zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Killed By Crossovers: The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack
Killed By Crossovers: The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack-December 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:00

Image for article titled Killed By Crossovers: The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the passing of two of the better (also only) wagons still on the American market: the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and its slightly lifted, Subaru-fighting sibling, the . There is no mystery as to the cause of death. It is the crossover.

Today Volkswagen announced that production of both vehicles will come to an end this year, with the last Alltrack rolling off the Puebla, Mexico assembly line in December.

Now, this isn’t entirely unexpected—after all, a brand new is on its way very soon, so eventually these wagons would have been replaced by variants of that car. And they probably will in Europe and other places where people buy wagons.

But doesn’t make it sound like wagons have a bright future in the U.S., and it makes clear the company would rather focus on crossovers and its :

Over the past several years, demand among American consumers has shifted from wagons to SUVs. Through the first half of 2019, SUVs account for 47 percent of the industry sales, and more than 50 percent of Volkswagen sales. Thanks to strong sales of the Atlas and Tiguan, Volkswagen has had the highest year-over-year percentage growth among mainstream automotive brands in the first six months of 2019.

[...] “SUVs have definitely assumed the mantle of family haulers from the station wagons and minivans we remember from our childhoods,” said Scott Keogh President and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “But as we look towards the future, both our expanded SUV lineup and the upcoming ID. family of electric vehicles will bring the opportunity to combine the style and space people want in a variety of ways. As the ID. BUZZ concept demonstrates, the flexibility of our EV platform gives us the ability to revive body styles of the past, so anything is possible.”

None of this is especially surprising. Sales of the Golf wagons of the business the Atlas and Tiguan are doing. And since VW is initiating a transition to EVs perhaps bigger than any current established automaker, it needs to cut costs to pay for that. Hence, these models get the axe.

But it is a shame. We found the Golf wagons to be practical, stylish and punchy cars, and while they never packed the same thrills as a GTI, they were fun to drive—and could , another thing that’s pretty clearly on the way out.

At least .

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Dec 15, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Dec 15, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Dec 15, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Dec 15, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Dec 15, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Dec 15, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved