{"id":1879743,"date":"2026-04-13T09:17:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T06:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1879743"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:17:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T06:17:27","slug":"vw-boss-thomas-schafers-five-steps-to-getting-the-brand-back-on-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1879743","title":{"rendered":"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer&#8217;s five steps to getting the brand back on track"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"articleItem\">\n<p>    {&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Article&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_081.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;mainEntityOfPage&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;WebPage&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/volkswagen\/thomas-schafer\/&#8221;},&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/volkswagen\/thomas-schafer\/&#8221;,&#8221;author&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Jake Groves&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Jake Groves is CARu2019s News Editor, and has been part of the CAR team since April 2017. As well as managing the news content thatu2019s published on CARu2019s website, Jake also helps to build the news-based content in the Agenda section of CARu2019s monthly print magazine u2013 planning how new cars, big industry stories and exclusive scoops can be crafted into the pages of CAR.nnnnJake has been a car enthusiast even before he could walk, pointing out car models on the street while still in a pushchair. Growing up, Jake has always been around cars, attending motor shows with family, amassing a vast collection of toy cars u2013 even managing to steer some his parentsu2019 cars and drive a Ferrari 355 (on private land!) before he was legally allowed to have a licence.nnnnHe knew from being a teenager that he wanted to write about cars and the automotive industry, so he went to Sunderland University (the same university CAR contributor Chris Chilton went to, among other members of the automotive media) to study journalism through an NCTJ-accredited course from 2011. During his final year in 2014, he even created his own car magazine from scratch u2013 which you can still read right here u2013 and achieved a 2:1 Batcheloru2019s Degree.nnnnJake then cut his teeth working for Dennis Publishingu2019s automotive titles Carbuyer and Auto Express for two years; time at the former taught him how to drive a website content system like he stole it, and the latter refined his news writing skills.nnnnAt CAR, itu2019s his job to know whatu2019s happening at all times in the automotive industry, react to breaking news stories and direct CARu2019s team as to how to approach news content both in print and online. He interviews industry executives to either get the scoop or help flesh out a story happening in the automotive world around us, attends press conferences and events to get the story from on the ground and investigates the latest technologies being developed for and by the car industry.nnnnJake writes mostly about new car reveals, wider industry stories and articles surrounding electric cars. On top of that, heu2019s written countless drive reviews for CAR u2013 both in print and online u2013 as well as on our companion site, Parkers. Heu2019s also the custodian of the CAR newsletter, keeping you up to date with everything thatu2019s happened in the world of CAR.nnnnWhen heu2019s not driving, Jake is a big gamer. As well as hammering racing games, Jake spends a lot of his time on role-playing games and gets his real geek on with simulation games like city builders on the PC. When heu2019s not in the digital universe, heu2019s usually seen building the latest Lego kit or buying a new pair of trainers u2013 even if his house is rapidly running out of space to fit any more of either.nnnnOn social media, Jakeu2019s Instagram profile is filled with all of the cars heu2019s been lucky enough to drive over the years, and you can follow him on X (nu00E9e Twitter). Read Jakeu2019s latest articles below.&#8221;,&#8221;image&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/14234\/jg5.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;caption&#8221;:&#8221;Jake Groves&#8221;},&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:[&#8220;https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jake-groves-06181b40\/&#8221;,&#8221;https:\/\/x.com\/_jakegroves&#8221;,&#8221;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/_jakegroves\/&#8221;],&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/jake-groves\/&#8221;,&#8221;alumniOf&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;EducationalOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;University of Sunderland&#8221;},&#8221;email&#8221;:&#8221;jake.groves@carmagazine.co.uk&#8221;,&#8221;jobTitle&#8221;:&#8221;News Editor&#8221;,&#8221;knowsAbout&#8221;:&#8221;Automotive,Car news,Car reviews,Car features,Car technology&#8221;},&#8221;dateModified&#8221;:&#8221;2026-04-13T10:17:27+01:00&#8243;,&#8221;datePublished&#8221;:&#8221;2026-04-13T10:17:27+01:00&#8243;,&#8221;headline&#8221;:&#8221;VW boss Thomas Schu00E4feru0027s five steps to getting the brand back on track&#8221;,&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Bauer Media&#8221;,&#8221;brand&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Organization&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Car Magazine&#8221;},&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/logos\/car.200&#215;88.png&#8221;}}}<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column xlarge-10 xlarge-push-2\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer&#8217;s five steps to getting the brand back on track<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<div class=\"hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"compact-author-info\">\n\tBy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/jake-groves\/\">Jake Groves<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"dates\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dates__date\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublished: Today 10:17<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"cms-content\">\n<div class=\"in-page-gallery full-width thumbnails-bullets\">\n<ul class=\"carousel\" data-orbit=\"true\" data-options=\"bullets: true; resume_on_mouseout: false; timer: false; variable_height: true; slide_number: false\">\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_081.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_081.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_081.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_081.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/thomas_schafer_2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/thomas_schafer_2.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/thomas_schafer_2.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/thomas_schafer_2.