Small Car Love Gives Volkswagen's Golf Wagons a Reprieve North of the Border

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

While Volkswagen won’t offer any 2020 model-year Golf SportWagens or Alltracks in the U.S., a broader customer base in Canada means the two models will soldier on for an extra year. It’s possible a next-generation successor might appear, too.

While Canadians are just as attracted to trucks and SUVs as Americans, small cars — and especially the two wagon variants — make up a much larger slice of the VW pie north of the 49th parallel. As soon as the automaker announced the discontinuation of North American-market Golf wagons, VW’s Canadian arm pulled together a plan.

Basically, stockpiling as many of ’em as it can.

According to Automotive News, the plan involves assembling enough 2019 SportWagens and Alltracks to cover buyers’ wishes for another full year. The automaker will crank out Canadian-market 2019 models until the end of the year.

Despite falling sales of Golf-badged models in Canada, the number of vehicles sold in relation to the entire VW portfolio isn’t insignificant. In the U.S., Golfs of all stripes make up about 10 percent of VW sales. Up north, it’s around 27 percent.

Key differences between the two groups of consumers is why Canadians have far greater choice re: engines and transmissions in the new Mazda 3.

“We see opportunity to continue this,” said VW Canada spokesman Thomas Tetzlaff. “VW Canada does not exist in a vacuum. We’re very tied to [the United States], and when product decisions are made, one side affects the other.”

Tetzlaff explained that, despite the relatively limited numbers, the Golf wagons have a “loyal customer base,” which is why the company’s Canuck arm is attempting to secure approval for an eighth-generation model expected to land next year. Already, the next-gen base Golf hatchback — a model facing discontinuation in the U.S. — has been greenlit for the Canadian market.

While Americans can still expect hotter GTI and R variants, the entry-level model bit the dust amid cratering sales. In Canada, the base Golf made up 71 percent of the nameplate’s sales, Tetzlaff said.

“With respect for the SportWagen and the Alltrack, that’s still up in the air.”

[Images: Volkswagen of America]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Whatnext Whatnext on Sep 09, 2019

    If they can do this for Canadians, why can't they bring in the new Touareg!

  • JRoth JRoth on Sep 09, 2019

    Timely! I just discovered something weird about my new Alltrack, and I was wondering if anyone here could explain it: according to C&D, the drive ratios for 4th and 5th gear in the 6-speed manual are 0.91 and 0.90. Is this some sort of misinformation, or is there some reason for having 2 gears that are basically identical? For the record, 3rd is given as 1.32, and 6th is 0.76.

    • Hummer Hummer on Sep 09, 2019

      I’d imagine 4th should be 1:1, otherwise that would be very odd.

  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
  • Mikey My late wife loved Mustangs ..We alway rented one while travelling . GM blood vetoed me purchasing one . 3 years after retirement bought an 08 rag top, followed by a 15 EB Hard top, In 18 i bought a low low mileage 05 GT rag with a stick.. The car had not been properly stored. That led to rodent issues !! Electrical nightmare. Lots of bucks !! The stick wasn't kind to my aging knees.. The 05 went to a long term dedicated Mustang guy. He loves it .. Today my garage tenant is a sweet 19 Camaro RS rag 6yl Auto. I just might take it out of hibernation this weekend. The Mustang will always hold a place in my heart.. Kudos to Ford for keeping it alive . I refuse to refer to the fake one by that storied name .
  • Ajla On the Mach-E, I still don't like it but my understanding is that it helps allow Ford to continue offering a V8 in the Mustang and F-150. Considering Dodge and Ram jumped off a cliff into 6-cylinder land there's probably some credibility to that story.
  • Ajla If I was Ford I would just troll Stellantis at all times.
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