Oh my - here we are. So seems like my ID.7 dreams got crushed . Is that so? ID.7 Pro AWD Kings Red. Pleeeeez. And a Tourer for @waldo22...

Well there are still options - Ioniq 6 or used Taycan, if you want to pay more money Audi A6 e-tron and if you want to pay even more money spec out your new Taycan... Lucid BTW is also a great option...

 

This is just the chaff falling away as my grand plan of the Audi ID7 Estate is brought to fruition.

 

This is just the chaff falling away as my grand plan of the Audi ID7 Estate is brought to fruition.

You mean like the A6 Avant e-Tron?

It'll be arriving in the North American market in twenty twenty never because it's not an SUV :-(.

 

The VW marketing strategy in the US seems weird.

If you assume that they are heading towards an all-EV or mostly-EV lineup over the next decade, you would think they would start making more of their existing ID. line available. VW makes a LOT of models on the MEB platform, but other than a couple of the ID. 4 models (not even the full set of them), and the halo ID. Buzz, there's nothing.

If you assume that they are going to try to avoid selling EVs in the US, then their current strategy makes good sense. But that is a mystery because whether anybody likes it or not, EVs are the future for cars. Very strange.

 

The VW marketing strategy in the US seems weird.

If you assume that they are heading towards an all-EV or mostly-EV lineup over the next decade, you would think they would start making more of their existing ID. line available. VW makes a LOT of models on the MEB platform, but other than a couple of the ID. 4 models (not even the full set of them), and the halo ID. Buzz, there's nothing.

If you assume that they are going to try to avoid selling EVs in the US, then their current strategy makes good sense. But that is a mystery because whether anybody likes it or not, EVs are the future for cars. Very strange.

VW appears to be offering what US customers want and that’s reflected in a 15% growth in sales, in spite of the 55% drop in ID.4 sales. That drop is much deeper than that which could be attributed to being stop saled for 33% of the year. When it was available it wasn’t selling well in 2024 like it did in 2023.

.
OTOH, Audi is doing the opposite.

 

^^ Agreed ^^

If VW is going to "invest," part of that is offering models that may not sell well, but will buttress their position as an EV leader.

As of today, nearly four years post launch, I see ID.4s EVERYWHERE but have yet to see a single Buzz in person, and they've got nothing else on the table. Behaving like an also-ran.

 

^^ Agreed ^^

If VW is going to "invest," part of that is offering models that may not sell well, but will buttress their position as an EV leader.

As of today, nearly four years post launch, I see ID.4s EVERYWHERE but have yet to see a single Buzz in person, and they've got nothing else on the table. Behaving like an also-ran.

As an automotive group VW was seventh in 2024 US BEV sales but with 4,000 more sales would have outsold Rivian and with 7,000 more sales would’ve outsold BMW for fifth, still well behind Ford. The stop sale hurt. Not a leader but not an also ran.

With so few sold in a very short period of time and the initial allocation spread across the country, I’m not surprised you haven’t seen a Buzz on the road. I could be wrong but I think it may be a niche product, neither 3 row SUV or pickup truck. It’s also carrying the baggage of VW’s poor reputation for EV software, reliability, recalls, and support. Being MEB, it may reinforce that. We’ll see.

 

;( -- So "Out of Spec" was wrong?

 

That's the crux of it: VW the brand (not the group) could be killing it. Porsche and Audi are great examples, but their markets are smaller and more focused.

VW branded vehicles should be where Hyundai and Kia are. There's no reason not to have an ID.3 in the NA lineup, the Buzz is arguably 2 years late to market here, and the ID.7 might be another Arteon but you can't know till you try.

And specifically in the US, why isn't there an electrified MEB Atlas? VW could have beat the EV9 to market AND had domestic production.

The ID.4 is selling well – like I say my region is littered with them – but it's a car sorely in need of a refresh after a bunch of rocky starts and bad media, and doubly so because it's an OG of 2020's 250 for under 50 class.

 

That's the crux of it: VW the brand (not the group) could be killing it. Porsche and Audi are great examples, but their markets are smaller and more focused.

VW branded vehicles should be where Hyundai and Kia are. There's no reason not to have an ID.3 in the NA lineup, the Buzz is arguably 2 years late to market here, and the ID.7 might be another Arteon but you can't know till you try.

And specifically in the US, why isn't there an electrified MEB Atlas? VW could have beat the EV9 to market AND had domestic production.

The ID.4 is selling well – like I say my region is littered with them – but it's a car sorely in need of a refresh after a bunch of rocky starts and bad media, and doubly so because it's an OG of 2020's 250 for under 50 class.

Right, and the Jetta is selling well. Where is the EV equivalent of the Jetta, which is probably the ID. 7? If you don't offer a model for sale, then the sales number is automatically zero. Tesla seems to sell quite a few small sedans but VW says US customers don't want them?

The ID. 6 is roughly comparable to the Atlas in size. It has three seat rows but is slightly smaller externally. But made in China and only sold in China. Thank you Volkswagen of America.

 

Also GTI plus Golf is almost 4000 cars. But no ID. 2 or ID. GTI is mentioned for import to the US.

I know the Golf is overall a fairly small market, but college towns are crawling with them because they are popular with students. What happened to the idea of selling a good, cheap car to young customers and getting some brand loyalty going?

 

What happened to the idea of selling a good, cheap car to young customers and getting some brand loyalty going?

Especially considering that is a market that Ford, GM, and Stellantis have abandoned.

 

Ford has maxxed out with the best selling non-Tesla car and truck (besides the E Transit). With better consumer choice, HMG and GM have passed them in EV sales. Even with the Buzz, VW is in the same limited choice league. I can’t argue the ID.3 would have helped.

 

VW told dealers today that the ID.7 is no longer an American option...
Was it ever? ;(

 

Here is public confirmation of the cancellation for the US:

Volkswagen cancels ID.7 sedan for US

VW isn’t planning on introducing any new EVs in the US this year.

www.theverge.com

 

Here's what I don't get.

Obviously a low volume car is a bit of a pain for a company, because they have to support only a small number per dealer. But what is the actual problem at this point in time? The techs are familiar with how VW cars work in general, and the MEB platform in particular, and follow detailed procedures during servicing. Some parts are shared between models, so the parts department doesn't need a complete stock of unique parts. And parts are flown all over the world with fast delivery--when they're available--so you really only need maybe two national warehouses, one on each US coast. And if the parts aren't immediately available, the big companies--including VW but not exclusively VW--seem to have no problem with dealers holding a disassembled car in a shop for days or weeks waiting for parts.

So if VW were to offer the ID. 7 or the ID. 2all or whatever in the US, and the sales are relatively low, so what? The only overhead I can think of that would be a problem are things like DOT approval, etc., which should be a pretty light load on a company that already knows how to do it. The Cybertruck demonstrates that you aren't even required to do a crash test, and the DOT requirements are either not enforced or really, really loose.

VW should offer the complete range of ID. cars in the US and deal with the side effects as part of their "attempting to not get completely run over by the Chinese car companies" strategy.

 

Here's what I don't get.

This seems to be the tactic of HMG and GM—something for everyone.

 

That's my thinking, too. Shoot, even logistically, just about everything overnighted in this country passes through either Memphis or Louisville, so even a single parts depot would suffice.

VW's focus needs to be establishing themselves as an EV brand like what Hyundai and Kia are doing. It's a financial commitment to do that. You don't do it with one stale entrant and and four long years later offering an overpriced 2-year-old van built on an aged platform.

Flood the zone, VW!