Written by Volkswagen Cars
Volkswagen cars have gone from the humble Beetle to the Golf GTI, the ID. Buzz and a whole lot of SUVs, and VW is still one of the biggest carmakers on the planet. So here’s what you can buy right now, where the brand came from, who owns what, and the racing wins you might not know about.
Volkswagen Cars at a Glance
Founded 28 May 1937 Set up by the German Labour Front
Name “People’s car” Volkswagen is German for exactly that
Headquarters Wolfsburg, Germany Home of the brand and its biggest plant
Owner Volkswagen AG The Volkswagen Group, which also owns Audi and Porsche
Deliveries 2025 4.73 million VW brand worldwide; down 1.4% from 2024
Leadership Thomas Schäfer CEO of the Volkswagen brand; Oliver Blume runs the Group
Volkswagen Cars Model Lineup
However, Volkswagen cars look a little different depending on where you live. In the US, VW is mostly an SUV brand these days, plus the Jetta and the GTI and Golf R hot hatches. In Europe, meanwhile, you also get the regular Golf, the Passat wagon and a growing family of electric ID. models. It’s a year of big changes, too: US production of the ID.4 ended in April 2026, the ID. Buzz is taking a break from America, and an all-new Atlas has arrived.
Cars and hatchbacks (4)
Compact hatchback
Volkswagen Golf
Gas Hatchback GTI and R
The Golf is VW’s bread and butter, and the current Mk8 got a big refresh when it turned 50 in 2024. In the US, though, you can only get the fun ones, the GTI and the Golf R. Either way, it’s still the benchmark for a practical car that’s genuinely fun to drive.
Compact sedan
Volkswagen Jetta
Gas Sporty GLI version Great value
The Jetta is basically a Golf with a trunk, and it’s one of the most affordable ways into a VW. For 2026, even SE trims get a sunroof. If you want more kick, the Jetta GLI is the sporty one.
Midsize wagon
Volkswagen Passat
Gas Wagon Not sold in the US
When the ninth-generation Passat arrived in 2023, it became a wagon only in most markets. It’s built in Slovakia alongside the Skoda Superb. Although it left the US after 2022, it’s still a big deal in Europe, with 34 million Passats sold over the years.
Small electric hatchback
Volkswagen ID. Polo
Electric Up to 454 km range About 25,000 euros
The ID. Polo is the affordable EV a lot of Europeans have been waiting for. It premiered in April 2026 at a starting price of 24,995 euros in Germany, with up to 454 km of range. In addition, a hot ID. Polo GTI with 226 PS is due in 2027.
SUVs (5)
Subcompact SUV
Volkswagen Taos
Gas Compact footprint Entry SUV
The Taos is VW’s smallest SUV in the US, and it’s roomier inside than you’d guess from the outside. For 2026 it gets standard rear-seat belt pretensioners, as well as a stronger wireless phone charger.
Compact crossover
Volkswagen T-Roc
Gas Second generation Europe’s favorite
The T-Roc is a massive hit in Europe, especially since it was the best-selling VW SUV there in 2025, with almost 202,000 sold. Then the all-new second generation was presented in August 2025, and it rides on the same platform as the Golf.
Compact SUV
Volkswagen Tiguan
Gas Two rows in the US New R-Line Turbo
The third-generation Tiguan is VW’s everyman SUV, and it’s comfortable, quiet and easy to live with. In the US it’s two rows only now. However, a punchier Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo with 268 hp is coming in fall 2026.
Midsize SUV
Volkswagen Tayron
Gas Plug-in hybrid Diesel
The Tayron is Europe’s roomier sibling to the Tiguan, so it can seat up to seven. It debuted at the 2024 Paris show and replaced the Tiguan Allspace. In North America, meanwhile, this same basic SUV is sold as the Tiguan.
Three-row SUV
Volkswagen Atlas
Gas All-new for 2027 Built in Tennessee
The Atlas is VW’s big family SUV for America, and it’s also built in America, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. An all-new second-generation Atlas debuted at the 2026 New York auto show, and it’s longer than before. As a result, the third row should be even more usable.
