Volkswagen literally means "The People's Car." From the air-cooled Beetle that defined a generation to the Golf GTI that invented the "Hot Hatch," VW brings German engineering to the masses. Despite the Dieselgate scandal, it remains a titan, now reviving its icons like the Microbus for an electric era.
Explore the current production vehicles.
The big, bold, and American-built 3-row SUV. The Atlas was designed specifically for the modern American family, offering cavernous space, a comfortable ride, and smart, family-friendly features. It’s the capable and practical people-mover.
The stylish and sporty 2-row sibling to the Atlas. The Cross Sport offers a dramatic, coupe-like design for those who want the commanding presence of a large SUV without the need for a third row. It's a bold statement in practicality.
The incredibly popular and versatile compact SUV. The Tiguan stands out with its standard three rows of seating in front-wheel-drive models and its refined, European driving dynamics. It's the smart, sophisticated, and practical choice in a crowded field.
The cleverly packaged and fun-to-drive small SUV. The Taos offers a surprisingly spacious interior for its compact size, a fuel-efficient turbocharged engine, and the solid feel of German engineering. It’s a small SUV that thinks big.
The friendly and approachable all-electric SUV for the people. The ID.4 makes the switch to electric easy, with a spacious, airy cabin, a comfortable ride, and available all-wheel drive. It’s a new era of Volkswagen, designed for the modern American family.
A cornerstone of the Volkswagen brand in America for over 40 years. The Jetta is the quintessential German compact sedan, known for its spacious interior, great fuel economy, and a solid, reassuring feel on the road. A true automotive staple.
The legendary 'GTI with a trunk.' The Jetta GLI is the performance version of the Jetta, packing a powerful turbocharged engine, a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, and an autobahn-tuned chassis. It's the thinking person's sport sedan.
The car that invented the hot hatch segment. For eight generations, the GTI has been the undisputed benchmark for a practical car that is an absolute blast to drive. With its tartan seats and golf ball shifter, it is a true automotive icon.
The pinnacle of the Golf lineup and the ultimate all-weather supercar slayer. The Golf R takes the GTI's formula and adds a more powerful engine, sophisticated 4Motion all-wheel drive, and a premium feel. It's a refined and incredibly fast machine.
The comfortable and spacious mid-size sedan built for American families. The Passat was known for its cavernous rear seat and trunk, a smooth ride, and the solid feel of German engineering, making it a popular and dependable highway cruiser.
The stunning flagship fastback sedan. The Arteon was a masterpiece of design, blending the sleek lines of a coupe with the practicality of a hatchback. It was a rolling piece of art for those who appreciated style and sophistication.
The automotive icon, reborn. The New Beetle was a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly started the retro car craze of the 2000s. With its signature shape and built-in flower vase, it brought smiles to a new generation of drivers.
The original 'People's Car' and one of the most important automobiles in history. The Beetle was a symbol of simplicity, reliability, and affordability that mobilized the world. Its iconic shape is recognized and loved on every continent.
The undisputed icon of the counter-culture movement and a symbol of freedom and adventure. The VW Bus is more than a vehicle; it's a lifestyle. Its friendly face and go-anywhere spirit have made it one of the most beloved vehicles of all time.
The beautiful, stylish coupe with the humble soul of a Beetle. The Karmann Ghia combined a stunning, hand-built Italian design with reliable Volkswagen mechanicals. It was an affordable and achingly gorgeous piece of automotive art.
The quirky, utilitarian, and ridiculously fun convertible. Originally designed for military use, the Thing was a simple, rugged, and street-legal adventure vehicle. With its removable doors and folding windshield, it's the ultimate beach cruiser.
The ambitious and massively over-engineered luxury sedan that shocked the world. The Phaeton was a passion project that shared its platform with a Bentley, offering incredible craftsmanship and technology. A rare and fascinating piece of VW history.
The original 'Comfort Coupe' that brought sleek, four-door coupe styling to the masses. The CC was a beautifully designed, upscale sedan that offered a more stylish and premium alternative to the traditional Passat, paving the way for the Arteon.
The seriously capable and luxurious SUV that shared its DNA with the Porsche Cayenne. The Touareg was a true premium vehicle, offering incredible off-road prowess, a beautifully crafted interior, and even a monstrous V10 TDI diesel engine.
The beloved and critically acclaimed sport compact of the 90s. The Corrado was a true driver's car, famous for its sharp handling, active rear spoiler, and the soulful sound of its unique narrow-angle VR6 engine. A true enthusiast's classic.
