Volkswagen Golf Sales Are Sharply Declining

The first Golf rolled off the assembly line in 1974, and since then, more than 37 million have been produced. It is by far the most popular car in the company’s history, significantly surpassing the Beetle (21.5 million) and the Polo (20 million). However, judging by the current results, the market peak of the Golf is far behind us.

Reuters has seen an internal document and reports that more than one million Golfs (hatchback and wagon) were produced globally in 2015, while just over 300,000 units were produced last year. A further decline is expected in 2025, with production of only 250,000 vehicles. In just ten years, production decreased by as much as 75%. The president of the workers’ council, Daniela Cavallo, said that the situation will be even worse: “The trend is an unstoppable decline. Golf must go to Mexico.”

Why is the Golf getting harder and harder to pass on the market?

Several factors decided the Golf. Early software issues with the eighth-generation model likely affected demand. Information about the decline in interior quality compared to its exceptional predecessor, the seventh-generation model, also quickly arrived. Removing most of the physical controls didn’t help either.

Customers also didn’t like the sliding touch elements under the screen, and the capacitive buttons on the more expensive versions before the redesign could further turn off some customers.

But we should not forget that we live in the era of SUVs and crossover vehicles. The T-Roc is a crossover version of the Golf and is almost as popular as the hatchback version in Europe. According to Dataforce, 216,549 Golfs were sold in Europe last year—just 13,000 more than T-Rocs. Let’s also mention the T-Roc Cabriolet, which is listed quite solidly on the market of models without a roof.

• Also See: Volkswagen And The Union Decide To Eliminate 20,000 Jobs.