We’ve heard rumors that Volkswagen was considering a pickup based on the Scout Terra, while Audi could get a luxury off-roader derived from the Traveler. Those two models remain unconfirmed, but evidence appears to be building.

Speaking with Autocar, Scout Chief Technical Officer Burkhard Huhnke noted the Terra and Traveler ride on a unique body-on-frame platform that was developed from scratch. He added, there’s “no body-on-frame platform in the entire [Volkswagen] group,” so this makes it pretty special. While Volkswagen does offer a body-on-frame Amarok, it’s simply a Ford in disguise.

More: Meet The New Scout Terra Truck And Traveler SUV

Putting the blue oval aside, developing a new platform isn’t cheap and Huhnke acknowledged “You never get money for free.” However, he wouldn’t say whether or not the body-on-frame architecture would be used to underpin additional vehicles.

This would help to spread development costs as well as increase utilization at Scout’s plant in South Carolina. The facility will be able to build up to 200,000 vehicles annually and construction appears to be moving smoothly as the company’s latest update revealed the “final heavy steel beams went into place” and “exterior walls are going up quickly.”

Needless to say, 200,000 vehicles is a lot and it’s doubtful the Terra and Traveler will need that much annual capacity alone. A rugged Audi SUV seems like a natural candidate as it would give the brand something to rival the Mercedes G-Class and Lexus LX.

On the Volkswagen side of the equation, Autocar reports the company had envisioned a Defender-like ID. Ruggdzz. The model was reportedly scrapped, although the automaker is said to be keen on revisiting the idea.

However, the pickup rumor might make more sense as Volkswagen could offer a more affordable and mainstream version of the Terra. It would likely compete with the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Ram 1500 REV / 1500 Ramcharger.

However, a large pickup has disadvantages and any such model would likely be reliant on the United States. A rugged SUV, on the other hand, would have more global appeal.

Audi and their works council have reached an agreement that aims to reduce labor costs and increase flexibility at German production sites. The automaker also said they’re extending a “job protection plan until the end of 2033.”

The company didn’t go into many specifics, but noted economic conditions are becoming “increasingly tougher,” while they’re also forced to deal with “political uncertainties” and new competition. This is a perfect storm of bad news and it’s being complicated by slower than expected electric vehicle adoption.

More: VW Confirms More Than 35,000 Job Cuts In Germany, Golf Production Moving To Mexico

Unfortunately, this means cuts but they won’t be as deep as the ones at Volkswagen. However, Audi is still planning on a “socially responsible reduction” of up to 7,500 jobs by 2029.

Aside from eliminating employees, Audi aims to reduce bureaucracy and put a renewed focus on their product portfolio. The latter has become a problem as important models, such as the Q7, have grown stale.

Audi will also “reduce personnel costs by adjusting payments above the collective wage agreement and variable payments for pay-scale employees.” The automaker didn’t spell things out, but it sounds like managers and the Board of Management will be taking a pay cut. The automaker also mentioned a retooled profit sharing program to help “future-proof” the company.

As for the so-called job protection plan, Audi will invest around €8 ($8.7 / £6.7) billion into Germany through 2029. In Ingolstadt, this will pave the way for a new entry-level EV as well as production of the redesigned Q3, which will also be built in Győr, Hungary.

Audi was tight-lipped about plans for Neckarsulm, but hinted the “electronic architecture of combustion-engine vehicles will be developed further, significantly increasing their competitiveness.” The company also said they’re examining the possibility of building an “additional model” at the plant.

Rainer Schirmer, Vice Chairman of the General Works Council, said “We were able to future-proof both sites. For Neckarsulm, this means, among other things, that we were able to secure a ‘future fund’ for plant development, which we can use to set up new production platforms – for future electric models. To this end, Neckarsulm is to be expanded as an AI and digitalization center for the entire Audi Group.”

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said the deal was a “strong agreement for the future of the company” and one that will strengthen their competitiveness. However, he noted “Audi must become faster, more agile, and more efficient” and this “cannot be done without personnel adjustments.”

