- VW Group plans to reduce the number of its models by 50 percent.
- There are no names given, but German media already have a list of 10 cars.
- The combustion engine Porsche Boxster and Cayman may not return.
When Volkswagen Group outlined its massive cost-cutting agenda last week, there was no mention of plant closings or layoffs. However, the German automotive giant has openly talked about its plans to reduce its current model portfolio by 50 percent by 2030. As if that wasn’t bad enough, between now and the end of the decade, the number of options available will be cut by 75 percent. At the same time, the annual production capacity will reduce to just 9 million vehicles from the current 10 million.
Although the company won’t discontinue the models overnight, we saw a sense of urgency in the press release. The first steps towards reducing model and variant complexity in the product portfolio have already been taken with “immediate effect”, which can only mean that some nameplates are already living on borrowed time. Not only this, but the German newspaper image What is claimed to be a preliminary list of models potentially facing the axe.
Among the Volkswagen core brands, the Jetta and Taos obviously will not survive to see the next generation. Hardly anyone would miss this crossover, but the sedan has been a staple of the company’s portfolio for nearly 40 years. Although the demand for sedans is clearly not what it was a few decades ago, they are still quite popular. Other mainstream brands like Honda and Toyota have turned the math in their favor, but the Jetta appears to be another victim of VW’s cost-cutting. Although the ID.5 has not been mentioned, previous reports have pointed to its possible end.
Photo by: Porsche
Porsche may remove four models
“Concrete list of discontinued models”, as outlined by. image This also includes several vehicles carrying the Porsche crest. The slow-selling Taycan electric sedan will reportedly die down after the current generation rolls out, without receiving a direct successor. Similarly, the combustion-powered Cayenne Coupe is said to be on its last legs.
But what really stings is the reported cancellation of the return of the gas-powered 718. Even though Porsche’s “strategic restructuring” was announced last September, calling for an ICE return for the range-topping Boxster and Cayman models, that may not be the case after all. out of curiosity, image There’s no mention of a fully electric 718, so we can guess that two-door EV sports cars are still happening.
Porsche will provide clarity on its product portfolio by outlining its Strategy 2035 at a Capital Markets Day on October 7 this autumn. We should learn more about the new compact crossover with a gasoline engine that is set to replace the original Macan, which goes out of production this month. There may also be news about a long-announced three-row flagship SUV that will sit above the Cayenne.
The VW Group’s death list reportedly includes two crossover coupes you’d hardly cry about: the Audi Q5 Sportback and the electric Q6 e-tron Sportback. Both are still relatively fresh products, so they won’t disappear from the lineup in the next few years, but Audi is unlikely to replace them.
No change in Lamborghini and Bentley?
Lamborghini and Bentley are not mentioned in the report, which is not surprising. Both brands have very small lineups and some of the healthiest profit margins in the industry, so there’s no reason to tamper with a formula that works. That said, both have already made important strategic decisions: Lamborghini has postponed the launch of its first EV, and Bentley has abandoned its plans to go fully electric by 2035.
Bugatti isn’t even mentioned, but that’s to be expected. The Molsheim-based marque recently severed all ties with VW Group after Porsche sold its stake in Bugatti Rimac.
Told everything, image It is alleged that VW Group will save €6.5 billion (about $7.4 billion) by 2031 by not developing successors to these 10 cars. This may just be the tip of the iceberg, considering that’s far less than the 50 percent model reduction the company is considering.
Motor1 has contacted VW Group for comment and will update the story if we hear back.
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Motor1’s Opinion: This initial list is not official, but it includes some surprising names like Jetta and Fabia. These were once considered high-volume products, yet are now on the verge of extinction as it is no longer dependent solely on how well the car sells. According to VW Group CEO Oliver Blume, being popular is no longer enough. It’s all about profit margin.
If Porsche changes its mind and doesn’t bring back the Boxster and Cayman with gasoline engines as it promised less than a year ago, enthusiasts will be very disappointed. However, nothing is official until the company says so, so we’re still hopeful that the 718’s engines will roar again.
