Remember the Volkswagen Rabbit? Just like the ever-popular Beetle, it's coming back. The German automaker has decided to rename its Golf hatchback the Rabbit, the name the model was sold under in the
U.S. and Canada from 1974 to 1984. The company then changed the name to the Golf, which the model was called outside North America. "Volkswagen customers want a relationship with their cars," said
Kerri Martin, VW's brand innovation director. "Names like The Thing, Beetle, Fox, and Rabbit support this." The model sold well in Europe but never caught on among American drivers, who preferred the
New Beetle, a brand that Europeans shunned. The low-cuddle-factor of the Golf name may partly explain its paltry U.S. sales--VW sold only 15,690 last year, down 36 percent from 2004 levels. Martin
says she is counting on nostalgia to goose sales. The Rabbit goes on sale this summer, starting at $14,990.
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