VW polo factory closed June-July

[SRGTD]

I would think that all the VW Group factories have a production shut down at the same time roughly as it is during this time that the factories are rejigged to start manufacture of the "next year" models.

It is well known that all VW Group cars will be changing to 2019MY in July 2018?

That’s s good call RUM4MO. Usually, the main model year changes start in build week 22, with possible further build ‘tweaks’ from build week 45. However, I read somewhere (sorry, can’t remember where - think it was one of the Golf forums) that 2019MY build changes had been delayed this year, so a June / July production shut down to retool for these seems a strong possibility.

[RUM4MO]

There does seem to be exceptions in build model years, my wife's Polo was built in mid July 2015 and is still an "F" model which means a 2015MY build car, so either they phased out sections of that SA Polo factory for the 2016MY build start, or have the flexibility to seamlessly move end of period 2015MY builds and start 2016MY builds. I don't think that Polos at that time had many significant changes so maybe that is why that car was built or completed build as a 2015MY car.

My old B5 Passat 4Motion was built in May 2000 and that car quite a lot of "later" B5.5 parts on it, which meant that using aftermarket sources was a bit tricky as they always tried to direct you to earlier versions of suspension parts.

[TElwoody]

This Issue may interest you guys and also may be another reason its been halted, i doubt it is but just incase.

Also safety first

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/indu ... iddle-seat

Please read above.

[monkeyhanger]

At times like this when I hear this I am wondering if I should cancel my order and just order another fiesta
At least I know they don’t close production factories

I think you'll find that Ford also have factory shutdowns. The main difference between Ford and VW is that VW build orders only, Ford build to excess, so it's usually easy to nab a car with minimal wait.

I used to work at the Ford Transit van plant (closed about 5 years ago to move production to Turkey), and as a contractor, we worked silly hours during the shutdown, doing civil and steelworks to modify production lines and other areas of the plant , so as to minimise production disruption. Facilities Engineers used to do planned annual maintenance during the shutdown too, while most of the Ford employees had their 2 weeks off. Wolfsburg take 3 weeks off, usually starting BW28/29 (Mid July).

[RUM4MO]

monkeyhanger, I think that you will find that the majority of VW Group's car factory output is "build to stock" - ie a selection of what normally sells easily, just like Ford.

Ford also build to customer's spec in the same way as VW Group do - each marque is only letting the customer use the options list, I've ordered an Escort Ghia 1.6, and a couple of Orion Ghia Injection 1.6, as well as a VW Passat 4Motion 2000MY, a VW Polo 2002MY and a VW Polo 2015MY - all as factory orders with options specified.

Edit:- I agree with you about Ford etc also shutting down production, how some people can think that things could work otherwise is mind boggling, they should try working in the real world of manufacturing at mass productions levels!

[Leif]

I think you'll find that Ford also have factory shutdowns. The main difference between Ford and VW is that VW build orders only, Ford build to excess, so it's usually easy to nab a car with minimal wait.

VW dealers usually if not always have off the shelf cars in stock. I visited them in March and asked for a lot of money off. They said yes and showed me a long list of available cars. They said that if they did not have the colour and model I wanted, they might be able to do a swap with another dealer in the UK. I bought my Up just after the first ones came into the UK, so there were very few available off the shelf. I had a showroom model, and had to wait a month for them to replace it as they need to have display models in the showroom at all times. My guess is that when the car first goes on sale, they get so many orders that almost all of the early batches are pre-allocated to customers, but after a few months they have surplus available. Ford will I am sure be the same.

Clearly something has gone wrong with the 2018 Polo, either underestimating demand or inability to produce the number they wanted for whatever reason.

[monkeyhanger]

The 8 week delivery time from South Africa to UK via a few quality checks in Germany to consider the car "made in the EU" has done them no favours, and initial demand for a model always has the factories swamped. I ordered a MK7 Golf GTD blind back around Easter 2013 and waited 6 months for it. When I ordered my Golf R, I waited 8 months for it (although I believe the wait was because of the Pretoria 19" wheels I optioned - VW simply didn't seem to have any).

They will only have a limited allocation of certain engines so that other models within VAG that share the engine don't suffer. I also think that they massively underestimated GTI+ demand, it looks far more enticing than the standard GTI due to £2800ish worth of equipment for £1600ish (again, I forget the exact figures since the original brochure got pulled with + going off sale).

Anyone got a link to the old brochure PDF BTW?

[SRGTD]

The 8 week delivery time from South Africa to UK via a few quality checks in Germany to consider the car "made in the EU" has done them no favours, and initial demand for a model always has the factories swamped. I ordered a MK7 Golf GTD blind back around Easter 2013 and waited 6 months for it. When I ordered my Golf R, I waited 8 months for it (although I believe the wait was because of the Pretoria 19" wheels I optioned - VW simply didn't seem to have any).

They will only have a limited allocation of certain engines so that other models within VAG that share the engine don't suffer. I also think that they massively underestimated GTI+ demand, it looks far more enticing than the standard GTI due to £2800ish worth of equipment for £1600ish (again, I forget the exact figures since the original brochure got pulled with + going off sale).

Anyone got a link to the old brochure PDF BTW?

The GTI+ is still in the current price list brochure (effective 1st April), so it’s possible to compare the GTI list price (when specced up to the same level as the GTI+) with the standard GTI+ list price. Link to the price list (dated 1st April 2018) below;

http://origin.volkswagen.co.uk/assets/c ... celist.pdf