Volkswagen will kill half of the models; see which ones have already been discontinued

The Volkswagen Group has announced a drastic change in its global strategy and will cut up to 50% of its model portfolio. The measure, which comes into force with immediate effect, seeks to optimize the operation in the face of a scenario of financial difficulties and market loss. In addition to extinguishing vehicles, the automaker plans to reduce the configuration options of cars that remain in line by up to 75%.

The logic of restructuring is to concentrate efforts on products of higher value – and, therefore, of more expressive margins – prioritizing the most attractive and popular segments and abandoning niches that do not justify the productive complexity. Today, the group maintains about 150 model lines spread across brands such as VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Cupra, Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini. The company also intends to unify its technology divisions — platforms, electronic architecture and software — to serve the Western and Eastern markets without duplicating systems.

The move responds to pressure from Chinese automakers, U.S. tariffs and falling sales. In the second quarter, the group’s global deliveries fell 8.6%, the worst result in four years, driven by a 36.6% drop in China; The shares accumulate losses of more than 30% in 2026. The package, with 12 initiatives and targets for 2030, was presented to the supervisory board by Chief Executive Oliver Blume amid protests by workers at German factories.

The impact is already visible. Models such as the Touareg and the Touran minivan have been discontinued, and the T-Roc convertible is scheduled to end in 2027. Audi follows the same path, removing the A1 and Q2 from the catalog, after having already closed icons such as the TT and R8; at Porsche, the era of the 718 Boxster and Cayman combustion sports cars has come to an end.

At the same time, the company wants to limit annual production capacity to about nine million units, compared to the approximately 12 million projected before the pandemic — two million have already been cut. According to publications such as Manager Magazin and Automotive News, the plan could double the number of layoffs, to up to 100,000 jobs by 2030, and close four plants in Germany: Hannover, Zwickau, Emden and Audi’s Neckarsulm plant. Officially, however, the group does not confirm closures or cuts beyond the approximately 50 thousand already agreed.

For the market, the shift draws attention for its magnitude, especially in a company accustomed to vast and multi-brand portfolios. The outcome, however, still depends on an arm wrestling between shareholders: control of the group is concentrated in the Porsche and Piëch families, while the IG Metall union and the state of Lower Saxony, also partners, resist the loss of jobs.