Volkswagen vs. Competitors: Why Does VW Favor Front-Wheel Drive?

As far as I know, VW switched to FWD for the Golf because they needed a more modern car. The Beetle and other rear-engined cars were based on older technology from the 1930s. Plus, rear-engine layouts were becoming less popular, and VW probably felt the need to keep up with the times. Besides, it’s almost impossible to fit a boxer or flat engine into a car like the Golf. An FWD layout made more sense.

And FWD was more of a cost-effective solution than a technological advantage. You can see this in the cars VW sells. Front-wheel-drive systems are generally cheaper to produce and maintain than rear-wheel-drive systems, which allows Volkswagen to offer more affordable cars to a wider range of customers. FWD also creates more interior space since you don’t need a transmission tunnel running down the middle of the car. I think this was a major factor in VW’s decision to switch to FWD.

Some say that it happened because, at that time, VW took over Audi. When Volkswagen acquired Audi, they gained access to advanced front-wheel drive technology, which they integrated into their future models and one of them was the Passat, which was the twin brother of the Audi 80. Perhaps VW felt that the Beetle and other cars they developed in the 1930s were no longer suitable for the modern era and consumers would eventually get bored; the Golf was originally intended as a replacement for the Beetle.

Most small cars use a front-wheel drive (FWD) layout for a reason — it’s just a lot easier and cheaper to make. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) setups are harder to pull off in small cars because they require more parts, especially for the drivetrain. On top of that, the car has to be specifically designed for RWD, and for most manufacturers, it’s probably not worth the extra cost. FWD is simpler to build, especially when you're cranking out mass-produced cars. And companies like VW are known for affordable vehicles, so it wouldn’t make much sense for them to build an expensive RWD model when their whole brand is about budget-friendly cars.

I don’t think other German manufacturers feel the same way as VW or Audi. Mercedes just launched the A-Class in 1997, which uses front-wheel drive, while BMW only had their FWD cars in the early 2000s. It seems they still feel RWD is the way to go and they don’t want to disappoint their customers. I mean, there was a time when FWD vehicles were considered cheap and didn’t give the same satisfaction as RWD ones. The character given is also different so if BMW or Mercedes made one, they would have to make a different model for it.

Other than that, most German brands don’t really do compact cars, and they’re still pretty stuck on sedans—so RWD makes sense for them, especially in the executive sedan class. I mean, those cars usually stick with rear-wheel drive because it offers better comfort and torque, which is great for daily driving. Up until the late ’90s, there wasn’t much reason for them to switch to FWD like VW did.

But I think VW’s move to make FWD cars is because they are a cheap car manufacturer. FWD cars are cheaper to produce and (maybe) faster so they did it to replace the aging Beetle. In the end, the modern or second-generation Beetle uses front-wheel drive just like its siblings.

Its the right move; FWD cars are cheaper and it allows VW to produce more cars and faster; besides, they can’t be stuck on 1930s technology forever.