Despite confirming the needs for cuts, Döllner said there would be “no layoffs due to operational reasons until the end of 2033. In these difficult economic times, this is good news for all employees.”

While Audi didn’t go into detail, Handelsblatt is reporting the company aims to save around €1 ($1.1 / £0.8) billion annually at their German sites. They also noted the Neckarsulm plant will build “large electric sedans,” while Ingolstadt could make the A3 – presumably in electric form judging by Audi’s statement.

Speaking of production, Audi has a Trump problem as they don’t have any plants in the United States. If the trade war worsens, the four-ring brand might set up shop at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant.

Audi also appears to have abandoned plans to go electric-only. This is a major change as, less than a year ago, they were adamant “we will transform our product portfolio and switch completely to electric vehicles. Our customers will experience the last major world premieres of new model lines with conventional drive systems in the course of 2026.” While the automaker didn’t exactly admit defeat, they acknowledged the continued development of ICE-powered vehicles.

We’re just a few years away from the next-generation VW Golf, and it’s been confirmed that it will use the trick software architecture VW is co-developing with Rivian. The new Golf is expected to launch in 2029 and as always, it will be a very important model for the brand, offered exclusively as an EV and sold alongside the current Mk8 Golf.

The VW Group has committed $5.8 billion to its partnership with Rivian, co-developing a new electric architecture to be used by future models from both automakers. The new architecture will consolidate the complexity of current VW systems and dramatically reduce the number of control units needed. It also uses a zonal architecture, providing VW with added flexibility.

Read: Rivian And VW Are Teaming Up To Reinvent The New Electric Golf Mk9

The first VW model to use the new architecture will be the electric ID.1, and the Mk9 Golf will follow, potentially dubbed the ID. Golf. According to VW technical chief Kai Grünitz, starting with the ID.1 “reduces the risk for the Golf,” because the brand’s base EV will have less functionality than the Golf, allowing VW to iron out any kinks. Over-the-air updates will serve as an important feature of the architecture.

“The benefit of the zonal architecture is that I can put one, two or three zones in a vehicle,” Grünitz told Autocar. “Vehicles in lower price segments will just need one zone, while a premium vehicle might need three or four, depending on functions. I can use a dedicated system-on-chip [SoC] family for each model. So for the ID 1, I can use an SoC with a lower price point and complexity, but if I take the same architecture over to the Golf, I can use a different SoC that costs more money but gives additional functions. But it’s still the same software.”

Underpinning the next-generation VW Golf will be the group’s flexible SSP platform with an 800-volt architecture. It will also use a new cell-to-pack battery design.

VW will build the new Golf at its factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, while moving production of the current Mk8 Golf away from its homeland and to a plant in Puebla, Mexico.

It’s only been a week since VW previewed its new entry-level EV with the ID. Every 1 concept, and already, the brand has confirmed where the production model will be built. It won’t be brought to life in Germany, but rather at VW’s Autoeuropa plant in Setubal, Portugal.

The production version of the ID. Every 1, likely simply named the ID.1, will be an important vehicle for VW. It will serve as its entry-level EV and start at around €20,000 (~$21,000), allowing it to rival the BYD Seagull that’s destined for Europe. To build and sell a small EV for so little money, it makes sense why VW wants to make the most of cheap labor and energy costs in Portugal.

Read: ID. Every1 Previews VW’s Cheapest EV

According to VW boss Thomas Schaefer, the site is one of their most cost-efficient factories in Europe and he believes the ID.1 will serve an important role in bringing new consumers to the brand, Auto News reports. During the same interview, Schaefer revealed VW might also tap Chinese suppliers for various ID.1 parts, allowing it to reduce costs compared to usually locally sourced components.

The ID.1 will be sized between the Polo and the pint-sized Up! but should have interior space to match the slightly larger Polo. Like the concept, the road-going model will be based on VW’s new MEB front-wheel drive platform and have a single electric motor with 94 hp. The company hasn’t said what size battery pack the EV will have.

