Porsche 2012 Annual Report Download - page 83

New launches from the Porsche Holding
Stuttgart GmbH from 1 August 2012 are contained
in the reporting of the Volkswagen group.
New launches by the Volkswagen group
The Volkswagen group selectively expanded its
model portfolio in key segments in 2012. The first
products based on the Modular Transverse Toolkit
(MQB) were also introduced. This will form the basis
for many other new models in the coming years.
With the new group brands, Porsche and Ducati,
the group’s range now comprises around 280 pas-
senger car, commercial vehicle and motorcycle
models and their derivatives. The group covers
almost all key segments and body types, with offer-
ings from small cars to super sports cars in the
passenger car sector, and from small pickups to
heavy trucks and buses in the commercial vehicles
sector, as well as motorcycles. The Volkswagen
group will continue to resolutely move into open
market segments that offer profitable opportunities
for the company.
The Volkswagen passenger cars brand premi-
ered a large number of new vehicles in 2012. As the
highest-volume group model and one of the big-
gest-selling cars worldwide, the focal point was the
new, seventh generation Golf, which is still setting
new standards in the compact segment. The
Volkswagen group moved into key volume and
niche segments with the four-door up! and the
Passat Alltrack offroad estate model. The Polo GTI,
the new Beetle Convertible and the upgrade to the
CC further strengthened Volkswagen’s brand image.
Volkswagen took account of special customer and
market requirements in key regions outside Europe
through product upgrades and country-specific
models. The biggest selling model in Brazil overall,
the Gol, and its notchback derivative, the Voyage,
were upgraded in 2012. In China, the compact
notchback saloons Sagitar and New Lavida and the
upgraded New Bora were launched. In addition, a
successor to the Santana – the first group model to
be sold in China – was introduced after almost 30
years. Looking to the future, Volkswagen drove
forward the electrification of its product range with
the launch of the Jetta Hybrid – the group’s first
hybrid model in the compact class. Another high-
light was the eco-up!, the most economical gas-
powered series-produced car, which generates just
79 g/km of CO2.
The Audi brand put its technical and sporting
expertise to the test in 2012 and again met its own
high standards. In the premium compact segment,
the popular Audi A3 was updated to be the first
group vehicle based on the MQB. Additional deriva-
tives were launched in the form of the Audi A4 all-
road, RS 4 Avant, A6 allroad quattro, S6 saloon and
Avant, S7 Sportback and S8 models, which occupy
different premium segments. Key volume models,
including the Audi A4 saloon and Avant, the Audi
Q5, and the versions of the Audi A4 and Audi A6
specially adapted with longer wheelbases for mar-
kets such as China, were upgraded or modernized.
The Audi RS5 Coupé was also upgraded. The Audi
brand demonstrated its growing electrical expertise
with the launch of the Audi A6 hybrid and Audi A8
hybrid.
With the new Rapid, a locally produced version
of which was launched on the Indian market in
2011, the ŠKODA brand presented a compact
notchback saloon, specially designed for interna-
tional growth markets like China and Russia, as well
as price-sensitive customer segments in Europe.
Like the up! at Volkswagen, the four-door Citigo
supplements the offering in the expanding small car
segment.
Spanish brand SEAT updated the Leon – again
based on the MQB. Its sporty appearance stands
out in the compact, everyday hatchback segment.
As a sister model to the ŠKODA Rapid, the Toledo
will open up new market segments for SEAT. The
upgrades of the high-volume Ibiza product family
and the launch of the four-door version of the Mii
small car were also significant.
New group brand Porsche emphasized its dom-
inance of the global premium and sports segment
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