Sales of the Beach soar

[BeagleMum]

We’re with you on this as we too have the beach 2 seater. For us it’s all about having the space inside and being able to cook etc outside either under the attached awning or add-on awning.

Totally agree, for us ‘space’ is the premium.

 

[SusiBus]

Why vw uk does not import all colours and wheels is beyond me. For sure, it does not require more work. Just pen pushers feeling they need to justify their jobs but creating a "marketing strategy" is my guess.

To uk md, save yourself some money, fire the idiots. Import all options as seen on uk.de and see sales increase.

I want the red/silver one and i cannot buy it!

I want a Silver/Indium Grey one. Come VWUK, you control freaks. Give the customer what THEY want, not just what you can be bothered to give them.

 

[kave]

If VW where to offer a LWB Beach with the integrated kitchenette I might consider swithing. I would love to be able to keep my bikes inside.

 

[marshian70]

Had some time to kill and been reading this. The new Beach camper with its flip up kitchen seemed like a pretty decent half way house for those undecided on Ocean or Beach. Shame it doesn’t seem to be coming to the UK

 

[kp64zl]

I agree - it's a decent half way house. But I'm satisfied with what I have

 

[BeagleMum]

Had some time to kill and been reading this. The new Beach camper with its flip up kitchen seemed like a pretty decent half way house for those undecided on Ocean or Beach. Shame it doesn’t seem to be coming to the UK

It will appeal to some but not to use, we are extremely happy with our 2 seater Beach, definitely the right choice for us.

 

[AmberLse]

I had my eye on the 6.1 Beach, and was very disappointed to hear here that it was not coming to the UK, as the 3 bench 2 slider option would have been perfect for us. So I emailed VW, very innocetly, querying details, as I couldn't see it on the brochures, and got this reply on 20 July:

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the availability of the 6.1 Beach. Please accept my apologies for the delay in my response.

I have spoken with our Product Marketing Team who has advised that there are no plans for this vehicle specification to be offered in the UK in the immediate future. The reason for this is that we do not anticipate that there would be sufficient orders of this specification for the UK market. However, I have logged your enquiry and if there is enough demand this would then be reviewed.

I am sincerely sorry for any disappointment that this may cause however I hope this information proves useful.

Thank you for contacting Volkswagen UK – stay safe.

 

[2haw]

I was speaking to a dealer yesterday and he said he’s heard recent rumours that VW UK are thinking about releasing the T6.1 Beach here again!

 

[Winston Rumfoord]

Hi AmberLse, what email address did you use please so I can add one more enquiry to the list.

I know it’s only +1 but I would order this tomorrow if on sale.

 

[AmberLse]

Hi AmberLse, what email address did you use please so I can add one more enquiry to the list.

I know it’s only +1 but I would order this tomorrow if on sale.

I emailed customercare@vwcv.co.uk - think I got it from the main van dealership website

 

[Borris]

"The reason for this is that we do not anticipate that there would be sufficient orders of this specification for the UK market". [/I]

I'm not buying that. Even VW must know how popular the Beach is and will continue to be in the UK. There has to be some more fundamental reason and my guess is that the introduction of the Coast has upset their pricing structure.

 

[Tarquers]

To add: This is what they sell in Germany:

Beach Camper or Beach Tour

The Camper can only be bought with the two seat bench and an additional seat if you want in the middle row (so 5 seats max). It also comes with the mini kitchen as standard. For registration purposes it is classed as a Campervan. I tried to buy one with a 3 seat bench but it was not possible.

The Tour can come with a 2 or 3 seat bench and has twin sliding doors. One of these can be deleted and have a mini kitchen in its place. The tour is classed as an MPV for registration.

I have a Tour on order with a three seat bench as well as another 'middle row' seat (so 6 seater) and a mini kitchen. It will be registered as a 7 seat MPV. I could have ordered a 7th seat as well but didn't.

Maybe the whole Campervan vs MPV registration is the issue for VW in the UK?

Have ordered a 3 seat beach with the kitchen. I am told it is the most popular spec being ordered in Europe right now.

 

[Camperfamily]

I'm not buying that. Even VW must know how popular the Beach is and will continue to be in the UK. There has to be some more fundamental reason and my guess is that the introduction of the Coast has upset their pricing structure.

