Electricity will join internal combustion in next Volkswagens

Volkswagen has shed more light on the future of some of its best-selling and iconic nameplates as part of its “Accelerate” software driven campaign.

The effective next step-up from the “Transform 2025” plan launched in 2016, Accelerate, which focuses further on a digital future, will result in “big changes” at the company over the next few years in what CEO Ralf Brandstätter has billed as the biggest Wolfsburg has ever seen.

All-electric Volkswagen ID.4

Aside from the ongoing focus on electric cars and e-mobility, which will kick off later this year with the performance GTX version of the ID.4, the new ID.5 from the second half of 2021 as well as the seven-seat, Chinese market only ID.6, the brand indicated it has no plans to give-up internal combustion power just yet.

Models confirmed to continue for another generation include the second generation T-Roc, the Tayron, currently only available in China, and the Passat that will become an estate only when the new generation bows in 2023.

The next Volkswagen Tiguan could go the coupe-SUV route

The most crucial model confirmed for continuation though, and for a ninth generation, is the Golf, which if reports from last year are to be believed, will be its last as it will likely be replaced in full by the ID.3 after 2030.

“What technology Golf 9 will bring we will see. It will again be leading edge as we are now seeing with Golf 8 – whenever we come with next generation Golf it will be a mark for the rest of the industry to beat for the next five or six years to come,” Volkswagen Sales, Marketing and Aftersales Head, Jürgen Stackmann, confirmed to Britain’s Top Gear.

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The final internal combustion model set for continuing is the Tiguan which will reportedly morph into a coupe-styled SUV when the next generation bows in 2022.

In the statement announcing Accelerate, Brandstätter said the mentioned models would not solely rely on petrol and/or diesel engines as they now do.

The next generation Volkswagen Passat will become an estate only model.

“We will still need combustion engines for a while, but they should be as efficient as possible, which is why the next generation of our core products – all of which are world models – will also be fitted with the latest generation of plug-in hybrid technology, with an electric range of up to 100 kilometres,” he said.

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