Electric (3)
Electric SUV
Volkswagen ID.4
Electric Sold from inventory US production ended
The ID.4 was VW’s first big global EV, and for a while it was built in Tennessee for the US. However, demand fell after the federal tax credit ended in September 2025, so US production stopped in April 2026. VW says existing stock should cover buyers through 2027.
Electric sedan and wagon
Volkswagen ID.7
Electric Up to 702 km range Not sold in the US
The ID.7 is the long-distance EV of the family, since the Pro S version is rated at up to 702 km on the WLTP cycle. It also comes as the ID.7 Tourer wagon. Sadly, VW canceled plans to bring it to the US in January 2025.
Electric van
Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Electric Up to 7 seats Back in the US later
The ID. Buzz is the modern Microbus, and it’s as charming as it looks. It’s built in Hanover, while the US got the three-row long-wheelbase version for 2025. That said, VW pulled it from the US for 2026, and its return has since been pushed back to 2028.
What Is Volkswagen?
Volkswagen is a German carmaker based in Wolfsburg, and its name simply means “people’s car.” It was founded on 28 May 1937 by the German Labour Front, the Nazi-era labor organization, to build an affordable car designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Work on the factory and the town around it started in 1938, and that town later became Wolfsburg.
After the war, a British Army officer, Major Ivan Hirst, got the bombed-out factory running again, so the British Army ordered 20,000 cars in September 1945. Then Heinrich Nordhoff took over in 1948 and turned the Beetle into a worldwide hit. On 17 February 1972 it passed the Ford Model T as the best-selling car ever, and more than 21 million were built before production ended in Mexico in 2003.
Since the 1970s, Volkswagen cars have been led by the Golf, the Passat and the Polo. Meanwhile, the company bought Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche along the way, so today’s Volkswagen Group is one of the largest car companies in the world. It also had to rebuild trust after the 2015 diesel emissions scandal, and it’s now betting big on electric ID. models.
Volkswagen Cars History
Volkswagen cars have a history that’s more dramatic than most, from a pre-war people’s car to Dieselgate and the electric ID. family.
- 1937 Volkswagen is founded on 28 May by the German Labour Front.
- 1938 Work starts on the factory in the new town that later becomes Wolfsburg.
- 1945 British Army Major Ivan Hirst restarts the factory, and the army orders 20,000 cars.
- 1948 Heinrich Nordhoff takes charge and soon turns the Beetle into an export hit.
- 1950 The Type 2 Bus goes on sale, so VW now builds vans as well as cars.
- 1960 The company becomes Volkswagenwerk AG.
- 1964 Volkswagen buys Auto Union, which later becomes Audi.
- 1972 On 17 February, the Beetle passes the Ford Model T as the best-selling car ever.
- 1974 The Golf goes on sale, although in the US it’s called the Rabbit.
- 1976 The Golf GTI debuts, and it basically invents the hot hatch.
- 1986 VW buys a majority stake in SEAT, and then takes full ownership in 1990.
- 2003 The last original Beetle rolls off the line in Mexico.
- 2013 The Polo R WRC wins the first of four straight World Rally titles.
- 2015 The diesel emissions scandal breaks, and a settlement of up to 14.7 billion dollars follows in 2016.
- 2019 The electric ID.3 is unveiled with a new VW logo.
- 2026 The ID. Polo premieres in April, while US production of the ID.4 ends.
Iconic Volkswagen Models
These six Volkswagen cars made the brand what it is, and a couple of them even changed the whole car world as well.
1938–2003
Volkswagen Beetle
Rear-engine 21 million+ built
The Beetle is one of the most famous cars ever made. It was cheap, tough and simple, so it put millions of families on the road. In 1972 it also beat the Ford Model T’s production record.
1950
Volkswagen Type 2 Bus
Microbus Launched 1950
The Type 2 Bus arrived in 1950 and turned VW into a van maker, too. Since then it has carried everything from delivery loads to surfboards, and today’s ID. Buzz openly borrows its friendly face.
1974
Volkswagen Golf (Mk1)
Front-wheel drive Rabbit in the US
The first Golf replaced the Beetle’s rear-engine layout with a modern front-drive hatchback instead. It was a huge gamble, but it paid off, and since then the Golf has been the heart of the lineup.
