[Interview] Martin Sander, Volkswagen Marketing Director: "Many Opportunities in the Korean Market... Developing Golf EV"

Volkswagen Sales, Marketing, and Aftersales Board Member
First Official Interview Since Joining Volkswagen
"Korean Market with Great Potential, Will Seek Business Opportunities"

"Korea is a very important market for Volkswagen. We will closely examine our brand’s status, growth factors, and business opportunities in Korea, and listen carefully to the opinions of Korean consumers."

Martin Sander, Head of Sales and Marketing for Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said this during an interview with domestic reporters at the ‘GTI Fanfest’ held in Wolfsburg, Germany, on the 27th of last month (local time). This interview marks Sander’s first since joining Volkswagen last month as a member of the Passenger Cars Sales, Marketing, and Aftersales Board.

Martin Sander, Head of Sales, Marketing, and Aftersales for Volkswagen Passenger Cars
[Photo by Volkswagen Korea]

When asked if there are plans to launch more diverse new Volkswagen models in Korea, Sander replied, "We see many opportunities in the Korean market," adding, "We will thoroughly understand the needs of Korean consumers." Currently, Volkswagen Korea sells eight models in the Korean market: Jetta, Arteon, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace, Touareg, Golf, Golf GTI, and ID.4.

At the ‘GTI Fanfest’ held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Volkswagen hatchback Golf, Sander expressed a special affection for the brand’s representative model, the Golf. He said, "The Golf is a model that well reflects Volkswagen’s DNA of becoming ‘everyone’s car.’ While some models target specific demographics, the Golf enjoys broad love with its appeal that transcends generations." He also mentioned plans to launch electrified versions of the Golf. "The Golf’s success will continue in the electrification era," he said, "Recently, a plug-in hybrid model was launched, and electrified models are also under development."

Regarding the German mindset of enjoying cars not merely as consumer or luxury goods but as a culture, he explained from a historical and economic perspective. Sander said, "After World War II, the automotive industry in Germany symbolized liberation from oppression and emerged as an important industry. Economic growth and industrial development occurred simultaneously, creating a bond between the industry and customers that generated great synergy."