A shift in management has occurred over at Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM). Just three months after the company became official distributor, it has appointed a new managing director for brand and human resources, Erik Winter, who assumes the position with immediate effect.
Winter replaces outgoing MD Alin Tapalaga, who is returning to Europe due to health reasons. He joins Florian Steiner, managing director for aftersales, information technology and finance, at the helm of VPCM. Together with Steiner, he is focused on increasing the company’s market share, strengthening its dealer network and improving its aftersales service
Winter brings with him 16 years of experience working at various global business units of parent company Porsche Holding Salzburg (PHS), Europe’s largest automotive distributor and a separate entity from the famed Stuttgart sports car maker. He was previously stationed in China, overseeing the retail operations of one of the brands represented by PHS there.
Since setting up shop here, VPCM has launched two new cars, the facelifted Jetta in September and the new Passat last month. It has also added a five-year, unlimited-mileage manufacturer warranty, and introduced an additional two-year warranty for DSG dual-clutch transmissions earlier in the week.
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new MD same quality for my volkswagen car.
Aiyoo. No focus company. Even last time VGM, they had so so so so many MD. Now, this so called new company also, will be the same. Every 3 months will have a new MD.
No focus company. How to buy like this? You got complaint, by time you escalate the complaint to the MD, it will be a new MD who does not know your case.
Better for VW Malaysia just close shop
There is only ONE solution to rebuild the brand reputation —> DSG c/w 10yrs WARRANTY with immediate effect. Everyone knew winter is cold, but Malaysia is equatorial climate… have to be deep analysis this damn hot climate where make up of 80%’ population having 90% HPloan for 9yrs, equally poor income as 3rd world. This 80% climate’ also owning vehicle for >10yrs, some >20yrs when comparing 1st class developed nations with cash payment or up to max. 3yrs HPloan. This 80%’ is climate is equally poor to pay for vehicle maintenance that having numerous customer complaints about VGM Service quoted RM50K for a service/repair. (This Rm50k service/repair equally cost for 2 units new vehicle perodua Axia)
Wrong news. VW should announce usable auto transmission that don’t break down when operated in traffic jams.
Yes, better for them to
1) offer 10 year warranty
2) Offer a guaranteed buyback of all VW cars at fixed price.
This is because VW Malaysia, nama so busuk, nobody wants to touch a used VW car. RV also has fallen like a comet. 2014 Passat brand new sold for RM180k, now RM60k also cannot get.
Are you talking facts? If you have a concrete criticism by all means people are ready to hear, otherwise you should stop commenting for all the posts with negativity. I applaud VW Malaysia for their recent initiatives. And their cars are reliable, as I own one , never had any issues and it’s such a joy to drive.
I am sure you enjoy every week riding on sam tow truck and admiring your car from the tow truck.
Recently naik my colleague VW jetta, less than 3 years old suda ada mirror problem. Mirrors cannot slide down. Their solution was to appy small film of oily or slippery liquid on the mirror…
What is the problem with hiring locals instead of expats on huge huge huge hugeeeeeeee expat packages and paid for by the customers ?
Good reason to not buy a VW. I won’t buy proton or p2 either. But I’ll buy from any company that is efficient, makes good cars, and provides local opportunities.
because this is not local company?
I work for a huge American conglomerate that makes aircraft engines and their model is , always localize, expats don’t exist.
I don’t see why a tiny car maker cannot do the same, however it is an European culture, at least two other French mnc I know also loves the experts culture, and the get paid disgusting money and still have all the cost of their families covered
Oh my! No DSG gearbox please!
The Winter is coming..
You beat me to it.
Allow me to escort the both of us out for being too lame.
Not a bad move… Atleast doing something to repair a very well beaten brand… That extended DSG warrenty is a welcome surprise for existing owners…. Lets see how high can they go… Face it or not, there are alot of ppl who appreciate the VW brand… So it does have Potential… It needs a good management to polish the brand(preferably non local who have no clue) ….
Asked VPCM to return call to give proper explanation why my VW X Touran lost total acceleration while driving and risking our life’s when bringing it to a stop. After 2 weeks, new MD yet no call. VW cars are risking owners life’s.
Where got such cases la. Wanna tipu also do it properly lar. Most people here are do not own a VW and good at spreading rumours. I agree with Nabil, there is surprisingly a very large group of people who appreciates the VW brand and proud to own a VW.
