Screenless Fox

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Volkswagen Brazil Fox sold sans infotainment due to semiconductor crisis

Volkswagen Brazil is being forced to sell its Fox range without an infotainment screen due to the semiconductor crisis. For those not familiar with the product, the Fox is the South American arm’s entry level product that employs the groups PQ24 platform, as used on the fourth-generation Polo.

As Motor1 investigates, the multimedia system has been removed as an option on the Fox’s configurator which Volkswagen Brazil accredits to the ongoing semiconductor supply crunch. As a result, a plastic cover has been applied to the dashboard where one would have found a 6,5-inch infotainment display connected to four speakers and two tweeters. The speakers remain in the car, regardless.

Volkswagen Brazil further confirms that as a result, the Fox has benefited from a reduction in purchase price. The brand further clarifies that customers may purchase a separate infotainment system from its dealer network and retrofit it to the dashboard and speakers.

The timing of this crisis is rather unfortunate as the Fox is scheduled to be discontinued along with the slightly larger Voyage sedan within the coming months.

In base Connect trim, the Fox now boasts a purchase price of R$61 690 (approximately R174 000). Included in this is a multipoint injection naturally aspirated 1,6-litre four-cylinder engine that delivers 77 kW and 153 N.m of torque sent to the fronts via a five-speed manual gearbox. This grants it a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 10,9 seconds and a top speed of 181 km/h.


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VW Fox Sold In Brazil Without Any Infotainment Due To Chip Shortage

That's not a pretty sight.

The global microchip shortage has been giving automakers headaches for months on end, forcing most of them to yank out some features and sell incomplete vehicles. Other brands had no other way but to temporarily halt the production of certain models, and industry experts claim the issues will drag on until 2022. VW is not immune to these problems, and the Fox pictured here is a prime example.

The little hatchback available in Brazil is currently being sold without any infotainment whatsoever. Yes, not even one of those small 1990s-style monochrome setups some cars still offer in entry-level trims. There isn't an option to put the multimedia system back into the car as VW claims the semiconductor supply crunch is making them sell the Fox with a plastic cover covering the blank in the center console created after losing the infotainment.

The interior now looks shockingly austere, accentuated by the fact the Fox itself is an old vehicle. It's one of the last VW Group cars to ride on the PQ24 platform, which has been in use since the late 1990s for models like the first-generation Skoda Fabia and the oddball, aluminum-bodied Audi A2. The Fox is being retired as production will come to an end in a couple of months when the Voyage sedan will also bow out, but in the meantime, it's being sold without the Composition Touch infotainment.

We've reached out to VW Brazil for comment and a company representative confirmed the lack of a multimedia system. The Fox is now slightly cheaper than before after losing the 6.5-inch display, and customers are invited to purchase a separate infotainment from VW dealers as an accessory. It means the wiring is still there and it's a plug & play affair, while four speakers and two tweeters are included as standard even if the car is sold without an infotainment.

https://www.motor1.com/news/526101/vw-fox-sold-without-infotainment/

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Why Some Volkswagens In Brazil Will Come With Blank Plates On The Dash

Unavailable infotainment and head units will not stop VW Brazil from selling small cars.

The chip shortage has claimed yet another victim, or victims plural, now that Volkswagen in Brazil is selling a few of its small cars without any infotainment system at all. Brand new models of the Volkswagen Gol, Voyage and Fox are being sold with blank radio plates.

It makes sense that Volkswagen would continue production of some of its entry-level cars, choosing instead to let drivers take them off the lot without radios. The alternative to that would be to halt production, or to shore up the radio-less cars on a lot and just have them sit there for who knows how long.

Both of those options seem silly if the only hold-up with these models is the infotainment.

A spokesperson for Volkswagen did, however, confirm that models without infotainment will be slightly cheaper, according to Motor1. That’s appropriate.

https://jalopnik.com/why-some-volkswagens-in-brazil-will-come-with-blank-pla-1847475617

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I'm one of those mofo's who won't even miss an infotainment system. When I used to drive it was mostly without radio or music playing :thumbsup:
 
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