VW is considering an ID.3 convertible

The convertible has almost always been part of the VW program, but currently only appears as the SUV T-Roc. Why is that? Especially since Nissan with the Murano and Range Rover with the open Evoque have already failed with their SUV convertibles... behind the scenes, VW is now examining the feasibility of an electric convertible. In 2023, an ID.3 convertible could launch, and here too the MEB platform benefits the company: The Modular Electric Toolkit's chassis has a central battery frame between the axles, providing considerable rigidity exactly where it is needed. This is why the need for a roll bar can also be eliminated.

The tradition of VW convertibles is long: the Beetle, Karmann Ghia, and later the Golf were always a given, but the numbers declined. While the first Golf sold nearly 390,000 units as a convertible, its successor based on the Golf III only attracted around 170,000 customers. The Golf VI sold even worse, and alongside it, the Beetle aimed to hark back to old times, offered in two generations until 2019. In August 2019, the open T-Roc took over, which remains extremely rare to this day.

Experts from IHS Markit conducted a study on this, and the results are sobering: In 2010, around 473,000 convertibles were sold worldwide; by 2020, this number had dwindled to just 234,000. The US market, previously a global driver, also saw a decline from about 83,000 to around 53,000 convertibles. Markit projects a rise to around 60,000 units by 2025 in the US, but globally, the segment is expected to continue shrinking to approximately 210,000 units. In the booming regions of Asia, convertibles play no role.

But an electric, affordable, and four-seater convertible would indeed be interesting, wouldn’t it? Because you primarily smell and hear nature. And that’s the point – when there’s no fat combustion engine under the hood, which in some models you would also love to hear.

What does this mean?

Driving a convertible is never practical – even though the roofs have now massively evolved. But there are always fans of open-air driving – without necessarily wanting to tame a V8 or push a roadster around corners. An ID.3 Convertible would, therefore, become massively appealing. Why has no one seriously considered an open, four-seater, electric mass-production convertible before? Thank you, VW – please build it!