I agree. Unless VWUK’s ‘sufficient demand’ has suddenly got greater, then previous years’ Beach figures confirm there is a steady market in the UK. It seems to me that VWUK want would-be Beach buyers to buy the Coast instead. Coast volumes look fairly healthy, so maybe VWUK have been successful if that was their strategy. Unfortunately, they are neglecting the 3 seater bench market and/ or no fixed kitchen market and those purchases will presumably go elsewhere - to VW conversions (where VW get a sale anyway) or Marco Polo Horizon

 

[Louis II]

Could be that VW see the market for conversions growing at a greater rate than their own sales and see the coast as a way into that.
I know there are a lot of beach owners on here but I feel like I see more oceans out in the real world. Could just be that I don’t notice the beaches though.

 

[Tarquers]

Is the decision more to do with requirements to reduce emissions across the range of cars and with coast and ocean sold as campers, dropping the beach helps with general emissions across the range?

 

[clarinetbcn]

Is the decision more to do with requirements to reduce emissions across the range of cars and with coast and ocean sold as campers, dropping the beach helps with general emissions across the range?

Are emission regulations stricter in the UK than in Europe? As above, the Beach 3 seat bench with kitchen is the highest selling spec in Europe now.

 

[Tarquers]

Are emission regulations stricter in the UK than in Europe? As above, the Beach 3 seat bench with kitchen is the highest selling spec in Europe now.

I think it’s the same EU rules but the U.K. market sells a larger proportion of the bigger VAG big engines and so each market determines the models they import. Unless I dreamt it, I read this somewhere. Will have to have a look.

in Poland, there are tax advantages to buying a beach over an Ocean/Coast as to qualify for business tax the base vehicle must be 5 seats. The “extra” seat doesn’t count. As nearly everyone I have spoken to buys as a company not an individual to benefit from vat savings, this may be a bigger factor in the choice but doesn’t help answer the UK decision to not import.

 

[Tarquers]

More info here

 

[Borris]

More info here

Unless I've missed something, it's an interesting article but it still doesn't explain why the Beach is still being sold in Europe and not in the UK. If this is the reason for the demise of the UK Beach then wouldn't it be disappearing from Europe and elsewhere as well.

 

[Tarquers]

Unless I've missed something, it's an interesting article but it still doesn't explain why the Beach is still being sold in Europe and not in the UK. If this is the reason for the demise of the UK Beach then wouldn't it be disappearing from Europe and elsewhere as well.

my guess, and that is all it is, is that the ratio of vehicles sold makes for a different mix in different markets? Bizarrely I have ordered a 4Motion Beach cheaper than I can buy a high spec Tiguan, so I suspect fair to say individual markets can also make pricing determinations.

 

[Borris]

my guess, and that is all it is, is that the ratio of vehicles sold makes for a different mix in different markets? Bizarrely I have ordered a 4Motion Beach cheaper than I can buy a high spec Tiguan, so I suspect fair to say individual markets can also make pricing determinations.

Your right there. Last September I placed a factory order for one of the very last UK spec T6 Beaches to be made. Admittedly it has a very high spec but the price before discount was €73,819.23 Euro (£65,793)!!!. They were always well over priced in the UK.

 

[Tarquers]

That’s interesting @Borris, 4motion DSG with lots of extras, 2021 model I am paying equivalent of £53k. I looked at same model in Germany and same spec is at least €10k more. No complaints from me!

 

[Borris]

That’s interesting @Borris, 4motion DSG with lots of extras, 2021 model I am paying equivalent of £53k. I looked at same model in Germany and same spec is at least €10k more. No complaints from me!

Clearly VW charge what they can get away with.

 

[Tarquers]

Clearly VW charge what they can get away with.

Slightly off topic, I did a quick (and absolutely pointless) comparison to see if it is market specific on other models for what its worth. Tried to do the same with Ocean or Coast but there is such a high level of optional extras added onto the UK model as "standard" I couldn't get a quick view.

I think it shows there is a luxury tax applied in the UK to the California, but also there is a need to discount expensive cars. High first 5 years UK road tax perhaps?

Toureg R-Line (top of range, no extras)
UK £54,205
PL £63,801
DE £61,363

and the bottom of the scale:

VW Up (bottom of range, no extras)
UK £12,705
PL £12,237
DE £11,057