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The Korea Herald
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THE INVESTOR
March 28, 2024

Automobiles

Scandal-hit VW to sell cars online in Korea

  • PUBLISHED :August 09, 2017 - 16:00
  • UPDATED :August 09, 2017 - 16:00
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[THE INVESTOR] Audi Volkswagen Korea, whose car sales have been suspended for months following last year’s emissions-rigging scandal, plans to sell cars online possibly from later this year, industry sources said on Aug. 9.

The Korean unit of the German carmaker is currently building an online platform to process all car purchases along with Kakao Mobility, a spin-off company of Kakao that oversees all transportation services of the Korean internet giant such as KakaoTaxi and KakaoDriver.

Sources said key executives from VW visited Kakao Mobility in July to discuss logistics and other infrastructure issues necessary for the online platform. 




If the plans go as scheduled, VW will be the first foreign carmaker to sell cars online even though there have been some individual importers that do so. Sources said the carmaker, however, is not considering offering any discounts for the cars sold online, which means little benefit for customers.

The unprecedented decision comes after the ongoing sales ban has significantly weakened the carmaker’s dealership network over the past year. With new car licenses being suspended for months, about 13,000 Audi and VW vehicles are still parked at the Pyeongtaek port.

Audi VW Korea has applied to get licenses for some 10 new cars, including the top-selling Tiguan, with plans to resume sales from September.

By Alex Lee (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)

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