Volkswagen Dumb-Cars: Is this what’s driving them downhill?
Image credit: ChatGPT
Volkswagen has been on a worrying downward spiral, and its cars no longer seem smart enough to satisfy its customers.
It’s incredible to see such an iconic brand like Volkswagen fall from the podium so loudly. Sales continue to decline compared to more modern competitors, and the company is even considering closing more factories in Germany.
But what’s really happening inside the company?
Being Volkswagen (the “people’s car”), how is it possible that, on the one hand, they leave their people hanging by taking away jobs, and on the other hand, fail to understand their other people—the ones who no longer even consider them for their next car purchase?
Volkswagen’s decline is just one facet of Germany’s broader crisis. Its industry is suffering, its people are desperate, and Germany feels like a 75-year-old trying to adapt to new trends.
Coincidentally, I went the other day for the annual check-up of my car, a 2023 VW T-Roc, and asked the attendant about an issue I’m having when trying to connect my iPhone to the car. I explained that Bluetooth rarely connects, and even with a cable, I face difficulties. I thought it was just a problem with my car in particular—but I was in for a bigger surprise.
With complete nonchalance, the friendly man told me, “Yes, of course, this is a problem across the entire Volkswagen Group.” My eyes darted from side to side, trying to process how a group with major brands like Volkswagen, Škoda, Audi, Porsche, and Seat could all share the same problem. But yes, all those hundreds of thousands of cars experience this exact issue with their iPhones. So much for making their cars a little smarter.
But the explanation didn’t go much further—the employee couldn’t disclose any additional information. Meanwhile, my urge to return the car only grew stronger.
So, how is it possible that in 2024—or nearly 2025—you can’t even use CarPlay in your practically new car?
Tesla is on the verge of launching fully autonomous driving, and I can’t even play music in my car.
Volkswagen is light-years behind its competition, and I don’t think they realize it yet. Even worse, I think they don’t know that their audience is light-years away from considering them a love brand again.
The concept of smart cars versus dumb cars isn’t new. There have always been cars with more or less technology. But today, cars are no longer just about the engine—at least for most people. Nowadays, people don’t want to hear their engine roar as they drive through the neighborhood; today, people want their car seats warm five minutes before they get in. They want their kids to watch Netflix in the back seat while they drive—or semi-drive—down the highway.
When I get into a VW, I feel like I’m driving into the past—that analog past that VW seems so eager to glorify.
VW has rested on its laurels, and its audience knows it. This isn’t a low-budget, uninspired brand, nor is it a car for those who don’t know or don’t like to drive. And yet, it seems that in the country of engineers, the software hasn’t been updated properly.
Image credit: Unsplash
I wonder once again if this problem is exclusive to VW or if it’s a symptom across all German companies.
I’m writing this after driving my car once again, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m driving something outdated. My iPhone still won’t connect, the modest speed of its touchscreen annoys me, and the sense of owning an expensive dumb car becomes more and more inevitable.
In a world where Teslas and Chinese cars are packed with technology, Volkswagen seems stubbornly clinging to the past—first with their delayed entry into EVs, and now with the lack of digitalization in their vehicles.
Will Volkswagen manage to update itself and reclaim its position as a global leader in the automotive world? Or will we talk about them as the WALL-E of modern cars?
I hope they do change! Watching iconic brands like this fall—especially ones we grew up with—is sad and disheartening.
A love brand like this, one that has made us fall in love and live countless stories in its seats, deserves to bounce back.
I hope that next year, they dust off their creative minds and give us back the car brand that once innovated and captivated everyone—from the hippies of the ’70s to people like me, who only want to feel a little modern by magically syncing their phone and listening to a podcast on the way to work.