What’s the idea behind Volkswagen Exclusive, a showroom setup that wants customers to call ahead before they visit?

SINGAPORE — Welcome to Volkswagen Exclusive. We hope you have an appointment? That’s the general idea behind the brand’s new premium showroom, which was opened by Volkswagen Group Singapore at its MacPherson premises last night.

Managing director Steffen Schwarz described the renovated site as a showroom for viewing exclusive models by appointment only.

But it also kicks off a new retail concept in Singapore that basically involves VW going to customers instead of having them go to VW.

A dedicated sales team at Volkswagen Exclusive will invite potential customers to the showroom rather than waiting for would-be buyers to wander in. That way they can have a one-to-one showroom experience in a more upscale environment.

The concept is an adaptation of the Phaeton Lounge idea in China, where VW sells 4,000 units of its flagship model a year, more than anywhere else in the world.

Volkswagen Exclusive’s showroom uses the same highly reflective Italian floor tiles that line the Phaeton Lounges, making Singapore the first country in south Asia to have them.

VW intends to host weekly events at the premises, so the lighting has been designed to create individual zones within the nine-car showroom floor, while heavy curtains give the place an atmosphere of privacy. High end touches are used, like expensive cutlery and large interactive screens, currently the biggest in Singapore.

Not every VW car is being showcased there, and for now only the Tiguan 1.4 TSI and 10 other models above its $165,800 (with COE) price point are being given the Volkswagen Exclusive treatment.

It’s likely that Volkswagen Exclusive has an experimental element to it, in that if the concept works in Singapore it will likely be exported around the region. This is something VW has done before—Das WeltAuto, the used car division it launched in April, is one example of the group taking a proven idea and trying it out in a different market.

In any case, last night’s launch capped off a busy 2014 for VW. The company made a renewed push for commercial vehicle sales recently and has also been taking pains to improve its aftersales service operations, an area that Mr Schwarz says has seen some progress.

The workshop’s technical competency has been raised, and in one recent month the company received three compliments from customers for every complaint, said Mr Schwarz. “That’s better compared to the past, when we would have no compliments,” he said.

In the context of that, Volkswagen Exclusive could be seen as an attempt to raise service standards even higher. What better way to make sure a sales consultant is ready for you than to have an appointment, after all?

But don’t worry if you happen to be in the area and drop in on impulse. Walk-in customers will still be entertained.