[Yonhap News Photo]
SEOUL -- Volkswagen Group said Wednesday it will launch a total of five vehicles this year in South Korea to regain customers' trust, which took a beating due to the "diesel gate" emissions cheating scandal.
The German carmaker launched the new Passat GT sedan in March and will begin sales of the new Tiguan SUV in Korea, with three other models scheduled to be gradually launched going forward, according to Volkswagen Korea.
To boost sales in Korea, the company has set prices at 43 million-53 million won (US$40,000-$50,000) for the Passat GT model, which is actually lower than the sticker price of 54 million-66 million won for the same cars sold in Germany, Volkswagen Korea Managing Director Stefan Krapp said during a press conference.
The prices for models of the Tiguan SUV are also set at a competitive 39 million-48 million won, he said. As for this year's sales target, the executive expected demand for the Tiguan SUV to be on par with that reached in 2015 if the carmaker's efforts to regain trust in the company makes headway. The German company sold 9,467 units of the crossover during the one-year period.'
The other three models are the Passat sedan; the Tiguan Allspace SUV, which is more spacious than the conventional Tiguan; and the four-door Arteon coupe, the company said.
Reiterating the carmaker's "sincere apology" in regards to the emissions scandal, Krapp said Volkswagen will focus on reemerging as a "desirable and reliable" brand in Korea by strengthening customer services and offering cars at reasonable prices. Asked if Volkswagen Group has plans to add electric vehicles to its Korean lineup, the executive said it is closely monitoring market trends and is ready to jump into the "potential" market when conditions are ripe.
Volkswagen Group also plans to launch Audi vehicles in the Korean market this year. In July 2016, the group voluntarily stopped selling its vehicles here as the Seoul government announced it would ban the sale of all Audi and Volkswagen cars and impose heavy fines for emissions cheating.
(Yonhap)
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