How we are expanding our model range

The year 2019 began and ended for Stephan Wöllenstein with an exclamation mark. In February, the CEO of the Volkswagen brand in China together with Sales Director Jürgen Stackmann presented JETTA - the new sub-brand with which Volkswagen addresses the growing target group of young middle-class customers in China and exploits its market potential even more effectively. In November, Wöllenstein drew a first – extremely successful -– interim balance: since its market entry in September, almost 30,000 JETTA vehicles have been delivered to customers. This makes JETTA the most successful new car brand in China within the first three months of sales – and a further milestone in the brand's great model range.

Volkswagen launched an unprecedented model offensive in 2019. At the same time, the entire Group is resolutely pressing ahead with its transformation. Investments in the future fields of hybridization, electromobility and digitization will rise to almost 60 billion euros between 2020 and 2024. Compared with the Group’s previous planning round, this represents an increase of around ten percentage points. The Group plans to spend around 33 billion euros on electric mobility by 2024 alone.

“We are resolutely pressing ahead with the transformation of the Volkswagen Group and are focusing our investments on the future fields of mobility. We are thus pursuing the consistent implementation of the Group’s strategy.”

Hans Dieter Pötsch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group

“In the following years, we will once again increase the pace with our investments. Hybridization, electrification and digitization of our fleet are becoming increasingly important. We want to exploit our economies of scale and maximize synergies. In a deteriorating economic environment, we are simultaneously working to increase our productivity, efficiency and cost position in order to safeguard our set targets.”

Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group

Up to 75 pure e-models and 60 hybrid vehicles

The long-term planning for the next ten years has also been adjusted. By 2029, the Group plans to launch up to 75 all-electric models on the market – plus around 60 hybrid vehicles. The number of projected electric vehicles will increase to around 26 million vehicles by 2029, mainly due to the extension of the period under review. Volkswagen also plans to sell almost six million hybrid vehicles by 2029.

Around 20 million of the planned e-vehicles by 2029 will be based on the Group's Modular E-Drive System (MEB), and a large proportion of the other six million vehicles will be based on the high-performance PPE platform. The electric cars produced abroad come from the plants in Mladá Boleslav, Chattanooga, Foshan and Anting. In Germany, the electric vehicles are produced in Zwickau, Emden, Hanover, Zuffenhausen and Dresden. Emden’s plans to build the electric A-SUV (ID.Next) from 2022 onwards were confirmed. This was already shown camouflaged at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.

The top premieres of the year 2019: ID.3 and new Golf

The ID.3 and the new Golf celebrated their premieres in the autumn of 2019, completely without camouflage. The ID.3 is the first all-electric car from the Volkswagen Group – clean, fascinating and finally affordable for less than 30,000 euros. Volkswagen is thus driving technological change forward more consistently and with greater commitment than almost any other automobile manufacturer. The aim is to take e-mobility from the niche to the middle of society.

ID.3, the first model of the new generation of electric cars, goes into series production in 2019. The ID.3 is specially designed for electric mobility and optimally exploits the possibilities of this technology. It offers long ranges, plenty of space, dynamic driving characteristics and a whole new level of digital connectivity. The ID.3 also sets new standards in terms of sustainability. All this makes it a pioneer and forerunner for system change.

The ID.3 is an all-rounder suitable for everyday use. It is compact, maneuverable and offers a particularly large interior, comparable to a mid-range car. The ID.3 thus sets new standards in the compact class. Innovative technologies and long ranges are also included. Customers can choose between three battery sizes: The basic version with 45 kWh enables ranges of up to 330 kilometers. The medium battery with 58 kWh can achieve up to 420 kilometers of range and with the largest 77 kWh battery, even up to 550 kilometers are possible (WLTP). Thanks to its rapid charging capability, even the basic version with 100 kW charging power can recharge around 290 kilometers of range within 30 minutes. The entry-level price is less than 30,000 euros – before the deduction of state subsidies!

The ID.3 is the first model based on Volkswagen’s new Modular E-Drive (MEB) matrix. The heart of the MEB is the flat and scalable high-voltage battery, which is firmly integrated into the structure of the underbody. This offers numerous advantages – from the greater range to the increased interior space and driving dynamics.

At the same time, the MEB enables enormous economies of scale and thus creates the basis for making the electric car accessible to as many people as possible. Up to 22 million electric cars are to be built and sold worldwide by 2028, the majority of which will be MEB-based. Over the next few years, the Volkswagen brand will put a complete ID. family on the road. The spectrum ranges from compact cars to SUVs and large sedans. The MEB will also be used by Audi, ŠKODA, SEAT and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in the future. Volkswagen is thus transferring its successful platform strategy into the electric age.

The Zwickau plant is a key component of Volkswagen’s most comprehensive electric offensive. Volkswagen is the first volume manufacturer to completely convert a large automobile plant – from 100 percent combustion engine to 100 percent electric. Volkswagen is investing a total of around 1.2 billion euros in the conversion of the plant. In the final expansion stage from 2021 onwards, up to 330,000 electric cars will be produced there every year – around 30,000 more than before. Zwickau will thus become the largest and most efficient electric car plant in Europe.

The ID.3 “made in Zwickau” also makes an important contribution to climate protection. It is not only emission-free locally, it is also manufactured in a CO₂-neutral way. This makes it a pioneer on the road to clean, sustainable mobility.

