BREAKING: Scirocco is a no-go for the US

In an unexpected and shocking revelation, Automotive News is reporting that Volkswagen of America will not be bringing the Scirocco, previewed as the Iroc Concept, to the US market. And, it's not as if the folks at Wolfsburg did not approve the model for US consumption. It seems it is Volkswagen of America VP Adrian Hallmark himself who finds the thought of a Scirocco on US soil "crazy". He apparently fears that the Scirocco, a two-door, Golf-based model would cannibalize GTI sales. That and combined with American's dislike for hatchbacks, Hallmark thinks sales would be less than stellar saying, "Having six different coupes and hatchbacks would be crazy."

I think Volkswagen is shooting themselves in the foot by not having the Scirocco available in the US. With the correct positioning and marketing, Volkswagen can differentiate the GTI and the Scirocco, which they can put somewhere above the GTI. Regardless, if Volkswagen keeps the low roof of the Scirocco, people will see it as a coupe and not a hatchback, just like the original.

We shall see where this goes. Maybe if we enthusiasts make enough noise, Volkswagen will hear. The same thing happened with the four-door GTI.

Source: Automotive News via Autoblog