1976
Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk1)
1.6-liter fuel injection First hot hatch
The original GTI had a fuel-injected 1.6-liter engine and could hit 110 mph. That doesn’t sound like much now, but it proved an everyday hatchback could be a blast, so pretty much every brand copied it.
1973
Volkswagen Passat (B1)
Dasher in the US Family car
The first Passat was VW’s move into bigger family cars, although in the US it was sold as the Dasher. Since then, the Passat has become one of the best-selling cars of all time, with about 34 million sold.
1975
Volkswagen Polo (Mk1)
Small car 20 million+ Polos
Meanwhile, the first Polo gave VW a small, cheap city car below the Golf. It started a line that has sold more than 20 million cars, and the new electric ID. Polo keeps the name going.
Who Owns Volkswagen Cars?
The Volkswagen brand is part of Volkswagen AG, better known as the Volkswagen Group. The Group also owns Audi, Porsche, Skoda, SEAT and more, and it delivered 8.98 million vehicles in 2025. When AutoGathering has a page for a brand, its name below links to that page.
Parent Volkswagen AG Wolfsburg · CEO Oliver Blume · 8.98 million Group deliveries in 2025
This page Volkswagen Passenger Cars Wolfsburg · VW cars and SUVs · CEO Thomas Schäfer
Plant Wolfsburg, Germany VW’s home plant, where the Golf and Tayron are built
Plant Chattanooga, Tennessee Builds the Atlas for North America
Plant Emden and Hanover The ID.7 in Emden; the ID. Buzz in Hanover
Sister brands in the Volkswagen Group
VW’s sister brands share platforms, engines and batteries. For example, the Passat is built alongside the Skoda Superb, while the Tayron shares its bones with the Tiguan.
In addition, Porsche SE, the holding company of the Porsche and Piëch families, holds the majority of the voting shares in Volkswagen AG. That’s a separate company from the Porsche car brand, which is itself part of the Group.
Brands VW bought or sold
- Auto Union and NSU (1964–1969) Bought by VW and merged into what became Audi.
- Bugatti (1998–2021) Revived by VW with the Veyron and Chiron, and then moved into Bugatti Rimac in 2021.
- Bentley (1998 to today) Bought by the Volkswagen Group in 1998 and still owned today.
- Porsche (2012 to today) VW took full control of the Porsche car business in 2012.
Volkswagen Cars Accomplishments
Volkswagen cars have racked up some serious numbers, both in the showroom and on the stage and the hill climb.
4.73 million
VW brand deliveries in 2025
Europe grew 5.1% and South America 18.5%, while China and North America fell.
8.98 million
Group deliveries in 2025
That includes Audi, Porsche, Skoda, SEAT and the rest of the Group.
21 million+
Beetles built
The Beetle passed the Ford Model T in 1972 and stayed in production until 2003.
34 million
Passats sold
That makes the Passat one of the best-selling cars of all time.
4 + 4
WRC drivers’ and makers’ titles
The Polo R WRC won both championships every year from 2013 until 2016.
3
Dakar wins in a row
The Race Touareg won the Dakar Rally from 2009 until 2011, including a 1-2-3 in 2010.
7:57.148
Pikes Peak record
The electric ID.R became the first car to climb Pikes Peak in under eight minutes, in 2018.
6:05.336
Nürburgring EV lap record
The ID.R set the electric car lap record on the Nordschleife in June 2019.
Volkswagen Racing History
Volkswagen cars have won on dirt, sand and asphalt. For example, the Polo dominated the World Rally Championship, while the Touareg conquered the Dakar. Later, the electric ID.R set records at Pikes Peak, Goodwood and the Nürburgring.
World Rally Championship
Polo R WRC
4 drivers’ titles 4 makers’ titles
The Polo R WRC was close to unbeatable. Sébastien Ogier won the drivers’ title every year from 2013 until 2016, while VW took all four manufacturers’ titles. In total, the car won 43 of its 52 rallies, before VW pulled out after 2016 in the wake of Dieselgate.
