Volkswagen works at turning US business around

Southfield, Michigan

THE US$89 a month it takes to lease a Jetta at some US dealerships is about as low as the price of using an iPhone on some mobile-phone plans. It's also a sign of how Volkswagen AG (VW) is grasping to turn around its fortunes in the US.

The bargain deal - available after a down payment of about US$2,500 on the US$17,325 Jetta - runs over a three-year term. Other recent offers ranged from as low as US$39 a month in San Jose, California, to US$99 in Boston. VW's reliance on leasing is designed to lock in repeat customers for 2017, when the German carmaker can show them an improved product line. VW, with an ageing lineup that lacks a mid-size SUV, seeks to more than double US sales to meet a 800,000-vehicle goal by 2018.