Volkswagen Scirocco; Not Coming To America...

For a while there, it looked like Volkswagen was about to make a decision on when to introduce the new Scirocco to the US, though there wasn't any word from corporate yet. That all changed, as Autoblog broke the story on Monday, and it's not good news for the rabid VW enthusiast here in the States.

Accordingly, Volkswagen of America's own public relations coordinator, Tom Wegehaupt, gave an on-the-record confirmation that the Scirocco is not destined for these shores. There are fears that this car will cannibalize any future sales of the new GTI, and that the US market will deteriorate further. So it looks like there isn't a suitable business case for this particular model.

This seems to be a case of very cold feet, as VW of America hasn't been able to bring some of the more desirable models sold in Europe to America. Aside from the Jetta, sales of all Volkswagens in the US have been lukewarm at best. The Scirocco would have been a welcome addition to the line, bringing in younger buyers looking for a hot import that isn't a Honda or Toyota. One can only hope that the GTI is affordable.