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Few industrial products have had the cultural impact of the Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1). Originally commissioned in 1930s Germany to be affordable transport, it achieved global fame in the 1960s as the symbol of the counter-culture movement.
Simple, air-cooled, and possessing a friendly "face," the Beetle is the longest-running and most-manufactured car of a single platform ever made. Over 21 million were built. It proved that a car didn't need to be fast or luxurious to be loved; it just needed character.
In 1976, a group of VW engineers worked on a secret after-hours project. They took the sensible Golf economy car, stiffened the suspension, and dropped in a fuel-injected engine. The result was the Golf GTI.
It created the "Hot Hatch" segment overnight.
Before #VanLife was a hashtag, there was the Volkswagen Type 2 (Microbus). Whether it was carrying surfers in California or touring bands to Woodstock, the Bus became the universal symbol of freedom and adventure. VW is currently tapping into this nostalgia with the electric ID. Buzz.
Volkswagen is also known for quirky engineering, specifically the VR6 engine. It is a narrow-angle V6 (15 degrees) that uses a single cylinder head. This allowed VW to fit a powerful 6-cylinder engine into small engine bays designed for 4-cylinders (like the Golf R32 and Corrado), creating some of the best-sounding compact cars in history.
In 2015, VW was caught cheating on emissions tests with their TDI diesel engines. It was a massive scandal that cost the company billions and shattered trust. However, it also forced a pivot. VW aggressively shifted its focus from diesel to electric, launching the ID. series (ID.3, ID.4) to democratize EVs just as the Beetle democratized driving.
Volkswagen sits in a unique spot: Premium but Accessible. A VW door closes with a solid "thunk" that you don't get in a Toyota or Honda. It is the gateway drug to German engineering. While maintenance can be pickier than its Japanese rivals, the driving dynamics and interior quality usually justify the extra effort.
The name is German for "The People's Car" (Volk means people, Wagen means car).
It reflects the brand's original mandate in the 1930s to create an affordable, reliable vehicle that every German family could own, which eventually resulted in the legendary Beetle (Type 1), the most produced single-platform car in history.
This is a crucial distinction for buyers:
Technically, it is an Automated Manual Transmission.
The DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) uses two separate clutches (dual-clutch)âone for odd gears and one for even gears. This allows it to pre-select the next gear, resulting in lightning-fast shifts (faster than a human or torque converter automatic). However, it requires strict maintenance (fluid changes every 40k miles) to ensure longevity.
GTI stands for Grand Touring Injection (or Gran Turismo Iniezione).
When the Golf GTI launched in 1976, "Injection" was a big deal because it used mechanical fuel injection instead of carburetors. It effectively created the "Hot Hatch" segment, proving that a practical economy car could also be a thrilling sports car.
Modern Volkswagens are generally reliable but are maintenance-sensitive.
Unlike some Japanese competitors that can tolerate neglect, German engineering requires strict adherence to service schedules (especially oil quality and transmission fluids). Issues often arise from electronic sensors or cooling system plastic components, but the core engines (like the EA888) are known for high durability when cared for.
4Motion is Volkswagen's marketing term for its All-Wheel Drive (AWD) systems.
In most transverse-engine models (like the Golf or Tiguan), it uses a Haldex electro-hydraulic coupling. This system is primarily Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) to save fuel, but it can instantly send up to 50% of the power to the rear wheels when it detects slip.
No. Production of the Volkswagen Beetle officially ended in July 2019.
The factory in Puebla, Mexico, produced the final "Final Edition" Beetle, marking the end of over 80 years of history. Volkswagen has stated there are no immediate plans to revive the Beetle as they focus on their ID electric vehicle lineup.
MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten) is Volkswagen's revolutionary modular platform strategy.
It allows VW to build cars of vastly different sizesâfrom the Audi TT to the VW Atlas SUVâon the same production lines using shared mounting points for engines and axles. This shared engineering is why a VW Golf feels as solid and refined as an Audi A3.
The ID naming convention (ID.3, ID.4, ID. Buzz) stands for "Intelligent Design" or "Identity."
It represents the brand's third major chapter (after the Beetle and the Golf). These vehicles are built on the specific MEB platform, designed exclusively for electric powertrains with batteries integrated into the floor for a low center of gravity.
The VR6 is a unique engine design that combines the benefits of a V6 and an Inline-6.
Instead of a wide 60° or 90° V-angle, the VR6 has a very narrow 15° angle, allowing all six cylinders to share a single cylinder head. This compact design allowed VW to fit a powerful 6-cylinder engine into small cars like the Corrado and Golf, which were originally designed only for 4-cylinders.