Photo: Volkswagen AG
In the latest “Oh, really?” type of news, an automotive marketing and product-consulting firm called AutoPacific has published a survey that enforces what just about everyone with an Internet connection already assumed: following the Dieselgate scandal, consumer trust in Volkswagen and Audi products has gone downhill. It hasn't hit rock bottom yet, but fewer and fewer drivers feel even remotely good feelings about the German car giant.
According to the AutoPacific study, only 1 in 4 of the vehicle owners surveyed still have a positive viewpoint on Volkswagen following the large-scale emissions deception. While that may not sound so harsh, keep in mind that the same study concluded that 3 out of 4 vehicle owners had had a positive opinion of VW before hearing about the Dieselgate scandal.
The survey follows Volkswagen's amazingly bad screw-up, as the German carmaker admitted to using software defeat devices to cheat on emission tests for around 11 million cars. All cheating vehicles wear the TDI badge and come from various VW Group brands, with Wolfsburg now having to spend billions in EPA fines and recalls. What can't be quantifiable yet is how the image blow will result in next year's sales for the VW Group. Especially since the car giant has been in and out of the number one spot in global sales for quite a few years now.
“Volkswagen has, by far, been the leader in diesel passenger car sales up until now,” says Ed Kim, Vice President of Industry Analysis at AutoPacific. “With diesels making up over 17% of Volkswagen and Audi’s total sales in 2014, this change in consumer opinion will put a significant dent in the brands’ overall sales.”
The damaged image isn't strictly related to Volkswagen though, as 64 percent of the surveyed vehicle owners think other manufacturers “are, or may be, using defeat devices on their diesel vehicles.” No less than 55 percent are as skeptical about gasoline engines as well. Obviously, some of these opinions were probably enforced by Elon Musk's recent statement regarding Dieselgate, since he went as far as saying that we may have finally reached the limits of conventional engines.
That said, even though the AutoPacific study also states 80 percent of those surveyed said that the scandal is a “big deal,” only 8 percent think that it will result in the death of United States diesel sales. For example, no less than 44 percent of respondents felt that the VW emissions affair is less serious than GM's recent recall problems, while 42 percent thought that Toyota's unintended acceleration issues were of a more significant nature.
According to the AutoPacific study, only 1 in 4 of the vehicle owners surveyed still have a positive viewpoint on Volkswagen following the large-scale emissions deception. While that may not sound so harsh, keep in mind that the same study concluded that 3 out of 4 vehicle owners had had a positive opinion of VW before hearing about the Dieselgate scandal.
The survey follows Volkswagen's amazingly bad screw-up, as the German carmaker admitted to using software defeat devices to cheat on emission tests for around 11 million cars. All cheating vehicles wear the TDI badge and come from various VW Group brands, with Wolfsburg now having to spend billions in EPA fines and recalls. What can't be quantifiable yet is how the image blow will result in next year's sales for the VW Group. Especially since the car giant has been in and out of the number one spot in global sales for quite a few years now.
“Volkswagen has, by far, been the leader in diesel passenger car sales up until now,” says Ed Kim, Vice President of Industry Analysis at AutoPacific. “With diesels making up over 17% of Volkswagen and Audi’s total sales in 2014, this change in consumer opinion will put a significant dent in the brands’ overall sales.”
The damaged image isn't strictly related to Volkswagen though, as 64 percent of the surveyed vehicle owners think other manufacturers “are, or may be, using defeat devices on their diesel vehicles.” No less than 55 percent are as skeptical about gasoline engines as well. Obviously, some of these opinions were probably enforced by Elon Musk's recent statement regarding Dieselgate, since he went as far as saying that we may have finally reached the limits of conventional engines.
That said, even though the AutoPacific study also states 80 percent of those surveyed said that the scandal is a “big deal,” only 8 percent think that it will result in the death of United States diesel sales. For example, no less than 44 percent of respondents felt that the VW emissions affair is less serious than GM's recent recall problems, while 42 percent thought that Toyota's unintended acceleration issues were of a more significant nature.
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