VW Cars now in Ipoh
Ipoh, Friday, 9 February 2007 – Volkswagen car lovers can now get to buy their favourite Volkswagens in the northern region, as VW Cars opened its first Volkswagen showroom outside of the KlangValley today in Fairpark, on the outskirts of Ipoh City. Located in Jalan Kamarudin Isa, the showroom is in the northern suburbs of Ipoh, and is a 1S centre (sales only). This showroom is supported by a 2S centre (Parts and Service) located in Jalan Kuala Kangsar. This is the second outlet opened by VW Cars, the first one being its main outlet in Kuala Lumpur, situated in the heart of town.
VW Cars Executive chairman Dato’ Ilyas Mohamed said the move was part of the company’s strategy to promote the Volkswagen brand in the country. “In our immediate plans, we will establish two more 3S centres in Penang and Johor Baru. We will have these centres fully operational by the end of the first quarter (of 2007),” he said.
The opening of the Ipoh outlet was attended by Mr. Axel Barth, managing diredtor, Volkswagen Group, Malaysia. Members of the motoring media who attended the opening were given Volkswagen cars to drive up to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur.
AW got to drive the Volkswagen 3.6 litre Touareg on the way up and the 2.0 litre Passat on the way back. We did not get enough time to do a full evaluation; here are some initial impressions:-
The Touareg, at RM437K (excluding insurance) is one of the more affordable luxury SUV’s available here. We drove up to Ipoh using the highway most of the way, and we find the Touareg to be an enjoyable vehicle to drive. Acceleration is quite good from the V6 engine, considering that it tips the scales at 2.2 tons. It is not a road scorcher, but it can give quite a good account of itself. What I personally like I about it is that it is rock steady when traveling at high speeds, and under braking. Its immense size makes a statement of some kind, and other vehicles do seem to give it respect by moving over whenever we come up from behind.
The Passat is an attractive-looking car from the outside, and comes with the same 200 PS, 4-cylinder, turbocharged 2.0 litre FSi engine that powers the Audi A4, and is fitted with a 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic. Standard equipment includes ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), TCS (Traction Control System), ABS, and an electronic differential lock. It is an enjoyable car to drive, and handles quite well. The Passat package offers a whole lot more goodies at a price that is slightly below that of the Mercedes C-Class or the BMW 3-Series. Price on-the-road, excluding insurance is RM230K.
