VW Group Ireland welcome ’26 following successful ‘25

The rude good health of the Irish Motor Industry was highlighted in a recent, face to 
face, briefing provided by Volkswagen Group Ireland. 
Confidentially announcing record-breaking sales for 2025 - 40,950 vehicle 
registrations across its six brands – Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, CUPRA, 
SEAT, Škoda, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. 
Pierre Boutin, CEO & Group Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Ireland., 
commented, “Despite a backdrop of intense competition, 2025 was an exceptional 
year, everything we do has been built on trust, built for Ireland.” 
VWGI automotive group secured a 29 per cent share of the overall new car market 
and accounted for more than one in four electric vehicles sold in 2025, the 
Volkswagen’s ID.4, topping the sales charts for a fifth consecutive year with 
registrations up 35 per cent in the past 12 months. 
Elsewhere, Volkswagen Group’s other brands were equally buoyant on their 2025 
reflection: 
 Škoda achieved record sales for the third year in a row, aided in part by a 
300% surge in BEV registrations 
 Audi increased its BEV and PHEV share to 40% of the order bank for 2026 
and is gearing up for its F1 debut in 2026 
 CUPRA had registrations up 55 per cent in 2025 and average year-on-year 
growth of 43 per cent since coming to Ireland 
 Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles registrations rose 39 per cent, helping it 
achieve second place overall in light commercial vehicle sales. 
Out in the big, wide world, Volkswagen Group sold nearly nine million vehicles in 
2025. In Europe, the Group achieved a new high of 25 percent market share, 
2026, Volkswagen Group will launch 20 new models spanning all brands, 
powertrains, and segments 
Keep Look Out for in 2026: 
 CUPRA Raval, the first model in the Group’s Urban EV family, arriving in 
September 
 Volkswagen’s 325PS Golf GTI Edition 50, all-new T-Roc, Passat, ID. Polo and 
ID. Cross Concept 
 Škoda BEVs, the Epiq, and seven seat Peaq SUV plus a heavily updated plug- 
in hybrid Superb 
 Audi’s RS5 sports sedan & avant will provide forward motion in abundance. 
We will also get the updated Q4 e-tron, the all new Q7 and Q9 will provide 
more choice for customers looking to go electric. At the end of the year Audi 
will launch an entry-level, fully electric crossover. 

 The debut of the all-electric e-Caravelle from Volkswagen Commercial 
Vehicles 
Audi Revolut Formula 1 
Having unveiled its R26 entrant into Formula 1 last week in Berlin, Audi’s debut 
promises to be one to watch. The Audi Revolut F1 Team car will be powered by a 400 
kW 1.6-litre V6 turbo engine that runs on sustainable fuel and supplemented by a 
350kW electric motor. Drivers are Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil) and Nico Hülkenberg 
(Germany). The inaugural Grand Prix race and Audi’s debut, take place in 
Melbourne, Australia on March 8. 
CUPRA Raval 
In September, CUPRA will bring the Raval to Irish shores. The first of Volkswagen 
Group’s MEB+ platform compact urban EVs will have its world premiere in March, 
consolidating its commitment to its Spanish operations with all of Volkswagen’s 
Urban EVs made in Martorell near Barcelona. 
VW Group set to become Europe’s Battery Powerhouse 
In 2026, Volkswagen Group will be the first European carmaker to establish its own 
battery cell development and production at scale. Volkswagen Group subsidiary 
PowerCo is positioned as Europe’s leader in battery technology, strengthening the 
Group’s technological sovereignty, supply security, and long-term competitiveness. 
The Unified Cell Battery, produced at Salzgitter, Germany, provides a competitive 
global technology platform, offering scale, cost efficiency, speed, and flexibility in an 
otherwise Asian-dominated market. By ramping up cell factories in Salzgitter and 
Valencia, Volkswagen Group is establishing critical infrastructure for the European 
battery industry.