Brazil: Volkswagen Redesigns Saveiro Pickup
ePORTO DE GALINHAS, Brazil — Volkswagen of Brazil has updated its car-derived Saveiro pickup, matching it to last year's revamped Gol hatchback and Voyage sedan, the fifth generation since the Gol's debut in March 1980 and the original Saveiro's arrival two years later.
The existing Saveiro was steadily losing sales to rival Fiat Strada, the segment leader for the past nine years, so VW moved to respond to it and such competitors as the Ford Courier and Chevrolet Montana. And it is quite a good response, since the new Saveiro represents the modernity its predecessor lacked when compared to the Italian-label product.
The new VW pickup has grown bigger in every aspect, most importantly the wheelbase, which has grown 6 inches to 108 inches. Overall length has increased only slightly, to 176.9 inches. Other dimensional changes include shorter overhangs front and rear, a taller body, wider track and a longer cargo bed. Curb weight is up about 128 pounds.
In other words, this is quite a superior Saveiro in all aspects. It comes now in two body styles, standard and extended cab. And the transverse engine in lieu of the former longitudinal one makes it more appropriate for the times.
Power comes from the SOHC 1.6-liter four-cylinder flex-fuel engine, which makes 103 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque on E100 ethanol. The new Saveiro accelerates from zero to 60 in less than 10.5 seconds, with a top speed of 110 mph.
In typical VW of Brazil marketing tactics, the most desired equipment is optional. Items like power steering, air-conditioning, tachometer, height-adjustable seatbelts, audio equipment, adjustable steering wheel, ABS brakes and airbags, to mention a few, must be ordered separately, which could raise the retail price by more than 30 percent.
The new Saveiro is conveniently price positioned, at $16,750 for the standard cab, $18,210 for the extended cab, $19,700 for the uplevel Trooper standard cab and $21,070 for the Trooper extended cab.
Fiat sells 70,000 Stradas a year. Volkswagen expects to move 4,000 Saveiros a month or 48,000 yearly.