Volkswagen Group of America’s CEO, Herbert Diess, aims to revitalize VW’s U.S. presence. lineup, Automotive Information reviews.
Volkswagen has not purchased a hybrid vehicle in the United States market. Despite being discontinued since 2017 after a three-year production run, Di Si claims to be trying to sway Volkswagen’s German-based model administrators to reconsider bringing back the Jetta Hybrid.
2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
“I’ve been advocating for hybrids – and I believe it’s time to shift gears,” Di Si said, citing examples like Europe-bound launches this year that demonstrate the potential for repurposing hybrid tech in the US. market.
Volkswagen confirmed its plans for a Tiguan plug-in hybrid model at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, unveiling the Tiguan GTE Concept, which prioritized off-road capabilities and versatility. While the U.S.-market Tiguan’s early iterations were likely influenced by its European counterpart, a distinct redesign took place for the North American market model just one year later.
Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Lively Idea
A for the U.S. The all-new vehicle is slated for its global debut at the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, but according to Di Si’s comments to Automotive News, it will not be offered with a hybrid powertrain option initially. The manager didn’t provide any hint at all about a timeline by which VW hybrids might reach the US market.
There’s potential concern about overlap with VW’s U.S.-made ID.4 EV. Volkswagen positions the ID.4 as a budget-friendly alternative to popular hybrid crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Now that the ID.4 qualifies for the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, the actual upfront cost is effectively zeroed out.
Earlier this year, Diess told Motor Authority that Volkswagen was considering a compact electric vehicle (EV) for the US market. This could undoubtedly be a unibody automobile sharing a platform with the next-generation Atlas crossover SUV. While a complete overhaul of the design may still be several years off, this likely means the pickup’s release date will be further delayed as well.
