Volkswagen is currently facing significant challenges, including declining sales and a buildup of unsold vehicles. In response, the company is revamping its product lineup, introducing models like the ID.2All, priced under 25,000 euros, and developing the next-generation Golf, expected to be fully electric. This new Golf will utilize a platform developed in collaboration with Rivian, addressing software development issues. The Golf 9 aims for broader market appeal and will coexist with combustion models until 2035.
Volkswagen’s Current Challenges and Future Plans
If you’re keeping an eye on the automotive industry, you’ll be aware that Volkswagen is currently facing significant challenges. The manufacturer has seen a steep decline in sales, leading to an accumulation of unsold vehicles. This troubling trend has persisted for several months, raising concerns about the company’s future.
Upcoming Innovations: The New Golf and ID.2All
As Volkswagen grapples with the sluggish sales of its electric vehicles, the company has announced an ambitious strategy to revamp its product lineup. This transformation will introduce a fresh design and a new platform that is still in the works. In the meantime, Volkswagen is diligently developing its upcoming models, including the production version of the ID.2All concept, which is set to rival the Renault 5 E-Tech with a competitive price tag of under 25,000 euros.
Moreover, Volkswagen is already in the early stages of creating the next generation of the Golf. The current model, the eighth iteration, was launched in 2019 and received a facelift earlier this year. Unlike the ID.3, the existing Golf does not offer an electric option, but this is expected to change with the Golf 9, which will likely forgo traditional combustion engines altogether.
Anticipated to debut in 2029—just six years ahead of Europe’s ban on the sale of internal combustion vehicles—this new Golf will not be developed in isolation. Volkswagen will collaborate with the innovative manufacturer Rivian, formed in 2009, to leverage its expertise in electric vehicle architecture.
This partnership is strategic, as it was formalized through a joint venture aimed at facilitating investments for Rivian while allowing Volkswagen to benefit from Rivian’s advanced knowledge in electric technology. This collaboration is expected to extend to Porsche and Audi, who will also gain access to Rivian’s new platform.
Rivian will provide support in key areas, including software development, an area where Volkswagen has faced notable delays, particularly with its subsidiary Cariad. These setbacks have resulted in job cuts and have delayed the rollout of the SSP platform intended to replace the MEB framework, which is now expected to launch in 2028.
As confirmed by Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen’s head, the new Golf will incorporate this advanced platform. He noted, “We have decided how to realize the software-defined vehicle, and we want to start this journey with a more emblematic product. So we will start with the Golf.” This future electric Golf is set to be a software-defined vehicle (SDV), emphasizing its technological capabilities.
While details remain limited, it’s clear that the Golf’s development is a priority. The previously planned Trinity project, originally set for 2026, has been postponed to 2032 to focus on the Golf 9. Schäfer remarked, “We have just changed course a bit, not because we do not consider it a priority, but because it is not a vehicle designed for volume.” In contrast, the Golf will be positioned for broader market appeal, continuing to be sold alongside the existing combustion models until 2035.
As a side note, the forthcoming Golf 9 could find itself in direct competition with Rivian’s R3, anticipated to launch in the U.S. in 2027 and potentially in Europe by 2028—an electric vehicle that shares some design similarities with the Golf.