Volkswagen vehicles have always been recognized for their German engineering, which means quality craftsmanship, refined powertrains, and cockpit ergonomics. The brand also flaunts the driving dynamics of its cars, especially since the global launch of the iconic Golf/Rabbit GTI in the late Seventies.
There’s also a nostalgic attraction to the Volkswagen brand, as pretty much everyone born before 1980 has a story to tell about the automaker’s legendary Beetle, or the also-legendary Type 2/Bus. Across several continents, Volkswagen gathered a strong cult-like following that still persists today. In fact, the Beetle was the world’s best-selling car for several decades, before being surpassed by the Toyota Corolla in 1997 as production of the much-loved, original Bug wound down.
However, the company did face some headwinds, including one it largely created on its own. In 2015, it was discovered that software was installed in its diesel-powered vehicles that would make them pass emissions regulations inspections, but let them emit an exponential amount of harmful emissions in the atmosphere under normal driving.Quickly known as the Dieselgate scandal, it would harm Volkswagen’s reputation for a few years, while the company pledged to make things right by promising to accelerate its electrification push.
In addition, several years ago, Volkswagen decided to develop cars and utility vehicles it thought would be better suited to the North American market than its global models sold in other markets. The result was American-exclusive vehicles that were bigger in size, with toned-down driving dynamics for a more comfortable ride. A decision that may have divided the brand’s purists and followers, but that has ultimately led to increased utility vehicle sales.
Now, Volkswagen has to deliver on its promise of introducing a whole lineup of fully electric vehicles in a North American market that isn’t quite ready to embrace the technology yet. The ID.4, ID Buzz and ID.7 models are a good start, though.
Current Volkswagen Model Lineup
The automaker’s North American lineup currently consists of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Jetta sedan, the Volkswagen Taos, Volkswagen Tiguan, Volkswagen ID.4, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen Atlas crossovers, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz minivan and the Volkswagen ID.7 fastback.
Volkswagen History
Founded in 1937 in Germany, Volkswagen’s initial objective was to offer locally built and affordable transportation for the country’s population. It became a global brand following World War II and expanded its business into multiple European brands, all part of the Volkswagen Group.
The Volkswagen brand’s very first automobile was designed by a team led by Ferdinand Porsche, which became the now-iconic Type 1, or Volkswagen Beetle. The very first units were manufactured in 1939 in a newly completed factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, but WWII broke out shortly thereafter and none of those vehicles were delivered to their buyers.
During the war, the company produced the Volkswagen Kübelwagen and Volkswagen Schwimmwagen military vehicles, but the Wolfsburg factory was heavily damaged by aerial attacks. Under control of the British Army, the plant was repaired and started building civilian Beetles in the late 1940s. The car went on to become the most-manufactured vehicle in the world until it was surpassed by the Toyota Corolla in 1997.
The first Volkswagens arrived in the United States in 1949, while Volkswagen of America was officially established in 1955. The first cars were imported in Canada in 1952.
In 1950, the Volkswagen Type 2, or Volkswagen Bus, or Volkswagen Transporter, or Volkswagen Combi, was introduced, which became another legendary model that was built right up until 2013. The last units were manufactured at a VW plant in Brazil.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia coupe appeared in 1955. Several models launched in the Sixties, including the Volkswagen Type 3 or Volkswagen 1500/1600, the Volkswagen Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen as well as the Volkswagen Type 4 or Volkswagen 411/412 line of family cars.
In the ‘70s, the company was expecting an oil shortage in the 1990s, and started tinkering with alternative powertrains. A Volkswagen Type 2 prototype was built in 1972 using a fully electric drivetrain, allowing for a driving range of 70 km.
The 1970s also saw the brand release well-known nameplates, including the international-market Volkswagen Polo, and the Volkswagen Golf (or Volkswagen Rabbit in the U.S. and Canada), which debuted for the 1975 model year. The Golf was developed as the original Beetle’s replacement, although the latter continued being manufactured up until 2003, with the last units rolling out of the company’s factory in Mexico. The Golf/Rabbit lineup spawned a three-door hatchback, a five-door hatchback, a wagon, and even a pickup truck. The latter was named the Volkswagen Caddy in Europe and other markets. Electric Golf prototypes were built in the early 80s as well, but never reached production.
The Volkswagen 181 or Volkswagen Thing hit the U.S. market in 1972, while the Volkswagen Passat launched in 1973, called the Volkswagen Dasher in the U.S. and Canada. The sporty Volkswagen Scirocco coupe arrived in North America in 1975, and the third-generation Volkswagen Transporter, sold as the Volkswagen Vanagon in America, hit the market in 1979.
After acquiring an uncompleted assembly plant from Chrysler in Pennsylvania, Volkswagen of America started manufacturing cars in the United States in 1978. Due to slowing sales in the region, the factory closed in 1988.
