Jetta, Taos, Taycan and more: the list of models that VW can kill by 2030

The Volkswagen Jetta may have its days numbered: the medium sedan appears on a list of about ten models that the Volkswagen Group would retire, according to the German newspaper Bild, as part of an official plan to reduce the portfolio by up to 50% by the end of the decade and concentrate investments in more profitable products.

The cut is part of a restructuring announced by the automaker, which also foresees the elimination of up to 100 thousand jobs and the drop in annual production capacity from about 10 million to 9 million vehicles. The company, however, did not confirm which models will be sacrificed: when contacted, it limited itself to saying that it does not comment on speculation about the life cycle of its products. The list released by Bild is preliminary and, according to the newspaper, would allow the company to save up to 6.5 billion euros by 2031.

In the case of the Jetta, the decision would be linked to the shrinking of the midsize sedan segment, which has lost ground to SUVs in recent years — a move that has already taken the Passat off the line in the United States. The contrast with the competition is revealing: in the second quarter, Volkswagen sold 15,949 Jettas in the American market, while Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla each exceeded 130 thousand units in the first half alone. Unlike VW, the two Japanese rivals have already confirmed new generations of their sedans. The same list includes the Taos, a medium SUV that would also have no successor, pressured by low demand — in the United States, sales fell 43.9% in the second quarter.

The rationalization plan should also affect other brands of the group: at Porsche, the Taycan (electric) and the Cayenne Coupé combustion should not gain new generations, and the long-awaited return of the 718 — Boxster and Cayman — with gasoline engine, confirmed less than a year ago, would again be threatened. At Audi, the brand had already signaled the end of the compact A1 and Q2; now, the coupe SUVs Q5 Sportback and Q6 e-tron Sportback also appear, unofficially, among those that may not receive replacements.

Porsche is expected to detail its new strategy, called Strategy 2035, at an event scheduled for October 7. Until then, decisions remain in the realm of behind-the-scenes information. But the group’s logic is clear: in a portfolio that is expected to shrink by half, selling well is no longer enough — what matters now is the profit margin.