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Cars and TransportationGermany

Can "legacy” bring Volkswagen back from the brink?

Vaishali Dinakaran
July 2, 2026

After years of pushing futuristic "ID” branding with the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, VW is returning to its roots with iconic models like the Golf and Polo — a move the German carmaker hopes will help it survive tough times.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Fzqb

Volkswagen is attempting to reconnect with its past in order to secure its future. After years of pushing futuristic "Intelligent Design” branding with the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, Volkswagen is now banking on the emotional pull of iconic model names, like the Golf and Polo. It's is a move VW hopes will help it survive one of the most difficult transitions in the automaker's history. Will it work? REV takes a closer look at how Volkswagen has changed over the years. After Chinese rivals overtook the German carmaker in both software development and EV sales, VW scrambled to reinvent itself. Yet this rapid change also eroded its brand image, so now Volkswagen is signaling a return to its origins as the maker of the people's car.