The Porsche Taycan might be discontinued. The Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback as well. Even the Cupra Raval is at risk of being dropped [Bild]

The German newspaper Bild has obtained a list of ten Volkswagen Group car models whose production is set to end after the current generation. Cost cuts allegedly require the discontinuation of the Porsche Taycan and Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback (but not the SUV version), with even the Cupra Raval, a car whose deliveries have just begun, not being spared. Previously, the VW ID.5 was also on the list of models without a successor generation. Among the internal combustion engine vehicles slated for discontinuation are the Audi Q5 Sportback and the fastest car on roads, the Skoda Fabia (!).

The Volkswagen Group wants to cut the number of models in half. Good idea

Table of contents

The Volkswagen Group wants to cut the number of models in half. Good idea

VW ID.5, Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback

Porsche Taycan

Cupra Raval

When it comes to the number of models, Volkswagen Group practiced strange balancing acts just to appear as good as possible in statistics. The same cars with different body styles were given different names and counted together or separately, depending on what needed to be proven. Many vehicles had a coupe version added artificially, as studies showed that people preferred lower-slung bodies. But while this trick might have worked for sedans, in SUVs lowering the roof at the back reduced the biggest advantage of their blocky shape: headroom and cargo space.

That’s why Volkswagen engineers were tasked with resolving these two contradictions. It was accomplished, but the aesthetics suffered. Maintaining similar interior space parameters came at the cost of bulky rear lines and a visually inflated trunk (see: VW ID.5). Instead of encouraging customers to spend more money (the VW ID.5 was always more expensive than the ID.4), these cars turned people off, as the so-called “sure things” didn’t work. Thus, the removal of the Volkswagen ID.5 and Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback from the lineup seems quite understandable.

Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback. White is probably the only color that allowed the large rear end to be concealed through sensible use of black (c) Bjorn Nyland/YouTube

Porsche Taycan

It makes just as much sense to kill off the Porsche Taycan. The car was supposed to give the impression that a traditional automaker had no trouble keeping up with Tesla. But what’s the point if China, the company’s most important market, just wouldn’t be convinced? The car first lost out due to poor software, and then it stopped being attractive because American and Chinese alternatives were just as good but cost three to four times less. The Audi e-tron GT, the Porsche Taycan in an Audi body, sold so poorly in China that it was withdrawn after just one generation. Interestingly, the Taycan is on Bild’s list, but the e-tron GT isn’t — its production end is taken for granted, or maybe Audi will bear all the costs associated with maintaining the J1.2 platform?

The new Porsche Taycan has as many as 8 gears. Virtual ones. Hyundai once again turned out to be a source of interesting solutions worth copying… (c) Porsche

Cupra Raval

The presence of the Cupra Raval is the most surprising item on the list of models to be phased out. We suspect this is due to clever accounting tactics, or perhaps a “every other row in Excel” strategy. The Cupra Raval is the first of four vehicles based on the MEB+ platform, and production for these models has just begun. It can take the lead in bearing the costs of developing the MEB+ platform, thereby maximizing losses and helping to preserve financial resources for the future. The gap it leaves behind could be filled by the VW ID. Polo, and strong sales for the Cupra would mean that some of the profits would need to be transferred outside Germany—a solution that isn’t necessarily optimal for the group.

Cupra Raval next to VW ID. Polo (c) Cupra, Volkswagen/Grupa Volkswagena

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