VW’s entry-level EV will also be the first of its models using the electric architecture currently being developed alongside Rivian. The two automakers announced a tie-up last year and the German brand is investing $5.8 billion into the American EV manufacturer. The first VW Group products to launch with the new architecture will come from Porsche and Audi, launching in 2027.

According to VW Group chief financial officer Arno Antlitz, it’ll be “difficult” for the company to achieve positive margins with the ID.1, but he thinks it’ll relieve pressure on some of VW’s more profitable EVs, like the ID.2.

Volkswagen’s ID.4 sales have rocketed in the first part of 2025 and now the automaker is redoubling its electric efforts and readying a new family of smaller EVs. But while European VW fans will get access to all members of that family, it sounds like their American counterparts won’t get the chance to put the smallest of them, the ID.1, in their garages.

Earlier this week, VW revealed the ID.Every1 concept, a thinly disguised preview of the ID.1 (name TBC) production EV that goes on sale in Europe in 2027. But a year before that lands in showrooms, the German carmaker will launch the production version of 2023’s ID.2all concept, and this fall we’ll get a look at an SUV spinoff of that model, the ID.2X.

Will the USA Get Any of VW’s New Small and Affordable EVs?

However, when we asked VW North America if it had any plans to offer the ID.1 or larger ID.2 in the US, it was quick to tell us not to get our hopes up for the little guy making the cut. A spokesperson told Carscoops it was “highly unlikely” that the ID.1, which is sized between the now-dead Up! and Polo subcompacts, would be sold in the US.

The prospects for the ID.2, on the other hand, look rather better. The VW rep told us they “can’t confirm anything about the ID.2,” which isn’t the same thing as saying it’s definitely coming, but it’s no denial either.

Related: ID.Every1 Previews VW’s Cheapest EV

Which version of the ID.2 they were not confirming anything about, they didn’t say. The crossover model seems the most likely to get the nod given America’s love for utilities and general lack of enthusiasm for hatchbacks. But then the ID.2 hatch would be no ordinary hatch because it could tap into the love for the Golf, which has been a part of the US auto landscape for almost 50 years.

What Do These Small EVs Bring to the Table?

All three junior ID cars share the same new MEB platform, which, unlike the current MEB architecture found in EVs like the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.Buzz, features a motor at the front of the car driving the front wheels. The 3,880 mm (152.8 inches) ID.Every1, whose production version is expected to cost just €20,000 (£17k / $21k), is powered by a tiny 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW) motor and can only travel 155 miles (250 km) on a charge.

The ID.2all hatch concept unveiled two years ago measured 4,050 mm (159.4 in), had a 223 hp (225 PS / 166 kW) motor and was claimed to be capable of 280 miles (450 km) – stats that would be fare more palatable to an American audience. VW is targeting a €25,000 (£21k / $26k) price for the production car.

So, if VW were to bring one of these smaller EVs stateside, which would you want to see?

Volkswagen has confirmed that a fully electric ID.2 GTI is coming next year, but it seems that an even smaller hot hatchback might be in the works. A VW board member has revealed that an ID.1 GTI could happen, given there is enough customer demand.

While the ID.2 GTI will carry the torch from the soon-to-be discontinued Polo GTI, a possible ID.1 GTI could serve as a successor to the Up! GTI. The smallest member of the future GTI lineup would also be the most affordable, making hot hatch thrills accessible to a wider audience.

More: VW Polo To Live On With A 2025 Facelift Because Not Everything Has To Be An EV

When asked by Autocar about the possibility of an ID.1 GTI, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Technical Development Kai Grunitz said: “It could happen because we’re using modules from the MEB platform. So it could. But it depends on various factors, including the reaction of customers to this car.”

However, Grunitz mentioned the potential overlap with the slightly larger ID.2 GTI that will launch in 2026: “Also we have the ID.Every1 and we have the ID.2all, which will get a GTI version. Having everything in the ID.1 would mean it’s not necessary to have everything in the ID.2. The ID.2 is larger and has a lot more functions and more value. It’s the same as with the Up! and the Polo. So we will see.”

