- The Volkswagen Group is eliminating nearly 50% of its model lineup by 2035.
- Previous reports have suggested crossover coupes and the Jetta could die.
- We’re asking our readers what models they would drop if put in charge.
Volkswagen’s Supervisory Board approved a mass killing earlier today as the brand will eliminate roughly 50% of its model lineup by 2035. The automaker didn’t say which vehicles are getting the axe, but several notable models have been rumored to have a date with the undertaker.
This includes Audi and Porsche crossover coupes as well as the Taycan and ICE-powered versions of the upcoming 718 Boxster and Cayman. Other models rumored to be living on borrowed time are the Cupra Raval and Skoda Fabia as well as the Volkswagen Jetta and Taos.
While it remains to be seen if those vehicles will indeed be dropped, which products do you think should get the axe?
More: VW Group Cuts Could Spell End Of Jetta, Crossover Coupes, And A Porsche
There’s no shortage of options and a lot of dead weight can be found at Audi. Instead of pursuing one platform that could underpin both internal combustion and electric vehicles, the company decided to embrace dedicated electric architectures and this means they effectively doubled up their lineup.
On top of that, they simply have too many sedans with the A3, A5, A6, A8, A6 e-tron, and e-tron GT. It’s pretty safe to assume the A8 and e-tron GT are toast, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the A5 go away. In particular, a redesigned A3 could effectively become what the old A4 used to be.
Needless to say, the A6 an A6 e-tron should also be merged into one vehicle that offers both gas and electric powertrains. Likewise, the Q4 and Q6 e-trons should transition to EV versions of the Q3 and Q5 when their current lifecycles are up.
Moving onto Cupra, I could see the Raval being one and done as the sporty brand doesn’t have to compete at the low end when there’s already a similar Volkswagen vehicle there. The Leon Sportstourer also seems unnecessary as the brand offers plenty of crossovers for customers who need extra space.
Seat should probably be dropped altogether at this point, while Skoda could easily shed some slow selling models like the Superb and Scala. While the former’s death would be hard to take, European buyers only snapped up around 35,300 Superbs in the first half of the year. This compares to 96,500 Octavias and the brand could direct customers to the similar Volkswagen Passat.
As for Volkswagen proper, let’s say goodbye to the Jetta and ID. Buzz. We also wouldn’t miss the Taigo, ID.5, or ID.7. The latter model never made it to America, as intended, and it starts at €54,505 ($63,381) in Germany. This is €11,575 ($13,461) more than the Passat and almost as much as an Audi A6.
Porsche doesn’t necessarily have a bad lineup, but there are too many variants. The Taycan and Panamera could also be merged into a singular model that offers both electric and ICE-powertrains.
As for Bentley and Lamborghini, they also have pretty solid lineups, although the Bentayga and Urus have gotten too old for comfort given their importance.
While that’s just a brief overview of the possibilities, what would you do? Let us know in the comments below.
