Volkswagen Springfield Official Blog
Why isn’t there a Golf Cabriolet in the states?
By Product Expert | Posted in FAQ, VW Golf on Friday, November 6th, 2015 at 10:55 pm
Is Volkswagen bringing back the Golf Cabriolet?
It seems like every automaker has such a wide variety of models, that it can be difficult to keep up, let alone choose. It’s an expensive endeavor to keep alive models that don’t sell well, which is why the 2016 Volkswagen Eos is the last model year for the hardtop convertible. At the time when it was introduced, hardtop convertibles had been a more popular choice, but with soft top options proving more popular, it just doesn’t make sense in the American market anymore. Which brings us to the Golf Cabriolet. The model is a soft top, but hasn’t been sold here in 13 years. That’s right, not since 2002 have we seen a new rendering of it. With the Eos on its way out, is Volkswagen bringing back the Golf Cabriolet?
Why bring back the Golf Cabriolet?
If the Eos wasn’t a hot ticket item, it may stand to reason Volkswagen would step away from two-door convertibles. As we’ve already said, however, soft tops convertibles are a different beast. The Beetle Convertible, for example, sells well, and the Golf Cabriolet in Europe doesn’t trail far behind it in sales. It made sense not to add another convertible to the VW lineup that would compete against the Eos, especially since the styling of the Golf Cabriolet isn’t vastly different, but with the Eos gone, this might change.
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One of the reasons we think it would make the most sense is when considering the Golf family as a whole, and not the just standard Golf. The GTI and the R both have large fan bases for their power. Isn’t the thrill of owning a convertible partially about the style, and partially about driving something sporty? Volkswagen has a variety of options to make a convertible that would appeal to enthusiasts, but could at least offer an R-Line trim for a bit of muscle.
Of course, from the shopper’s perspective, price is a huge consideration. A Golf Cabriolet would likely be much less expensive than the Eos was. If we compare the standard Beetle to its Beetle Convertible counterpart, it’s about a $5,000 difference. If the same went for the Golf Cabriolet, the starting price would be roughly $6,000 below what the 2016 Volkswagen Eos is priced at.
As of right now, there’s no official word on a Golf Cabriolet making its way back to the U.S., but rumor has it there could be potential for the 2018 model year. Should Volkswagen release an official intention, we’ll be writing about it here at the Volkswagen of Springfield Blog, so be sure to check back for news on this and other VW models.
