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The convertible version of Volkswagen's T-Roc
Photo: Jan Dada / Volkswagen
After 75 years, the era of the convertible is coming to an end at Volkswagen. When the carmaker launches a new generation of its T-Roc model next year, there will no longer be a convertible variant. This was confirmed by a Volkswagen spokesman to SPIEGEL. This means that the last convertible will disappear from the range.
Volkswagen had only presented the T-Roc Cabriolet in 2019. At the time, it was advertised with a fabric soft top that opened in just nine seconds when electrically operated. However, the model was only moderately well received by buyers. "Convertibles have become a niche product," said the VW spokesman. So there is obviously a hard economic calculation behind the demise.
Although the T-Roc is one of the best-selling cars in Europe, the model was sold a good 190,000 times in Europe in the first eleven months of last year, according to »Automobilwoche«. However, only just under 12,000 buyers opted for the open-top version.
Convertibles have a long tradition at Volkswagen. In 1949, the coachbuilder Hebmüller began building the first Beetle convertible on behalf of VW. In total, more than 300,000 Beetles with folding roofs were built.
Later, the Golf Cabriolet achieved cult status. Because of its roll bar and red paintwork, it was affectionately called the "strawberry basket". The last open-top Golf rolled off the production line in 2016.
The number of available convertible models from all manufacturers has been declining for some time. China, in particular, is a difficult sales market for convertibles. In addition, the cars are considered by many to be less practical in everyday life than an SUV or station wagon.
Whether the farewell to the folding roof is final, the VW spokesman did not want to commit. "At the moment, however, there are no plans for a new convertible," he said.
MSK