Pickup, EVs highlight VW's product plan

With a redesigned Jetta and a new, top-of-the-lineup Arteon sedan now in dealerships, Volkswagen will add a midsize pickup and prepare for the 2020 launch of its first electric vehicle in the U.S.

But before that, the brand must complete its previous work, redesigning the Passat onto its ubiquitous MQB platform and standardizing the sedan globally, even as consumers continue to move away quickly from sedans.

To answer customer demand for more crossovers, the German brand will introduce a two-row version of the Atlas crossover, the Atlas Cross Sport. The product shift will bring added pressure to boost sales in the long-struggling North American region, however.

Beetle: The iconic vehicle will be phased out in late 2019 or early 2020, at least in its current iteration. However, the name could return on an EV based on the automaker's new modular MEB platform. The timing of such a move is unclear.

Golf: The Golf family of compact cars was freshened for the 2018 model year. Expect a redesign in 2020.

Jetta: VW redesigned the compact sedan onto its MQB platform in 2018. It's not due for a freshening until 2022.

Passat: The midsize sedan will be redesigned and move onto the MQB platform in 2019 globally.

Arteon: The new midsize, five-seat sedan is arriving in U.S. dealerships and is not expected to be freshened until 2022.

Phaeton: VW hasn't completely abandoned plans to bring back the Phaeton nameplate as an electric luxury sedan, but it wouldn't happen before 2022. Though relatively inexpensive to develop because of the automaker's electric platform strategy, such an expensive niche product is not a priority for U.S. dealers or VW brand leaders, who are focusing on recapturing lost market share.

I.D. Crozz: The roomy electric crossover will feature all-wheel drive when it arrives in the U.S. in 2020 on VW's MEB EV architecture.