Staying still is moving backwards, some say. Volkswagen seems to agree with this, as it moves to implement a shorter five-year life cycle policy for its future core models, as opposed to the existing and (European) industry-standard seven-year cycle.
As such, a new mainstream model such as future iterations of the Golf or Passat will be replaced by an all-new version after just five years of its initial introduction. A mid-life facelift, meanwhile, will be carried out three years into the model’s now-shortened life.
“We will reduce the life cycle of our products to better align with customers’ buying habits. A five-year life cycle will cut two years off our current life cycle,” Auto Express quoted Volkswagen of America’s vice president for marketing and strategy, Joerg Sommer as saying.
A five-year life cycle programme is closer to a Japanese carmaker’s standard operating pattern, though Mazda is reported to move to a four-year life cycle schedule. First unveiled in July 2012, the still-fresh Mazda6 already has a mid-life facelift coming up soon – so it does appear as if the plan is moving ahead.
Now, is the world ready for full-model updates every four of five years? Tell us in the comments below.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
dodgeviper88
on 
@@
on 
Grimm
on 
Protonsucks
on 
z00b00
on 
DSG suxxs
on 
KvK
on 
Maserati_Topi Hijau
on 
Wayangkulit
on 
Obviously (Member)
on 
VWForeman
on 
VW Mechanic Lampar
on 
John
on 
regretVvv
on 
Siow
on 
unforgiven
on 
TheAnonymous
on 
VW polis
on 
ganni
on 
kakiVW
on 
apekgoh
on 
Mozilla Chrome
on 
Pandai Cakap Banyak
on 
WRK
on 
neemfa
on 
SPG
on 
medic
on 
syazmi
on 
jojo
on 
nabill (Member)
on 
fivetonineyears
on 
hellhole
on 
Val
on 
alldisc
on 
wo0p
on 
seancorr (Member)
on 
D.I.Y
on 
Neon
on 
Scor
on 
Akulah
on 
Steve Jobs
on 
autodriver (Member)
on 
FireAce
on 
ColdWater
on 
Mike
on 
applegreen
on 
Madness
on 
Sam Tits
on 
Blob
on 
pai
on 
AcerMan
on 
4G63T DSM
on 
cendol (Member)
on 
panjang
on 
xavier lert
on 
Redline
on 
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments generally support VW’s move to five-year model life cycles, citing it as a strategic way to stay competitive amid rapid technological developments and market demands. Many express concern that shorter lifecycles may compromise reliability and lead to more technical issues, especially with models like DSG. Others point out potential depreciation impacts and note that older models remain functional if well-maintained. Overall, sentiments are mixed but acknowledge the challenges and benefits of adopting shorter car model cycles.