(www.autoinsidernews.com) - With a new CEO, Volkswagen has changed its hybrid plans, and now the first vehicle to use the automaker's gas-electric hybrid system will be the Touareg, according to German magazine Automobilewoche. VW's new CEO Martin Winterkorn changed the plans of its former boss Bernd Pischetsrieder, who originally said the automaker's first gas-electric would be a hybrid version of the Jetta, which would arrive by 2008, reports Trend.
Winterkorn states that the $2,000+ hybrid premium is too much for VW in the competitive compact segment. VW believes that diesel is a better option for compact cars like the Golf/Rabbit and Jetta given the price and fuel efficiency gains.
Under the new plan, the hybrid Touareg will be followed by a hybrid version of the Porsche Cayenne.