Dakar Rally
Race Touareg
3 wins in a row Diesel power
VW took its diesel-powered Race Touareg to the Dakar, and it won three years running, from 2009 until 2011. Carlos Sainz led a 1-2-3 finish in 2010, and then Nasser Al-Attiyah won in 2011.
Hill climbs and lap records
ID.R
Pikes Peak record Nürburgring EV record
The ID.R was VW’s all-electric record breaker. Romain Dumas drove it up Pikes Peak in 7:57.148 in June 2018, and then he set the electric lap record at the Nürburgring in 6:05.336 in 2019. In addition, it set a new record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that year.
Talk VW With Other Owners
VW owners are a passionate bunch, whether it’s an air-cooled Beetle, a modified GTI or a family Atlas. Soon, AutoGathering will connect this page to a Volkswagen community space where you can swap maintenance tips, show off your build and plan meetups.
- Air-cooled Beetles and Buses
- GTI and Golf R
- Jetta and GLI
- Tiguan and Atlas
- ID.4 and ID. Buzz ownership
- TDI owners
- Buying used
- VW shows and meetups
Volkswagen Cars FAQ
Who owns Volkswagen?
The Volkswagen brand belongs to Volkswagen AG, the Volkswagen Group. Porsche SE, the holding company of the Porsche and Piëch families, holds the majority of the voting shares in Volkswagen AG.
What does Volkswagen mean?
Volkswagen is German for “people’s car.” The company was founded in 1937 to build an affordable car for ordinary families, and that car became the Beetle.
What was the Volkswagen emissions scandal?
In 2015, US regulators found that VW’s TDI diesel engines were programmed to cheat emissions tests. As a result, VW agreed to a settlement of up to 14.7 billion dollars in 2016, and it also ended its WRC program.
Where are Volkswagen cars made?
VW builds cars all over the world. Its home plant is in Wolfsburg, Germany, while the Atlas for North America comes from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the ID. Buzz is built in Hanover.
Is the Volkswagen ID.4 discontinued?
US production of the ID.4 ended in April 2026, after demand fell when the federal EV tax credit expired. However, VW is still selling it from existing stock, which it expects to last through 2027.
Can you buy an ID. Buzz in the US?
Not new for 2026. VW pulled the ID. Buzz from the US market for the 2026 model year, and it has since pushed its return back to 2028.
What is the best-selling Volkswagen?
In Europe, the T-Roc was VW’s top-selling SUV in 2025, with 201,995 sold. Worldwide, the VW brand delivered 4.73 million vehicles that year.
Does Volkswagen still sell the Golf in the US?
Only the fun versions. You can buy the Golf GTI and the Golf R in the US, while the regular Golf hatchback is sold in Europe and other markets.
Explore More Manufacturers
Compare Volkswagen cars with their sister brands and their biggest rivals.
Photo credits
- Header image: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- 2020 Volkswagen Golf Style Mk8 hatchback: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- 2019 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line in Habanero Orange…: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen Taos compact SUV: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan SUV: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- 2024 Volkswagen Atlas three-row SUV: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Second-generation Volkswagen T-Roc 1.5 eTSI Style: © M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen Tayron 1.5 eTSI Elegance SUV: © M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, cropped and resized.
- Ninth-generation Volkswagen Passat Variant Elegance wagon: © M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, cropped and resized.
- 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro electric SUV: LuvsMG481, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen ID.7 electric sedan: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen ID. Polo electric hatchback in Bietigheim-Bissingen,…: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- 1966 Volkswagen Beetle: Vwexport1300, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- 1967 Volkswagen Type 2 Samba bus in…: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- First-generation Volkswagen Golf: Kazuyanagae, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- 1982 Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1: Txemari. (Navarra). from Navarra, España, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- First-generation Volkswagen Passat B1: Sven Storbeck, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- First-generation Volkswagen Polo: Bruno Kussler Marques, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
- Sébastien Ogier in the Volkswagen Polo R…: Harpagornis, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Nasser Al-Attiyah and Timo Gottschalk in the…: Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Photofiles, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized.
- Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak electric race…: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.