Illustrations: Thanos Pappas for CarScoops

It seems that the sales performance of the upcoming ID.2 GTI might determine whether the ID.1 GTI gets made or not as VW is dipping its toes on the performance EV market. Given that the strict emission regulations have drastically increased the R&D cost for ICE-powered hot hatches, the fully electric equivalents seem to be the only way forward in this segment.

VW Has All The Right Ingredients For A Small GTI

The ID.1 and the ID.2 will ride on the same MEB Entry architecture, with a single-motor, FWD layout. In the ID.Every1 Concept the powertrain is good for 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW), but the ID.2all Concept had a more potent motor generating 228 hp (170 kW / 231 PS). The latter sounds like a great fit for a small and lightweight ID.1 GTI, transforming it into a pocket rocket.

More: VW Brings Back Physical Buttons After Admitting Touchscreens Are A Disaster

Besides the extra power, VW engineers could add a limited-slip differential, a stiffer suspension, and stronger brakes, enhancing the handling credentials of the small EV.

Of course, the performance-focused version of the ID.1 would also benefit from a sporty redesign. Our exclusive rendering borrows styling cues from the ID.GTI concept, transforming the city car into a hot hatch. Modifications could include a new set of alloy wheels, sportier front and rear bumpers, deeper side skirts, a rear spoiler, and GTI emblems.

Given that the launch of the VW ID.1 is scheduled for 2027, a GTI version is at least two or three years away. Hopefully, customers will embrace this new era of performance, motivating automakers to invest in hot versions of their city car and supermini offerings.

Volkswagen has finally realized what pretty much every driver already knew: stuffing every function into a touchscreen is a nightmare. The company’s design boss, Andreas Mindt, has revealed that future VWs, starting with the ID.2, will feature physical controls for essential functions. This might sound like common sense, but, hey, better late than never.

More: Physical Controls Are Back Because Drivers Are Sick Of Endless Touchscreen Menus

In late 2022, VW made the bold (and highly unpopular) decision to ditch traditional physical buttons and switch to touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel. That, predictably, led to a flood of complaints. So, after the unveiling of the ID.2all concept in 2023, VW admitted its mistake and promised to roll back the touch-centric design. Now, Mindt is spilling the details on the company’s course correction.

The Return of Buttons

Mindt told Autocar that next-gen VW models will come with physical buttons for the five most important functions: volume, seat heating, fan controls, and hazard lights—right below the infotainment screen. No more endlessly swiping through menus just to turn on the heat. He also made it clear that this shift would apply “in every car that we make from now on. We understood this.”

In a refreshingly candid moment, VW’s design boss openly admitted that the strategy followed by his predecessor wasn’t the right one: “We will never, ever make this mistake any more. On the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. No guessing any more. There’s feedback, it’s real, and people love this. Honestly, it’s a car. It’s not a phone: it’s a car.”

The first car to embrace this much-welcome change with an extra row of physical buttons under the infotainment display will be the ID.2all electric supermini, which is set to launch in 2026. The production version of VW’s ID.Every1 concept, expected in 2027, will use a similar layout. Say goodbye to those awkward, touch-sensitive sliders that control everything from volume to AC temperature. Honestly, if you’ve ever tried to adjust the heat on a touchscreen while driving, you probably understand why this was inevitable.

More: Hyundai Going Back To Physical Buttons Because American Buyers Don’t Like Touchscreens

This means that VW will finally ditch the haptic sliders currently being used to control the media volume, navigation zoom, and A/C temperature. These can be found in several VW Group models including the facelifted Golf.

Despite all the button talk, Mindt made it clear that the touchscreen isn’t going anywhere. “There are a lot of functions you have to deliver in certain areas, so the screen will be big and you will find a lot of HMI contents in the depths of the system,” he said. “But the five main things will always be on the first physical layer. That’s very important.”