Though previously offered in Europe as the Golf GTI, the iconic Rabbit GTI hot hatch finally reached the North American market for the 1983 model year. In the 80s, the Volkswagen Jetta (Vento in other markets), the Volkswagen Fox, the Volkswagen Quantum (replacing the Dasher) and the Volkswagen Corrado (replacing the Scirocco) launched. The third-generation Passat introduced for the 1989 model year kept its original name for the first time in North America, discontinuing the short-lived Quantum nameplate. Through the ‘90s, the Volkswagen Lupo launched for international markets, while the Volkswagen Eurovan replaced the Vanagon, and just before the end of the decade, the Volkswagen New Beetle appeared as a modern-day reincarnation of the original model. Volkswagen cars stood out for being available with fuel-efficient diesel and turbo-diesel engines, which was uncommon in America.
After the turn of the century, Volkswagen Group head Ferdinand Piëch had big plans for the VW brand, and in 2002, the Volkswagen Phaeton full-size luxury sedan debuted. It was sold in North America during the 2004 to 2006 model years only, but produced up until 2016 in Europe. Meanwhile, the brand’s first SUV launched as the Volkswagen Touareg for the 2003 model year, which shared its platform and mechanical components with the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. It was a more upscale model than the rest of the North American lineup.
The Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible and Volkswagen Eos hardtop convertible launched in the 2000s as well, along with the Golf Plus and Golf Sportsvan multipurpose vehicle variants. The high-performance Golf R32 also appeared sporting a 3.2L V6 engine and AWD. Before the end of the decade, the brand introduced the Volkswagen CC (or Passat CC) four-door coupe as well as the Volkswagen Tiguan compact crossover. Instead of importing the Volkswagen Touran multipurpose vehicle or the Volkswagen Sharan minivan in the U.S. and Canada, the Volkswagen Routan was introduced for the 2009 model year as a badge-engineered Dodge Grand Caravan, through a partnership with Chrysler. Still built in South America, the fourth-generation Golf and Jetta were reintroduced in Canada as the Volkswagen Golf City and Volkswagen Jetta City, offering lightly equipped compact models at subcompact-car prices through the 2007 to 2010 model years.
Volkswagen of America decided it was time for a new U.S. assembly plant, choosing Chattanooga, Tennessee as its location, and it opened in 2011. The first vehicle manufactured there was the new-generation Volkswagen Passat that arrived as a 2012 model in North America, which differed from the international-market model with bigger dimensions and riding on an exclusive platform.
The Volkswagen Amarok midsize pickup truck debuted in 2010, which was made available in many worldwide markets, but not North America. In 2011, the Volkswagen Up! launched as the brand’s new city car, eventually leading to the first production Volkswagen EV, the e-Up!. It was closely followed by the Volkswagen e-Golf that appeared in 2014, but didn’t reach the North American market before the 2017 model year. The Volkswagen Golf R debuted as the R32’s replacement with a turbo 2.0L I4 engine and AWD.
In September 2015, the EPA announced that the Volkswagen Group had violated the Clean Air Act in the U.S., after discovering that the German automaker had intentionally programmed its TDI engines to activate their emissions controls only during testing. Under normal driving, the turbo-diesel engines emitted up to 40 times more NOx than was permitted. This software was installed in 11 million vehicles worldwide across several of the automaker’s brands, including about a half-million units in the U.S., which led Volkswagen to issue a massive recall. This event quickly became known as the Dieselgate scandal.
Following the event, Volkswagen promised to introduce a lineup of environmentally friendly vehicles using fully electric powertrains, while diesel powertrains disappeared from the brand’s North American portfolio.
International markets received the Volkswagen T-Roc and Volkswagen T-Cross small crossovers, including a T-Roc Convertible, but not North America. The second-generation Tiguan was developed with two body styles, the longer of which being the only one available in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, the Touareg was indirectly replaced in North America by the Volkswagen Atlas midsize three-row crossover, built in Tennessee. It was followed by the two-row Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport for the 2020 model year. The Volkswagen Arteon five-door liftback replaced the CC in the brand’s lineup, arriving in the U.S. and Canada in 2019, while the Volkswagen Taos subcompact crossover launched for the 2022 model year. The regular Golf was dropped from the U.S. and Canadian lineups, leaving only the GTI and R variants.
The Volkswagen ID.3 was the brand’s first fully electric vehicle developed on a fully dedicated EV architecture, and made its world debut at the Paris Motor Show in 2016. The North American market didn’t get the ID.3, but the midsize Volkswagen ID.4 midsize crossover launched in 2021. After debuting as a concept vehicle at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz launched in 2022 in Europe, and arrived for the 2025 model year in North America. The Volkswagen ID.7, based on the ID. Space Vizzion concept first shown at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, arrived in 2024.
In April 2023, Volkswagen Canada announced plans to build the automaker’s first North American battery cell gigafactory, which will be located in St. Thomas, Ontario.