New models with a new pricing policy will consolidate Volkswagen's number three position on the Irish market, behind Toyota and Ford, according to Tom O'Connor, VW's Irish sales director.
Aside from the Jetta, launched last month and already reviewed in Motors, new products coming on stream this year include the Brazilian-built budget car called Fox and the EOS coupé / convertible.
The Touran MPV is being reduced in price by €500 while it is going to have a higher level of specification.
Fox makes its Irish debut in April and in the VW model family, it will be occupying the slot vacated by the Lupo.
The Lupo was a poor seller, hardly surprising with a price tag of €13,250 for a 1.0 litre 50bhp engine in a three-door body.
The bigger and more spacious Fox at €12,750 comes with a 1.2 litre 55bhp unit and there's also an enhanced specification. Fox, however,is in a tiny segment that accounts for just 1.8 per cent of total Irish new car sales. It's a segment that is also getting more crowded and the baby VW will be competing against recently launched models like the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1, all mechanically identical and built at the same joint venture plant in the Czech Republic.
They come with a smaller 1.0 litre three-cylinder engine but are over €1,000 cheaper than the Fox.
EOS which will bring open-top glamour to the VW range,will be here in the late summer of this year with a likely price of under €40,000.
"We are still in discussions with Volkswagen but early negotiations are proving to be very positive", added Tom O'Connor.
The Touran, with a 1.6 litre 102bhp petrol engine and a seven-seater configuration, comes with head curtain airbags as well as driver, passenger and side airbags.
The specification includes ESP with ABS and Brake Assist, cruise control, black roof rails and an on-board computer.