MOTORING REVIEW: VW Group in Ireland celebrate record year

Volkswagen Group Ireland enjoyed record-breaking sales in 2025, registering 40,950 vehicles across its six brands: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, Cupra, SEAT, Skoda, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Group secured a 29 per cent share of the overall new car market.

More than one in four electric vehicles sold here were VW Group cars. The Group’s Irish CEO, Pierre Boutin, aims to make this one in every three in 2026. The VW ID.4 - Ireland’s best-selling EV of all time - topped the sales charts for a fifth consecutive year, with registrations up 35 per cent last year. 

During a recent press event at VW Group’s National Learning Centre, key figures from the different brands outlined their achievements over the past year and their plans for 2026, including the arrival of over 20 new vehicles.

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Skoda, the oldest brand in the VW Group, achieved record sales for the third year in a row, aided in part by a 300 per cent surge in battery-electric registrations with the addition of the new Elroq and facelifted Enyaq in the second half of last year. This year will see an updated plug-in hybrid version of the Superb saloon, a new Epic urban EV family car with a 490-litre boot arriving in December, and a seven-seat Peaq SUV with 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains also here that month. Skoda will continue to promote diesel cars, as the diesel market remains significant, particularly with rural customers. Octavia has been the brand’s ‘bread and butter’ for the last 30 years. 

Audi is increasing its electrified model sales, with BEV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models now making up 40 per cent of its order bank going into 2026, up 100 per cent on last year. This year will see a new Audi RS5 sports saloon (Q2 and 0-100km/h in 3.6 secs) and Avant, an updated Q4 e-tron (Q2), new Q7 SUV (Q3), a new E3 CUV (Q4) and Q9 SUV (Q4), along with an entry-level, fully electric crossover. 

The sporty Volkswagen T-Roc pictured in the showroom 

2026 sees Audi’s debut in the Formula One World Championship with its R26 race car powered by a 400 kW 1.6 V6 turbo engine running on sustainable fuel, supplemented by a 350 kW electric motor. The car will make its Grand Prix debut in Melbourne on 8 March.

Cupra is one of Ireland’s fastest-growing volume car brands. It increased its Irish registrations by 55 per cent last year. 2026 plans include bringing the Raval urban family EV with FWD to our shores in September. 

SEAT has new versions of the Ibiza and Arona on the way, with redesigned front and rear ends and upgraded interiors. 

Volkswagen will introduce a 325hp Golf GTI Edition 50, celebrating 50 years of pure thrills; a new T-Roc will arrive in March; a new Passat in late March priced around €50k and available in diesel, PHEV, and BEV variants; and an ID. Polo priced around €25k, including grants, in Q4, and an ID. Cross Concept in Q1 2027. The brand’s new ID. Promise initiative gives Irish customers up to 100 days to drive and decide if an electric car is the right choice for them, available across the full ID. range. The Group plans to invest up to €1 billion in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the end of the decade to make processes faster, more efficient, and better. 

VW Commercial Vehicles registrations increased 39 per cent in 2025. On view was the all-electric e-Caravelle offered in both PHEV and BEV configurations, a Highline LWB 150hp Transporter with automatic transmission, due to high demand from drivers. This year will see a new ID. Buzz People Edition. The jewel in the crown for the brand was its Transporter, which won the 2026 Irish Van of the Year award in conjunction with Continental Tyres. All Transporter customers get a 5-year warranty, 5 years of servicing, and 5 years of Roadside Assist.  

This year, Volkswagen Group will be the first European carmaker to establish its own battery cell development and production at scale.