Major launch for Passat.

TOKYO - Volkswagen Japan will spend 1.2 billion yen (E11 million) over three months to launch the new Passat.

VW Japan expects to sell 1,000 Passats in the remainder of this year and 5,000 in 2002. So its launch-marketing costs come to more than E1,800 a car.

``Volkswagen is serious about making a success of the new Passat," said Volkswagen Japan President Tsutomu Umeno.

The launch aims, ironically, to balance out the success of the VW Golf in Japan. Last year, the Golf accounted for about half of VW Japan's sales of 58,481.

In Japan, ``Volkswagen is known for ...