Just twenty years ago, coinciding with the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen presented the expensive concept or EcoRacer prototype, a type vehicle roadster –a convertible, rear-wheel drive, and with compact dimensions and weight—which the brand came very close to putting into production. In fact, it's not surprising that at that time mainstream brands were introducing small, sporty, convertible models. Opel manufactured a similar vehicle called the Speedster, Mazda the famous MX-5, and Seat dreamed of models like the Bolero or TangoBut what truly set the Volkswagen prototype apart was its engine, a rarity that would have made it a unicorn in the automotive world.

The Spanish brands Seat and Cupra, which belong to the German Volkswagen Group, saw their operating profit plummet to just one million euros in 2025, down from 633 million euros in 2024, a 99.8% decrease. This figure was revealed on Tuesday during the Volkswagen Group's results presentation, ahead of the detailed results for Seat and Cupra to be released on Thursday. The decline, as Seat already indicated in its third-quarter results presentation, is due to tariffs on the Cupra Tavascán model, which is manufactured in China, as well as higher product costs, despite an increase in sales volume. Seat and Cupra's revenue improved to 15.272 billion euros (+5.1% compared to 2024). And car sales for both brands rose last year to 657,000 units (+3.1% compared to 2014), figures that include the Audi A1 (manufactured in Martorell) and thanks to the success of Cupra models, especially the electric Born and Tavascán.

First agreement between Brussels and an automotive company to circumvent tariffs on electric cars manufactured in China. The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with the Volkswagen Group to remove the 20.7% tariffs previously applied to the Cupra Tavascan model. These customs duties dealt a severe blow to Seat, and the profits of the Catalan-based company plummeted by more than 90% last year. As a result, Cupra Tavascan cars—designed in Catalonia but manufactured at the Chinese plant in Anhui—can now be imported throughout the European Union without tariffs. However, the import volumes and agreed minimum prices have not been made public for confidentiality reasons.

Following the earthquake caused by the emissions scandal, or Dieselgate, which engulfed the Volkswagen Group in 2015, just ten years ago, the Lower Saxony-based brand developed an ambitious plan for the complete electrification of its range. It did so by fully embracing—perhaps with the zeal of a convert—the electric car as a beacon of salvation and a guiding light during one of the darkest periods in its history.

Seat and its owner, the German consortium Volkswagen (VW), have taken the latest step in the electrification of the Martorell factory, one of the hubs The most important industrial sector in Catalonia. The launch of the company's battery assembly plant represents the realization of a clear commitment to promoting sustainable mobility. The heart of vehicles is no longer the combustion engine, but the battery. With China's growing power in the market with hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, European companies have had to accelerate their efforts to regain ground.

Since Marc Murtra joined Telefónica, the company has been undergoing a flurry of internal changes. This week, the news was the replacement of the company's long-time director, Javier de Paz, who will remain with the company in other roles, but not on the board. Likewise, Mediapro's long-time icon, Tatxo Benet, is also leaving the audiovisual giant and will be replaced by Sergio Oslé, the former president of Telefónica Spain, as its executive chairman.

Oliver Blume will continue to lead the Volkswagen Group until 2030, after the Supervisory Board reached an agreement with the German executive this week, as announced by Volkswagen Board Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch. Blume has already served as CEO of the Volkswagen Group since 2022, when he replaced Herbert Diess, and now has the approval of the Executive Board.

In 2002, Volkswagen decided to create a car capable of competing in the premium and aspirational segment with a large, powerful, technologically advanced, and refined SUV with a monocoque chassis and permanent all-wheel drive system capable of competing with rivals such as the BMW X5, the Range Rover Sport, the Jeep Grand Cheroke Cayenne, and the Audi Q7, models with which it shared many modular elements. The model quickly gained popularity thanks to its performances in competitions such as the Dakar Rally and the Baja California Race, among others.

The T-Roc is one of Volkswagen's most successful models and one of its greatest commercial assets in Europe. In fact, the T-Roc is the brand's second best-selling model in Europe, and in the Spanish market, this compact SUV has established itself as the Wolfsburg brand's sales leader for several years now. The Germans have only recently unveiled the new generation of the model, which debuts a new, modern, sober, and elegant aesthetic and new engine options. For the first time, it includes a conventional or self-charging hybrid version, meaning one that doesn't require a plug-in.

The leading electric car manufacturer in Europe is no longer Tesla, due to the sharp drop in sales of Elon Musk's brand in recent months. The new leader is now Volkswagen, thanks to the good sales performance of its ID.2, ID.4, and ID.7 vehicles, which have sold more than 119,000 units during the first six months of the year in the European market, compared to 109,000 sold by Tesla.

Four former Volkswagen executives were sentenced on Monday by a German court for their role in the scandal involving the cover-up of real diesel engine emissions, known as Dieselgate case, which tarnished the carmaker's image and cost it billions of euros.

Seat closed the first quarter of the year with an operating profit of €5 million, which is 97.7% less than the same period in 2024, when it was €226 million, a drop that the group attributes to several causes. According to the Volkswagen Group's accounts, published this Wednesday, the Martorell company, which includes the Seat and Cupra brands, increased its revenue by 2.4%, to €3.895 billion, although sales fell by 3.65%, to 158,000 A vehicles, including Llobregat.

In 1973, Volkswagen launched the Passat, the popular sedan that is still on sale today. A year later, in 1974, it was the Golf's turn, a car that needs no explanation. And the third model in the mix was the Polo, which debuted in 1975. Now, five decades later and with more than 18 million units sold worldwide, the German brand's small utility vehicle celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.

In 2019, the Volkswagen ID.3 was born, an electric model that the German brand presented as one of the most important vehicles in its history. In fact, it named it that because it represented the beginning of a third chapter in the history of the Wolfsburg manufacturer after the sale of the Beetle and the Golf. But sales figures have not matched the German brand's commitment, with neither its ID.3 nor the rest of the ID. range reaching the expected sales figures.