Volkswagen is in the midst of a crisis, and it needs to find some very major ways to save some very major money in the near future. Last week, we told you that Europe’s largest automaker could kill half of its lineup and slash some 100,000 jobs by 2030 just to keep the lights on. Now, we’re getting a better idea of what models may be on the chopping block. While many of the cars listed may not seem terribly related on the face of things, there’s one characteristic that unites them all: a lack of profitability.
German newspaper Bild reportedly got an early look at a “concrete list of discontinued models” that are on borrowed time, and they span the Volkswagen Group empire. Economy cars, luxury cars, sports cars, EVs, crossovers and everything in between are potentially being affected by these cuts. Keep in mind, these are just the ones Bild has heard about.
All in all, Bild says VW could save about $7.4 billion by 2031 by not developing successors for these 10 cars — and if earlier reports are true, and the actual goal is to wipe out 50% of VW’s total lineup, there could be many more in the future.
Cut VW into pieces
At Volkswagen itself, the Jetta and Taos are reportedly toast. While I won’t be crying for the lackluster-at-best Taos, there’s a part of me that will be bummed to see the Jetta say goodbye after nearly 40 years in production. I suppose a move like this makes a lot of sense. I mean, people just don’t buy sedans anymore. We’ve also reported that the base-level Golf could re-enter the U.S., making the Jetta a bit redundant in its biggest market. Motor1 reports that the electric ID 5 (the “coupe” version of the ID 4) could kick the bucket as well.
Audi’s death list is similarly unremarkable. Bild says two crossover coupes — the Q5 Sportback and Q6 E-Tron Sportback — will likely get the axe as part of VW’s cost-cutting strategy. I suppose this is notable since they’re both relatively new products. There’s also word that the A1 Sportback and Q2 could go bye-bye, according to Motor1.
There are other non-U.S. brands that could see cuts, too. The Cupra Raval EV will likely see its life come to an end after a single generation, and the Skoda Fabia will also be taking a final bow. Unlike the Raval, the Fabia has been on sale for the better part of 30 years, so that comes as a bit more of a surprise.
Porsche Pain
Unfortunately for us enthusiasts, some of the deepest cuts are slated to come from Porsche. The “concrete list” Bild viewed included the slow-selling Taycan EV (but oddly not its E-Tron GT sibling over at Audi). It’ll allegedly die once its current generation runs its course, which makes the update it just got all the more important. The combustion-powered Cayenne Coupe is also about to say goodbye.
What’s going to hurt enthusiasts the most will almost certainly be the cancellation of the upcoming gas-powered 718 Boxster and Cayman that were meant to complement the electric versions of the sports cars. Bild makes no mention of the 718 EV siblings, so we can assume those are still a go… for now. The journey the next-gen 718s have been on is truly wild. First they were just EVs. Then there were both. Then there was just gas. Then there were both again. Now we’re back to just EVs. It’s wacky, man.
Folks can take solace in knowing that there won’t be any material changes at Bentley and Lamborghini, at least. Those companies have tiny lineups with huge profit margins. There’s no need to mess with that, though Lamborghini did scrap its Lanzador EV, and Bentley did give up on its plan to go all-electric by 2035. That’s probably for the best.
We’ll see how this all shakes out for Volkswagen. Time will certainly tell, because the Volkswagen Group we’re going to see in the 2030s will look far different than the one we’ve got today.
