Cross your fingers, the Volkswagen Golf could return to North America
Bored of the regular Volkswagen Golf? Well, against all odds, the one that left the North American market in 2021, leaving only its sportier, more expensive siblings, the Golf GTI and Golf R, could make a comeback here.
According to information reported by the German publication Handelsblatt, the automaker is considering moving production of the Golf out of the country - where labor is increasingly expensive - in order to reduce expenses and increase profit margins. Poland would appear to be a possible destination, but also Mexico, as was the case for the seventh generation.
In this second scenario, it is almost certain that the popular Golf would once again be sold in the USA - notwithstanding the threat of a surtax from US President-elect Donald Trump - and in Canada.
At the time of the Golf's withdrawal from our market, Volkswagen tried to compensate with the addition of the Taos, a subcompact SUV offered at an affordable base price. However, the Taos has just been upgraded for 2025, and the company has had no choice but to increase the price to $29,795 (front-wheel drive Trendline model, without the $2,100 freight and preparation charge), an increase of $2,400 over 2024.
Many consumers are still looking for inexpensive vehicles, especially in the current economic climate. In the USA, sales of the Jetta sedan rose by 76% in the first half of 2024 and by 35% in the third quarter. In Canada, it was 56% for three-quarters of the year.
Both the Jetta and the Taos for us are manufactured at the Puebla plant in Mexico. Adding the Golf would be not only easy but logical. Many components can be shared, including the 1.5-liter turbo engine and the eight-speed automatic gearbox, and labor costs are significantly lower than in Germany.
Yes, Volkswagen is working on an electric Golf for the second half of the decade, but gasoline-powered Golfs could last until 2035, according to a Volkswagen engineer, which adds weight to the Mexican option. Understand, however, that the Golf GTI and Golf R will continue to be produced in Wolfsburg, Germany.
