The delay has left Volkswagen with growing customer unrest as delivery times on popular models are forced to be extended, in some cases by as much as six months, according to German dealer sources, who described the situation as “disastrous”.
Zahn said he expects the full Golf range to gain certification clearance by the end of September. Even so, some customers are already being quoted delivery times into 2019.
In anticipation of the delay in deliveries due to the WLTP certification, Volkswagen has begun stockpiling new cars produced at factories around Europe. 80% of those cars are already sold, however.
The German car maker recently revealed it had rented ground space at Berlin’s new international airport, which has yet to open, to accommodate thousands of newly produced cars with the intent to begin delivery as soon as they have been granted type approval by authorities.
Autocar is awaiting comment from other Volkswagen Group manufacturers, such as SEAT, Skoda and Audi, regarding whether or not deliveries are being affected.
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