Group Management Report

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New group models in 2021

The Volkswagen Group offers a broad portfolio of products covering almost all key segments and body types so that its customers can choose the right vehicle for their needs. In fiscal year 2021, we added further attractive vehicles, not only systematically expanding our portfolio of all-electric and hybrid vehicles, but also bringing compelling new products with conventional combustion engines onto the market.

In the compact segment, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand upgraded the Polo in 2021. It also launched the Taigo, Volkswagen’s new sporty crossover, which is expected to appeal to new target groups with its emotional design and innovative technology. Once the updated version of the best-selling Tiguan was available, the Tiguan Allspace was also upgraded. In the high-end segments, the brand made two sporty statements with its launch of the Arteon R and the Arteon Shooting Brake R. In China, a large number of new models were brought out in 2021, including the all-electric ID.4 X, ID.4 CROZZ, ID.6 X and ID.6 CROZZ. The Passat, Teramont, Teramont X and Tiguan L were among the established vehicles with a conventional powertrain that received an update. The brand new Talagon and the CC Shooting Brake rounded off the portfolio of new models. In the United States, the Taos extended the lower end of the SUV portfolio, and the first all-electric SUV was brought out in the shape of the ID.4. The successful Jetta and Tiguan models received product upgrades. Volkswagen is catering to the desires of sporty drivers with the new Golf GTI and Golf R. In other key regions, too, models that meet regional requirements were introduced to the market, highlights in the reporting period being the Taigun in India and the Taos in Russia.

The Audi brand expanded its portfolio of all-electric cars in 2021 with the addition of the Q4 e-tron and the Q4 Sportback e-tron. At the upper end of the scale, Audi made a clear commitment to athleticism with the e‑tron GT and the RS e‑tron GT. In the conventional powertrain line-up, the RS3 received an update. The range of vehicles with plug-in hybrid drives was expanded by models including the Q3, the Q5 and the Q8. In China, Audi brought out the Q5L Sportback.

The era of state-of-the-art electric mobility based on the MEB dawned at ŠKODA in 2021 with the rollout of the Enyaq iV. The next generation of the popular Fabia model range was launched, and the top-selling Kodiaq was updated to make it fit for the digital future. In India, ŠKODA kicked off a market drive with the next generation of the Octavia and the new Kushaq.

The SEAT brand expanded the drive portfolio for its product lines in 2021: the successful Leon is now also available with a CNG drive, and the Tarraco will come with the option of a cutting-edge plug-in hybrid drive in future. The successful Ibiza and Arona models received product upgrades. CUPRA provided for further highlights with the launch of the powerful Formentor on the one hand, and on the other the Leon series, which is now available once again as the dynamic top-of-the-range model CUPRA Leon. Production of the sporty, all-electric CUPRA Born started in 2021.

Porsche expanded its Taycan range in 2021, adding the versatile Cross Turismo. The line of classic sports cars was expanded at the upper end of the scale with the addition of the 911 GT3, and the new generation of the 911 is now also available as a GTS version. In the SUV ranges, the Macan received an upgrade, and a new top-of-the-range model is available in the form of the Cayenne Turbo GT.

Bentley expanded the Bentayga range in the reporting period by adding a model with a plug-in hybrid drive plus the sporty derivative Bentayga S. The Continental GT is now available both as a coupé and as a convertible and is rounded off at the upper end of the scale by the top-of-the range model Speed.

Lamborghini brought racetrack technology to the road in 2021 with the Huracan STO.

Last year, Bugatti complemented its Chiron super sports car with two derivatives that further enhance the driving experience: the sporty Pur Sport and the Super Sport designed for top maximum speeds.

In 2021, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launched the T7, the new generation of its best-seller from Hanover and included for the first time ever an innovative plug-in hybrid option.

Scania introduced a new powertrain in 2021 that moves the company towards sustainability. It offers fuel savings over the predecessor model and will also be introduced gradually in the other brands of the TRATON GROUP.

MAN unveiled the MAN TGX Individual Lion S, the exclusive top-of-the-range model in the new MAN truck generation, which is available in the highest possible power ratings of 510 to 640 PS.

Navistar introduced new products in the field of electric mobility in 2021, including a mid-sized truck and a school bus.

The motorcycles unveiled by Ducati in 2021 include the new Multistrada V4 and additional variants in the XDiavel family. The Ducati Supersport 950 was launched as a new model in the sports family, while the Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini enhanced the product portfolio.

Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB)
The modular system is for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. The MEB establishes parameters for axles, drive systems, high-voltage batteries, wheelbases and weight ratios to ensure a vehicle optimally fulfills the requirements of e-mobility. The production of the first vehicles based on the MEB started into series production in 2020.
Plug-in hybrid
Performance levels of hybrid vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have a larger battery with a correspondingly higher capacity that can be charged via the combustion engine, the brake system, or an electrical outlet. This increases the range of the vehicle.
Rating
Systematic assessment of companies in terms of their credit quality. Ratings are expressed by means of rating classes, which are defined differently by the individual rating agencies.