Volkswagen pins renewed fortunes on electrification, digitalization

Digital transformation

Volkswagen will also introduce its new logo across more than 2,200 dealerships in the country.

The VW letters remain enclosed in a circle like it always has. But the new one, which made its global debut in September in Frankfurt, is much simpler - just the essential form, flat and two-dimensional.

It will allow more flexible use and will be outstandingly recognizable in digital media, said Volkswagen.

Volkswagen's chief designer Klaus Bischoff said, "We have created an authentic communications platform for the emotional presentation of e-mobility. We are showing the future under the motto of 'digital first' and 'no filter'."

The brand's first digitalized dealership, which belongs to FAW-Volkswagen, was unveiled in Guangzhou on Friday. The dealership is intended to offer potential customers and fans a better digitalized experience and an easier way to learn information about models.

"We have done many forward-looking studies and we need to change based on market trends: customers are getting younger and digital devices are becoming part of life," said Dong Xiuhui, vice-president of FAW-Volkswagen.

The joint venture also launched a smartphone app on the same day. It will serve as a one-stop service platform where customers can do a range of things from getting information to booking maintenance.

The app also enables customers and dealers as well as the carmaker to have more online exchanges.

Dong said digitalization is an inevitable trend, and digital channels are of paramount importance in China to reach new customers and keep in touch with existing owners.

"The brick-and-mortar dealerships and the app will have far-reaching impact and serve as a milestone in our transformation from a carmaker and mobility provider to a precise marketing service provider," said Dong, who added that more dealerships with digitalized features will emerge in 2020.