Volkswagen CEO, Thomas Schäfer, says the brand doesn’t currently have the funds to gamble on small production run models. That’s thanks to its investment in electrification.
He says that VW won’t introduce any low-volume models until it has the basics right, i.e., the ideal fleet line-up.
So you can forget about Arteons or T-Roc Cabriolets in the near future.
The German brand doesn’t currently have too much funding available for cars that aren’t or won’t be part of its core line-up, said Schäfer.
Check out our review of Volkswagen’s Touareg R PHEV.
There are too many challenges in introducing niche vehicles, especially what it means in terms of investment sacrifices. Hence, the cautious debate at Volkswagen.
Moreover, such challenges mean keeping the line-up pared back at present to include Touareg SUV, Golf hatchback and the ID range of electric cars. Even then there are challenges, such as investing in hybrid development, Euro 7 and beyond, said Schäfer. “It’s quite a stretch to afford it all,” he added.
Niche products will likely make a comeback but right now “we have to keep the main business healthy. That’s the main focus.”
He did say that thought is going into what niche models could be added in the future, once financial hurdles are overcome.
He said: “The core is clear. But you know, more niche things like the Scirocco used to be, like the Touran [MPV] used to be, those kind of vehicles… they have a place in our overall view.”
