Volkswagen is suspending Passat sales in the United States, the company said. The model year 2022 will be the last for the sedan, which has been sold in the country since 1990. The reason is that VW will focus on SUVs and electric cars.
The popular model in Europe is the next to leave the United States, where sedans are increasingly unwelcome by customers. In recent years, a number of manufacturers have refused to sell their sedans and hatchbacks in the United States, while adding more SUVs and pickup models. Among the discontinued models are the Chevrolet Impala, Ford Focus, Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. VW also abandoned the Beetle in 2019.
The Passat, which competes with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, has seen steady sales in the United States. In 2020, only 23 thousand units of the model were sold, compared to 78 thousand in 2019, according to Motor Intelligence.
The company assured that sales of the model in Europe will not be stopped.
Within 10 years, 50% of Volkswagen’s sales will be on electric cars
EUR 73 billion of the total investment is earmarked for the development of future technologies
–
– .
