Photo: Volkswagen
They huffed, they puffed, and the big bad German wolves shut down production of the Golf in Mexico. That's right, Volkswagen's famous compact hatchback will not make the trip to the United States from south of the border.
According to a report from Mexican auto magazine Al Volante, the decision comes into effect as of 2019, although "2019 model" is mentioned at the bottom of the text. But we think they mean two years from now, as the Golf's departure is said to coincide with the end of production for the Beetle.
That news comes just as the Vocho (that's the nickname of the classic Beetle) celebrates its 50th anniversary in Mexico, so many people are understandably upset. But what's leading the change?
Well, the most significant factor is the power of the union workers in Wolfsburg. They put their foot down and said Golf production needs to be concentrated in Europe, which it will be starting in 2019.
But demand for the North American version of the Golf has been steadily declining too, as more and more people crave crossovers. Also, there have been concerns about the quality of the Golfs being shipped from Mexico.
Puebla is currently the second largest Volkswagen factory outside of Germany. It also makes the Jetta for most markets, and the sedan is about to switch to a brand new generation.
However, the future of the Mexico factory seems to revolve around crossovers: the Tiguan and especially the T-Roc. Reports that emerged earlier this year suggest Puebla will be responsible for a U.S. version of the T-Roc starting in 2019. It will fill a key gap in Volkswagen's lineup, costing somewhere around $20,000.
But we don't know what the future will bring for those thousands of Americans who buy a Golf every year. On one side, the quality will probably go up. But European imports are subject to currency fluctuations.
Ford USA is also switching its attention away from hatchbacks, as it's likely to discontinue the Fiesta in America and is about to switch production from Mexico to China.
That news comes just as the Vocho (that's the nickname of the classic Beetle) celebrates its 50th anniversary in Mexico, so many people are understandably upset. But what's leading the change?
Well, the most significant factor is the power of the union workers in Wolfsburg. They put their foot down and said Golf production needs to be concentrated in Europe, which it will be starting in 2019.
But demand for the North American version of the Golf has been steadily declining too, as more and more people crave crossovers. Also, there have been concerns about the quality of the Golfs being shipped from Mexico.
Puebla is currently the second largest Volkswagen factory outside of Germany. It also makes the Jetta for most markets, and the sedan is about to switch to a brand new generation.
However, the future of the Mexico factory seems to revolve around crossovers: the Tiguan and especially the T-Roc. Reports that emerged earlier this year suggest Puebla will be responsible for a U.S. version of the T-Roc starting in 2019. It will fill a key gap in Volkswagen's lineup, costing somewhere around $20,000.
But we don't know what the future will bring for those thousands of Americans who buy a Golf every year. On one side, the quality will probably go up. But European imports are subject to currency fluctuations.
Ford USA is also switching its attention away from hatchbacks, as it's likely to discontinue the Fiesta in America and is about to switch production from Mexico to China.
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