Just before it prepares to put two new crossovers on sale in a market hungry for them, Volkswagen hopes to entice potential customers by backing its products in an unprecedented way.
The company announced Tuesday it would grant its all-new 2018 Atlas and redesigned 2018 Tiguan six-year, 72,000-mile warranties – roughly double the coverage it gives its other models and a generous increase over most rivals’. It’s a move meant to restore faith in both VW quality and customer service.
“We’re confident in the reliability and workmanship of these SUVs, and we want our customers to be confident in their purchase,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volkswagen Group of America, Tuesday in a news release. “We believe this warranty will lead to reduced cost of ownership for Volkswagen owners.”
The only mainstream automakers to come close to VW’s SUV coverage are Hyundai and Kia, which have famously offered long five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranties on new cars, with 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties. But that powertrain warranty reduces to five years when passed to a second owner. VW’s doesn’t, which may be of interest to those who tend to buy their cars when they’re a year or two old.
VW’s quality and reliability rankings have traditionally been a step or two behind its mainstream Asian rivals. With the new warranty, VW hopes to set aside concerns about their products to wary consumers that distrust the brand after its widespread emissions cheating scandal.
The Atlas, which will compete with the Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot, should reach dealerships by June. The new Tiguan should arrive by fall, where it will be sold alongside the first-gen model, which VW will sell as the Tiguan Limited.
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