Volkswagen has announced today that it plans to end production of the Arteon four-door after the 2024 model year, as it shifts its focus to higher-volume models. While it was a looker, the large hatchback that first debuted in 2019 never quite hit the mark in terms of sales. There's no direct replacement for the Arteon either, although VW recently took the wraps off its ID.7 electric sedan, which can be considered an indirect successor to both the Arteon and the late Passat.

The Arteon's fate was decided as a result of Volkswagen's new Accelerate Forward program, which aims to make the company more profitable. This means sacrificing lower-volume models such as the Arteon in favor of vehicles that return higher sales figures.

Speaking of sales, the Arteon has seen a sharp decline in recent years, though the figures never reached high numbers to begin with. VW managed to sell only 5,537 Arteons in 2021, while that number plummeted to an abysmal 1,742 units in 2022. Considering that Volkswagen sold a total of 300,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, it was admittedly a wise move for VW to kill off the Arteon.

While the Arteon always held a special place in our hearts, it seemingly failed to capture the hearts of U.S. buyers. That's not to mention the fullsize sedan market as a whole, which will be narrowed down to nothing by the time the Arteon officially makes its exit. For the record, Nissan delivered its final Maxima at the end of last year, while Dodge and Chrysler will be phasing out their respective Charger and 300 models after 2023. Kia plans a similar fate for the Stinger around that same time.

Image Credits: Volkswagen