Europe’s affordable EV market is hotting up. Stellantis’s Fiat and Citroen brands have already laid their cards on the table and this week we’ve got our first look at Volkswagen’s response. The ID. Every1 is officially a concept, but most of what you see here you’ll find on the production version in 2027.

Predicted to cost around €20,000 (£17k / $21k) when it hits dealers in two years, the Every1 goes on sale one year after the €25,000 (£21k / $26k) production take on 2023’s ID. 2all concept. But while the 2all’s size puts it between the current Golf and recently axed Polo, the Every1 is sized between the Polo and the Up!, which also got the chop not long ago.

Related: VW Drops New Sketches Of Its $21K Entry-Level EV

The Every1 occupies 3,880 mm (152.8 inches) of road space, compared with 3,600 mm (141.7 inches) for the Up! and 4,074 mm (160.4) for the Polo. VW promises interior space will match the Polo’s and the 305-liter luggage space splits the difference between what those two deceased combustion cars could deliver.

One of the secrets of the baby EV’s space efficiency is VW’s new MEB front-wheel-drive platform (current single-motor MEB ID cars are all RWD). A small electric motor in the nose generates 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW), and while VW doesn’t quote a zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time, it’s sure to be less lethargic than the electronically limited 82 mph (130 km/h) top speed suggests.

We’re still in the dark on battery size, but it’s got to be less than 40 kWh going by the claimed 155-mile (250 km) range. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s probably ample for most buyers given the Every1’s city-living remit, and is a key reason VW is able to bring the price down to little more than half that of the cheapest ID.3.

Strong design and classic cues

The FWD platform and price aren’t the only ways this new ID car – and the ID. 2all and its crossover spin-off also on the way – is moving away from a template laid down by cars like the ID.3 and ID.4. The front-drivers will usher in a new, more robust, more confident design language that makes even the most affordable member of the EV family look solid and expensive.

Okay, so the Lone Ranger eye mask looks conspicuously like the one on the front of the new Ford Capri (which is an ID.5 offshoot) or Suzuki’s aging Ignis, but it works far better here, fitting in perfectly with the smooth surfaces and squat stance. VW points out the straight window line, an early Golf design signature, and a refusal to get bogged down in current styling trends that could appear embarrassingly dated a few years down the road.

The black glass rear hatch tips a hat to the Up! but where that car looked awkwardly narrow, tall, and slab-sided, the Every1 looks wide and muscular, the swollen fenders over 19-inch wheels and chiseled skateboard-shaped recess in the rear bumper making the whole car seem more grown up.

Dashboards and buttons are back

The same goes for the interior, which we really hope transfers directly to the street. Again, design tricks – in this case the simple, long, flat dashboard shape – create an impression of width, and it’s interesting to see that after several years of freestanding mini-tablet gauge packs on its EVs, VW has recessed the instrument display in the main dash. Anyone else thinking 1991 Honda Prelude, or is it just me?

A chunky, squircle-shaped steering wheel features plenty of physical buttons and there are more buttons on the central section of the dashboard for the volume, cabin temperature, and seat heating. Perhaps surprisingly, though, there’s no sign of the rotary console dial seen on the ID. 2all and since productionized on the Euro Tiguan and Passat.

Most of the controls though, are housed inside the large tablet touchscreen, which will debut VW’s new software system, allowing owners to activate additional equipment months after the car has left the factory.

Minivan-style configurability

Other new features include a utility rail on the passenger side of the dashboard that lets passengers attach a tablet or even a table. And that sci-fi-looking console between the two seats can be slid backwards and forwards, and has extendable shelves, while VW suggests the front passenger- and rear seats can be folded in various ways to maximize practicality. Even if not all of these features make it to production, it’s clear that VW wants the ID.1 (or whatever name Wolfsburg settles on) to be more than just another straight-shootin’ electric hatch.

We’re still two years out from being able to buy the ID. Every1 but there’ll be plenty of new-generation ID activity to look forward to before then. VW says we’ll get another preview of its ‘Electric Urban Car Family’ in fall 2025, and it won’t be the only Group brand teasing future electric subcompacts built on this platform in the next 12 months.