the other hand, cars like the Phaeton make you wonder if the egos in Wolfsburg are capable of understanding their own language.

The Mexican Car Market: A short series that's too long.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!  This post is the Valentine's equivalent of Charlie Brown getting rocks for Hallowe'en.  Anyway, here's the word on Mexican taxis.

Volkswagen Jetta:  This was the newest taxi we rode in, with only 14,000 km.  It was also the most substantial.  It was a very solid car that didn't feel too heavy.  On previous trips, I had heard it said that Mexican market Jettas have much stronger suspensions than anything sold in the US.

Pontiac Matiz:  The driver didn't like the car at all.  It had over 300,000 km, and the check engine light was on.  The interior wasn't that great, and the dashboard was right on my knees.  The driver said his version of the Matiz was better, because it was a Pontiac.  Chevrolets, he said, were always the first to break down.  The car had some rattles, but it sounded like there was some life left in it.  The driver said that the cabs were often used 24/7.

Fiat Palio Adventure:  Riding in this Fiat was a big surprise.  It's a small SUV, that like all SUVs, looks outdated.  Inside, it feels light, very solid and up to date.  The drivetrain sounded perfect.  I was unable to find out how old it is.  Consequently I can't tell if Fiat has improved, or if it was a fairly new car with only a few thousand kilometers on it.

The 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show 5

Toys are the only things at an auto show that capture the excitement of wanting a car.  You couldn't play with the Volkswagens, but you could take a turn on Ford's giant slot car set.

Real cars are just furniture with car doors.  You don't even think about driving.  After all, nobody drives indoors.  Some cars are locked shut.  They are just boring sculptures.

It is worth pointing out that Volkswagen used their toys to show off their colors.  At least part of the team opted for something besides white cars on a white background.

The 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show 1

The best day to go to an auto show is the last.  While it's all about the facade, it's fun to see it come down.  The spokesmodels talk about their feet hurting. Some booths are out of brochures.  No one is as eager to sign you up for a test drive.

I had a good time as it opened, but they had to turn on the displays.  The net effect is one of exhaustion.   As I left the show, I had the presence of mind to take the above picture, but I lacked the awareness to buy something. I had cash with me, and I was hungry.  Although I haven't heard about it before, it certainly looks worth trying.  Watch for it when you're in Los Angeles.

The worst display was put on by Ford.  Blue is normally a cool, calming color.  At Ford, you get neon until you vomit.  There was a great wall of blue around everything.  The music made it worse.  It was loud and annoying, with no explanation of who it was or when it was made. Knowing what you're hearing makes it more tolerable. Ford's car display is in a rut.  Their cars look like an answer to the question, "What if Hyundai licensed their front end design from Aston-Martin?"  It's hard to believe someone asked.

The best display was put on by Chevrolet.  They have embraced their international destiny. Their spokesmodels looked like people at the finish line of a European bicycle or motorcycle race. "We're sponsoring Manchester United!" one man exclaimed.  I thought it was great.

The worst part of Chevy's display was the whiteboards behind the Sparks.  "Keep it clean and positive!" the sign said.  It looked festive, and I took a pen.  As I made my way to the whiteboard, the atmosphere became terribly judgmental.  They were just lurking.  Because I would love to visit Brazil, I wrote, "Sua terra tem palmeiras."  When I went back a few minutes later, it was gone.

The marketing teams at Mazda and Volkswagen have thrown in the towel. Most of their cars were white.  VW went further to make sure that their cars were overlooked.  The display was predominantly white.  Also, VW has a delusion of being German.  The word comes up over and over again.  Why their collection of global products should have any connection to Germany is a mystery.  I overheard someone say that one of their middle managers ate half of an apple strudel in 2005.

Volvo had the most subtle display.  Wooden flooring evoked old Sweden.  Round, uneven 4 person stools made from 1 cm strips of thick latticed sheet metal looked familiar.  After a while, it was obvious:  It was a nod to modern China, put in place for the parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. It was Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Wagon

Here's another Volkswagen from Puebla, Mexico.  I wonder if this is unusual for a prototype, or if things are shifting. While Mexico is an important market, I can't help but remember auto shows in the past.  Suzuki imports from different places, but their show cars were always from Japan.

The VIN decoders I find are always out of date by a few years.  The fourth digit indicates a sedan or base model.  Having ruled out that it's a sedan, I doubt it's a base model. Prototypes are made to test everything possible, and they are made to impress. Similarly, the best I could do for the fifth digit was a 2 liter Golf GTI engine rated at 115 hp. So much for 2006.

Although I like VW styling, I don't know it well. I wonder if this is a mule with, with something other than a turbodiesel under hood.  Also, I wonder how much of their product development has shifted out of Germany.

2012 VW Superbeetle again

Or maybe it's another year, but it was made in 2012. Anyway, here are a couple more pictures.


What would modern cars look like if form followed function? The answer is somewhere else.

The Fiat 550

This car competes with the Smart Forfour in Europe. Just as not all Americans like sedans, not all Europeans like hatchbacks. This is a niche vehicle for those who want something different than the Panda.

Here in the US, the Fiat 550 aims to take the brand mainstream. It will have a role similar to the Jetta. Once the Golf grew a trunk, VW had an American hit.

Toureg Hybrid

How did SUVs get their name? What sport could they possibly be used for? Their high ground clearance limits their utility, because it means a lower carrying capacity. Very few of them have any off-road capability. The only letter in the acronym with any justification is the "V," because they are vehicles.

With that in mind, here is the VW Toureg hybrid. I wonder why anyone would bother with a hybrid drive train on an affront to the laws of physics such as this. The big tires offer high rolling resistance. Elevating the vehicle means sacrifices in aerodynamics.

Still, this isn't anyone's fault. Mutual copying is the way of the business. Lexus SUV hybrids come to mind.

Seen but not photographed: Mercedes loaf of bread.

Some neighbors used to have a VW bus with a personalized license plate that said, "LOAFIE." A box with rounded corners is as valid a shape as any, but there are different connotations. What's fun for a cheap van undermines the intent of a status symbol.

The Mercedes I saw looked like most of their other SUVs in the US. Most look like loaves of bread, while there are a few G-wagens that are high crisp boxes.

There are a few possibilities I can think of for this one.

1. A future drivetrain for Mercedes or a related company is being tested. Underneath, it could be a 2017 Toureg, Cayenne or whatever.

2. This is the future of Mercedes styling. The iPhone is inspired by German design, and this SUV anticipates the advent of a fat iPhone, a loaPhone, that also doubles as a server.

3. It's an older prototype. The driving company has to return it soon, but they use it to run errands in the meantime.

2012 VW Superbeetle

Sometimes, you can get close to prototypes and take all kinds of pictures. I only took 3. The other two will appear in August.

This VIN says that it's a 2012 model, made in Puebla, Mexico. It was the 33rd off the line. Two VIN decoders ran aground with the check digit. VIN numbers on such cars have a lot of zeros. This one has a large glass roof, a current trend in Europe.

It's a nice design, but Volkswagen is painting themselves into a corner. Now that the first New Beetle is outdated, we have the new New Beetle, which is an update of a retro look. Old VW ads proclaimed that the cars stayed the same from one year to the next. By contrast, the New Beetle is like all the others in that it follows fashion.

Fiat 550

The Fiat 550 will do for Fiat what the Jetta did for Volkswagen.

If you don't see one, watch this space!

Volkswagen mule?

I think it's a Jetta. This one looks like it has independent suspension. In case you're wondering, a mule is a current body used to test other things, such as a different suspension or drivetrain.