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Because the first Golf rolled off the meeting line in late March 1974, Volkswagen has constructed greater than 37 million items. It’s by far the corporate’s hottest automotive ever, comfortably surpassing the Beetle (21.5 million) and the Polo (20 million). However the once-dominant Golf could also be previous its prime. Manufacturing has dropped sharply lately, based on a presentation by the works council on the Wolfsburg web site.
Reuters noticed the interior doc and experiences that VW constructed a couple of million Golf hatchbacks and wagons globally in 2015, however solely a little bit over 300,000 items final yr. For 2025, the German automaker tasks it should assemble simply 250,000 autos. In only a decade, output has plummeted by 75%. Works council chief Daniela Cavallo informed the information company it’s solely going to worsen: “The development is an unstoppable decline.”
Picture by: Volkswagen
Why is the Golf struggling? A couple of causes come to thoughts. Early software issues with the eighth-generation mannequin probably damage demand. VW has additionally confronted criticism for a noticeable drop in inside high quality in comparison with its glorious Mk7 predecessor. The removing of most bodily controls in all probability didn’t assist, both. Individuals are additionally not followers of the contact slider under the display, and having capacitive contact buttons on high-end variations of the pre-facelift mannequin may’ve additionally alienated patrons.
However let’s not overlook we’re residing within the SUV age. The T-Roc, primarily a Golf crossover, is almost as in style as its hatchback counterpart in Europe. Gross sales figures from Dataforce present VW bought 216,549 Golfs in Europe final yr, simply 13,000 greater than T-Rocs. To some extent, the crossover could also be cannibalizing gross sales of the hatchback and wagon. Oh, and there is additionally a T-Roc Convertible, which proved to be more popular than the Miata final yr in Europe.
VW plans to maneuver manufacturing of the combustion-engine Golf from Wolfsburg to Puebla, Mexico, beginning in 2027. When that occurs, Cavallo is not ruling out switching to a four-day work week on the German plant, the place the Tiguan is constructed alongside the ageing Touran minivan. The Golf will return to Wolfsburg finally, with the ninth-generation, electric-only mannequin on a devoted platform, arriving by the tip of the last decade. An electrical T-Roc may even be made there.
In the meantime, cost-cutting is in full swing. VW goals to get rid of 35,000 jobs in Germany by the tip of the last decade. Greater than 20,000 employees have already contractually agreed to depart throughout the subsequent 5 years, Reuters experiences. Between now and 2030, the corporate plans to scale back annual output in Germany by 700,000 autos, a good portion of which can come from relocating Golf manufacturing to Mexico.
It’s value noting that the Golf isn’t constructed solely in Wolfsburg. VW additionally manufactures the automotive in Malaysia and China. Whereas an electrical model is on the horizon, the present inside combustion mannequin may continue until 2035, based on VW’s Head of Technical Improvement, Kai Grünitz.