Volkswagen CEO Pischetsrieder Says Phaeton Styling was a Mistake

Under certain pressure, Pischetsrieder blamed the same marketing team that fudged the Phaeton's design configuration for nearly wiping the very popular Golf GTI model

Pischetsrieder blames the same marketing team that fudged the Phaeton's design for also fumbling the Golf GTI. (Photo: Volkswagen AG)

off the roads, a problem he is now rectifying.

Speaking about the car the VW CEO states, "It was too slow, too average. It was a good example of marketing getting it wrong. If it hadn't been for those fans of the old Golf GTI, and their clubs and meetings, the icon would have completely disappeared."

Whether Pischetsrieder's recent criticisms of his predecessor's business priorities, the person who is also still the

Pischetsrieder also admitted that it was "absolutely the wrong decision" to introduce VW's tiny Polo model in China. (Photo: Volkswagen AG)

current VW supervisory board Chairman, is a sign that he is getting frustrated with the challenges he has been left to face, or if it is a political ploy to let the board members know it's not his fault the company is in disarray, VW's new CEO is nevertheless becoming more outspoken about Piëch's legacy.

During an interview with the Financial Times early last month, Pischetsrieder averred that it had been "absolutely the wrong decision" to introduce VW's tiny Polo model in China, another Piëch decision.

Pischetsrieder continued in the same vein during the CAR interview, commenting that "Dr. Piëch possibly emphasized engineering too much, and his predecessor Dr. Hahn possibly emphasized employment too much." He continued, "My goal is very clear. It is to make money."