Volkswagen is preparing to shift production of the Golf from Wolfsburg, Germany, to Mexico by 2027, and that could be good news for VW enthusiasts north of the border. A new report from Automotive News explains that building Golf hatchbacks at Volkswagen's Puebla plant will likely bring additional variants of the entry-level model back to the United States.
Currently, Volkswagen only offers its hottest versions of the Golf—the GTI and Golf R—in the U.S. The German automaker dropped its base model Golf from domestic dealerships after 2021, citing slow sales and a lack of American interest in smaller vehicles. But, amid a complex global trade market and rising gas prices, VW Group of America CEO Kjell Gruner said the regular Golf may yet have a place in North American markets.
View Price on Amazon"Producing it in North America opens up opportunities for other Golf variants," VW Group of America CEO Kjell Gruner told Automotive News. "In Germany, if you buy a Golf, it’s going to be produced here in North America. The team is really in full preparation mode to have that up and running."
Tariffs are playing a significant role in Volkswagen's decision to move Golf production west. Currently, vehicles produced in Europe and exported to the U.S. are subject to a 25 percent tariff. Automakers around the globe are scrambling to find new production facilities to limit their year-end tariff exposure. However, the rapid shift in tariff rates under President Donald Trump has put Mexican-built cars in a bind, as current tariffs also sit at 25 percent, although the situation could potentially shift with the forthcoming renegotiation of the USMCA trade pact.
Gruner said a 15-percent tariff on Mexican-built vehicles would help Volkswagen tremendously. The automaker currently builds its Tiguan and Taos crossovers, as well as the Jetta sedan, in Puebla. Previous iterations of the Golf, including the Golf hatchback, Golf SportWagen, and Golf Alltrack variants, were also built in Puebla. So as Golf production in Mexico begins in 2027, North American buyers can likely—or at least, hopefully—expect another affordable fun vehicle from Volkswagen.
Source: roadandtrack.com
