It appears the sun has finally set on the Volkswagen Scirocco after nine years in production, according to Car & Driver. A message on the company’s German website said, “The Scirocco cannot be ordered with individual specifications anymore. But you can purchase vehicles already built.”
We’ve known that the three-door coupé-cum-hatchback wouldn’t be long for this world – in May, Autocar reported that both it and the Beetle would be axed from the lineup when their current generations reached their end of their lives. The latest announcement seems like only a formality.
Previewed by the handsome Iroc concept in 2006, the third-generation Scirocco never exactly live up to the fierce desert wind with which it shared its name, at least where sales were concerned. It was more like a light breeze, with just 10,752 units sold last year – combined, the 2016 sales for both the Scirocco and the Beetle (25,127 units) were outstripped by what the Golf achieved in January this year alone.
Warning signs were apparent from as far back as 2014, when the car was only given a mild facelift after six years on the market – an eon in Volkswagen years – even though Car & Driver said that a replacement had long been planned. The infamous “Dieselgate” emissions cheating scandal, which led to cost-cutting and a renewed focus on electric vehicles, likely sealed its fate.
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Pretty it may have been, but problem with the Scirocco is that it was even eclipsed by the Golf.
It was quite different back then when the original Scirocco and the Corrado actually had technology and specifications very much different than the more plebeian Golf siblings.
This also made them expensive, which is what killed them. Especially the high spec Corrado had a Supercharged engines or Vr6s and AWD.
With VW now having Audi at the top end, and moving the Golf upmarket, there is no place left to squeeze the ‘Roc. In short, the ‘Roc lost its market focus.
Sad, really liked the car. It handles better than the Golf GTi and great to drive at its limits.
In Europe the Scirocco was always the ‘plebeian’ car, driven by wannabe racers. The Golf is a classless car there, driven in base trim by the cleaner lady and in GTI or R trim by the company manager.
future classic? naaaahh…
It just goes to show even a car company as successful as VW cannot make all their cars salable or to be a successful model.
A smart company like VW will surely take the bitter pill to cut off those models that are no more profitable or viable. That is a basic business principle. If it ain’t profitable, cut it.
Models like EOS will also be chopped off when the times come. I think VW & its group have too many models competing with each other hence they will eventually takes shares away from VW.
Take the case of SKODA, they are selling well in eastern Europe bcos they are cheaper than VW equivalent.
They need to trim down models to cut cost due to dieselgate compensation.
Read the above article, kiddo
If u belip whatever marketing spiel, ur more of a kid than me, kiddo.
well it’s essentially built on MK5 Golf internals…no surprise that a new model was not in the works..
Remembered the older Sciroccos…captivating then.
But after so many years still same shape and spec…who wants to buy?
Same happening to Toyota with its facelift after facelift.
Depression coming soon.