Posted by
Ed Lilly on Friday, April 18, 2008 9:48:33 PM
... every time I think I have turned my back for good on German automobiles, they try to suck me back in!!! The write-up from autoblog.com is intriguing, as there is apparently the possibility of "up to" 80 mpg. Could have a diesel, which may boost their fuel efficiency for the potential micro-van version. Unfortunately, I am still trying to figure out how to post images or photos on this blog, so if you want to see the micro-van concept, you'll have to click here.
While I have been very satisfied with my Subaru Outback wagon, in a few years when I start to consider a replacement, I could see myself test-driving vehicles like the current Mazda5, Mazda3, Scion xB, Honda Fit, Honda Element and Mini Clubman, as well as the Outback and Forester. As long as my lovely wife has a larger vehicle that is a guaranteed family hauler when we have need of such capabilities, I probably will try to stick with something relatively basic but capable of reasonable family accommodation. And if the up! micro-van is on the market, it will be hard for me to completely ignore it.
We'll see if it really comes to pass. As I noted a while back, VW was trumpeting the re-birth of its Micro Bus shortly after the New Beetle came out and achieved success. After delays and problems with various issues, the updated Micro Bus was shelved and VW announced that it will be slapping VW logos on Canadian Dodge/Chrysler minivans as an alternative.
I guess a worst case scenario is that VW announces late in 2010 that it will be introducing a Chinese-made micro-van instead of what they are now considering. That will make it easy for me to continue to drive non-German cars.