It’s my family car ! Why don’t u do some study and learn about VW Malaysia problem. Owners have had a demontstion and protest @ VW Malaysia HQ.
It’s my family car ! Why don’t u do some study and learn about VW Malaysia problem. Owners have had a demontstion and protest @ VW Malaysia HQ.
I have no opinion on VW. but I’m here to say why are expats running local businesses? I have no problem with Asians, from China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, etc working and living here. But why Europeans who are so far removed from our culture? Providing expat jobs to foreigners from developed countries is much much worse than getting in people from developing countries. Bangladeshi and Indonesian, etc workers don’t steal high value jobs that Malaysians aspire to. Expats do. Ban them, we need a paradigm shift.
you want to know the reason? no body was interested to set up VW distributor in Malaysia, not in 2006 (10 years ago). But VW was dreaming to be the world no 1 car manufacturer and in order to do that, they have to be present in every country. Naza was not interested, not Sime Darby, not DRB group and UMW group. no one was interested.
the reason is – you will need at least 2-5 billion ringgit in capital to set up a HQ, parts warehouse and branches etc.
the big queestion was – to CBU or CKD? because if you want to CKD an ordinary Golf 1.6 Auto, you must sell at least 20,000 units a year (or 100k in 5 years) to break even. CKD is necessary in order to sell the car at competitive price (100-130K for C segment).
to CBU the same golf, will make the price high and not competitive (somewhere around 130-140K).
so VAG decided to come to Malaysia and instead of selling mainstream models, they bring in the high end sporty models. started with Golf GTi at 220k. then later Polo TSi, Golf TSi, Scirocco and Passat CC. all are turbocharged and came with VW patented DSG transmission.
market was attracted and VGM sold a lot of them without realising they were all timebomb waiting to explode.
this is reason why VGM is a subsidiary of VAG, instead of under any automotive giant in Malaysia (the big 6 which are UMW, DRB, Naza, Sime Darby, Tan Chong and Berjaya)
Keeping posting. Love to hear from you.
And what does that have to do with no Malaysian bring qualified for the job….?
See Digi, all their top management is local, though owned by Telenor.
They say DSG only can last in winter, so deswai they brought Winter to MY…
Good job VW. I see sales of Volkswagen cars are picking up..I think it’s one German car car which is affordable (relatively speaking) and with very good technology compared to the Japanese.
Sales increase due to big slash on the price. And the not so clever people come in droves to get a hand of the car.
Without knowing they just inherited a 2-3 years car abandoned in the storeyard under scorching hot sun.. with the gearbox waiting to kaput like a timebomb.
Why not all Volkswagen owner who have dry clutch dsg, form a action group, like in US, where toyota owner across us formed various owner action group and initiated a class action suits in their country to sue toyota for the pedalbrake issue.. that forces toyota to issue total recall and the chairman to bow to us citizen saying aorry.
Let’s group all owner in malaysia to sue the vw management in malaysia under a lemon law or common consumer law. Why are they still allowed to sell the defective car to unknown customer? This is akin to bad salesman cheating customer telling our car is top quality! No problem at all. All salesman says the DSG problem is not an issue.
The new jetta and passat launched also with the bad dq200 dry dsg. Only the high end passat will come with the wet clutch dq250 dsg. There’s internal proposal from Malaysia for VW HQ to request fitting dq250 wet clutch that will end all issue about reliability of dsg. But was turned down without solid reason. *(source from high level ex-vw staff who has resigned from the company after couldn’t stand the attitude of the management towards malaysian customer).
So you see the pattern here? VW have been found guilty of lying in the VW dieselgate issue and has been fined billions of EURO and USD in us for the cheating. They are trying their tough luck here. Armed with a good ‘kabel besar’ in Putrajaya, hence the big head attitude.
Let us sue the heck pf the company, until its owned the dry dsg clutch issue for all cars fitted with it and VW to offer full recall for all VW cars with Dry-DSG and replaced it to wet dsg. Until all owner unite and sue them and pushed government agency to take action on them, the situation will remain status quo. And you all can keep crying wolf here.
German quality??? Up yours…..
German company is keen to be operated and handled by their own german people rather than localize the top management. No matter how many study or research has been done in overseas the local people will always have better understanding of local situation. The different about political, economical, social cultural and technology between countries will require different set of analysis. And this is always best if they appoint local people who has in dept experience in automotive industry to fit to the position.
Localized top management is more understand the needs and requirements from market and make an appropriate strategy to penetrate the market and provide right solution needed.