In 2024, Audi bid adieu to convertibles by killing the droptop R8 and A5. Another brand part of the VW Group is also preparing to say goodbye to cars with a folding roof. The main VW marque will pull the plug on the T-Roc Convertible in a couple of years. Production of the oddball crossover-cabrio mashup will end in mid-2027.
An indirect replacement for the Eos hardtop convertible, the high-riding model with its electrically folding fabric roof is made in Osnabrück. VW hasn’t figured out yet what to do with the plant located in western Germany once production of the T-Roc Cabrio ends. It’s currently exploring “options for a different use of the site.”
This isn’t the only VW facing retirement. It might come as a surprise, but the Arteon is still alive–not the five-door liftback but the more practical wagon. The Arteon Shooting Brake is also assembled in Osnabrück, albeit not for long. The fancier alternative to the Passat wagon will be discontinued in 2026. The regular Arteon liftback was terminated in 2023.
VW’s decision to simplify its portfolio has also impacted the Passat sedan, leaving only the wagon in Europe and other markets. However, sedans are still a huge business in China, where VW sells a Passat Pro alongside the Magotan, a similarly sized sedan.
There were also signs that the Polo could be retired to make way for the ID.2 electric hatchback, but the gas-fueled supermini is sticking around for now. It’s been given a stay of execution after Euro 7 emissions regulations were relaxed. Consequently, the subcompact hatch could soldier on until 2030. It’s the smallest model VW makes, following the demise of the diminutive up! city car a couple of years ago.
VW is not only deleting models, but it’s also axing jobs in Germany. Its workforce will be reduced by more than 35,000 employees by the end of the decade. The Wolfsburg plant is directly impacted by this drastic measure, with production of the Golf hatch and wagon moving to Mexico in 2027. However, the Golf will return to Wolfsburg as the electric ninth-generation model at the end of the decade. The Mk8 with combustion engines could continue until 2035.
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