Golf, generation 8: New highly efficient combustion engine, completely digitalized

At almost the same time, Volkswagen presented the latest eighth-generation Golf in autumn 2019. Right from the start, it caused a sensation both nationally and internationally – for a variety of reasons. Whether connectivity and operability, sustainability, driving dynamics and safety, comfort and design: the new Golf sets standards on many different levels so that you can easily lose track of things.

It is digitalized, intelligent, networked and intuitively operable. The new Golf is the first model in its class to feature a completely digital high-end cockpit as standard (optionally also with "Innovision Cockpit"). Displays and control elements have been digitized to make them self-explanatory. In addition, the new voice control reacts to natural voice commands and is easy to operate. In short, the new digital display and control elements enable a completely new dimension of intuitive operation.

All digital systems in the new Golf are not only connected to each other, but also to the world outside the Golf via an online connectivity unit (OCU) - so the new Golf is always on. The standard OCU with integrated eSIM enables a multitude of online functions and services such as "We Connect" and "We Connect Plus", which bring streaming, web radio and other online features on board. In addition, certain functions and systems can also be activated retrospectively using "We Upgrade". The new Golf is "always on".

The digital display landscape can be personalised to suit the individual taste of each driver. The Volkswagen's networked digital cockpit will change the way we drive. The new Golf will become a Gamechanger, which will introduce the start of the digital modern era in large-scale production.

The new Golf also available as a hybrid

Volkswagen is also launching a genuine hybrid offensive with the new Golf. With five hybrid versions at once, the new Golf electrifies its customers - and sets a new standard in the compact class. The new eTSI technology celebrates its debut: a belt starter generator, a 48V lithium-ion battery and the latest generation of efficient TSI engines (81, 96 and 110 kW) enable a mild hybrid drive with three output levels - unique in the compact class. Noticeable advantages: fuel savings of around ten percent and highly agile and comfortable starting. In addition, there will be the eighth generation of the bestseller with two plug-in hybrid drives (150 and 180 kW). Both versions have a new 13 kWh lithium-ion battery on board, which enables longer electrical ranges and ensures that the Golf is temporarily a zero-emission vehicle. The new Golf thus makes sustainable mobility accessible to as large a circle of people as possible.

The drive range of the new Golf also offers state-of-the-art petrol (TSI), diesel (TDI) and natural gas (TGI) drives. The TSI engine range thus comprises two three-cylinder petrol engines (66 and 81 kW), two four-cylinder diesel engines (9 and 110 k) and a TGI with 96 kW. The new TSIs feature particularly low fuel consumption and emissions, thanks in part to the innovative "TSI-Miller combustion process". A novelty in TDI engines: thanks to "Twindosing" (two SCR catalytic converters), Volkswagen is using this technology to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 80 percent compared to its predecessor - while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption by up to 17 percent.

The new Golf also sets standards in terms of road safety when it comes to assisted driving functions. The “Travel Assist”, used for the first time worldwide in a compact class model, makes it possible for the Volkswagen to be driven with assistance on motorways at up to 210 km/h without actively steering, accelerating or braking. The new Golf is also the first Volkswagen to network as standard with its surroundings: via Car2X. This function uses the information from other vehicles in an environment of up to 800 meters as well as signals from the traffic infrastructure to warn the driver and also forward these warnings to other Car2X models. Swarm intelligence thus becomes the present. It is the beginning of a new phase in road safety. The new “IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlamps” with their partly interactive lighting functions, which illuminate the roads almost perfectly, offer an improvement in safety.

As usual, the new Golf meets the highest demands in terms of comfort and design. It starts as soon as you board the car: Personalization 2.0 saves driver settings and can retrieve them via the cloud after each driver or vehicle change – so all drivers always find their vehicle tailored to their preferences. The new windshield head-up display, which projects important information such as speed or navigation instructions into the driver’s field of vision, ensures relaxed travel. And the new optional premium audio system from US audio specialist Harman Kardon guarantees sound perfection in the Golf.

The most successful European car of all time is entering its eighth generation - with the biggest technological leap since the bestseller's debut 45 years ago. So far, 35 million models have been sold worldwide. "The Golf is a very successful car worldwide," said Volkswagen CEO Dr. Herbert Diess at the world premiere of the new Golf in Wolfsburg. Even in its eighth edition it is "the right car at the right time". Although the eighth generation is a completely new car, it is still a genuine Golf.

2019 also a major update for the darling of the midsize sector: Volkswagen Passat

And don't forget: Volkswagen also recently launched the Passat on the market - in September 2019. Since then, a technically far-reaching update has made this vehicle, which is particularly popular with families, commuters and agents, fit for the modern age. The update fundamentally changes the world's most successful mid-range car, which has already sold more than 30 million units. New assistance systems such as the "Travel Assist" perfect safety and comfort. The Passat is based on the Touareg top-of-the-range model and can now also be driven semi-automatically from stop-and-go up to 210 km/h. The Passat has a wide range of options, from the most popular to the most popular. Once again, the bestseller will be launched as a sedan and a Estate.

2019 was a very successful year for the Volkswagen brand

Conclusion: 2019 was another very successful year for Volkswagen. With the first all-electric ID.3 electric car and new highly efficient combustion engines such as the new Golf and Passat, the brand has succeeded in offering a modern range to meet all customer requirements. And that’s just the beginning: a major model offensive has been prepared for the coming years.