Volkswagen has said that the Arteon will be removed as the company shifts its focus back to models that sell more cars. Volkswagen sold 5,537 Arteons in 2021 but only 1,742 in 2022. This continued a downward trend in Arteon sales from previous years. Car and Driver say that 2024 will be the last model year for the Arteon. Soon, Volkswagen will have a small hatchback left. Car and Driver were told that 2024 would be the last model year, and now the company has said that the short-lived Arteon four-door will be killed. The news happens simultaneously with Volkswagen’s Accelerate Forward project, which refocuses the company’s efforts on making it more productive and profitable. CEO Thomas Schafer says this means eliminating low-volume models like the Arteon and focusing on fewer high-volume cars. The Arteon, which will be sold for the first time in the U.S. in 2019, has never done very well in our market. American buyers aren’t very interested in buying full-size sedans, so the need for them has almost disappeared. There are few competitors left. V.W.’s sales numbers show that Arteon’s popularity has decreased for the past two years. In 2021 and 2022, the company only sold 5,537 and 1,742 Arteons. When you look at the fact that Volkswagen sold over 375,000 and 300,000 cars in the U.S. during the same period, it’s easy to see why the model won’t be made anymore. Volkswagen still needs to show a car that will replace the Arteon. We know that the electric ID.7 will be sold in the U.S. and could replace the Arteon and the Passat, both of which have been taken off the market. Even though it’s expensive, the Arteon has always been a good choice for us. We’ll also be upset if the number of people buying full-size cars decreases.