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_id2_schafer.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_id2_schafer.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_id2_schafer.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_id2_schafer.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_080.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_080.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_080.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_080.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_082.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_082.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_082.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_082.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_083.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_083.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_083.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_083.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_084.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_084.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_084.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_084.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_085.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_085.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_085.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_085.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_086.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_086.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_086.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_086.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_100.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_100.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_100.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_100.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_101.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_101.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_101.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_101.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/vw_schafer_102.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-assets.bauersecure.com\/images\/1056x594\/transparent.png\" alt=\"VW boss Thomas Sch\u00e4fer's five steps to getting the brand back on track\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x270\/vw_schafer_102.jpg, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x405\/vw_schafer_102.jpg, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1056x594\/vw_schafer_102.jpg, (large)]\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleContent\">\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-reviews\/volkswagen\/\" title=\"View all Volkswagen  Reviews\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"info-link\"> View all Volkswagen  Reviews<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"bold-links\">\n<p><strong>\u25ba VW boss unveils \u2018True Volkswagen\u2019 plan<br \/>\u25ba Five steps to VW greatness again<br \/>\u25ba More buttons, real names and better quality<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018It was clear to me from the beginning that we were actually losing our core.\u2019 Pretty strong words from the boss of one of the world\u2019s biggest car makers \u2013 Thomas Sch\u00e4fer, CEO of Volkswagen.<\/p>\n<p>For the announcement of the True Volkswagen program, Sch\u00e4fer tells the story of how he became CEO of the brand \u2013 and it made for \u2018a serious headache.\u2019 He admits that some of that will be because, when he took on the role almost four years ago, he had Covid. But he admits that \u2018you immediately see where things are not working\u2019 when he took the job and knew some serious changes were needed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The brand has been in a wobbly place for some time. It\u2019s had to commit to electric while balancing combustion and hybrid models in various markets, for example. It\u2019s made some strange decisions about how it names its cars and how it\u2019s designed interiors \u2013\u00a0both of which have largely blown up in its face and harmed sales. In 2025, it had to close a factory in Germany for the first time in the company\u2019s history. And, on top of all that, it\u2019s the headline brand within a wider VW Group that had its profits halved in the same year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_080.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-259668\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_080.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x0\/vw_schafer_080.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1040x0\/vw_schafer_080.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u2018But a brand doesn\u2019t change overnight,\u2019 says Sch\u00e4fer. \u2018It\u2019s through small decisions and through things we do every day.\u2019 Indeed, Sch\u00e4fer has spent the last four years of his career unpicking bad decisions and course-correcting the Volkswagen brand. It\u2019s not been easy, with the boss saying he and his team have had \u2018quite a journey \u2013 geopolitics, supply chains, competition and so on. But, more importantly, we had to change ourselves and create a new mindset.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u2018We\u2019ve had one clear goal: to build real Volkswagens again, he adds. \u2018Cars that carry the spirit of the brand and ones that feel like real Volkswagens.\u2019 Which is effectively what this \u2018True Volkswagen\u2019 program is all about: bringing back VW to the heartland of what makes the brand a success. We\u2019ve noticed that plan seems to have five distinct steps, so let\u2019s go through them.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step one: bring back buttons and real names<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-reviews\/volkswagen\/id3-hatchback\/\">ID.3<\/a> was criticised largely in two main areas: its poor-quality interior and its rather soulless name. Volkswagen had, for a long time, been a brand that still made models that had real names that meant things to people: Golf, Polo, Scirocco and so on. By contrast, ID.3 removed the warmth from VW\u2019s new-era electric car that Sch\u00e4fer felt was needed to help it succeed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_083.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-259671\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_083.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x0\/vw_schafer_083.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1040x0\/vw_schafer_083.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The bigger problem, though, was the interior. For years, VWs had always been a leader in the mainstream market as a brand that could make a car\u2019s interior feel solid and dependable; as much as people bemoaned the Mk4 Golf GTI as being too stodgey, the regular hatch was lauded as an example to the rest of the world on how to make a high-quality cabin. But the ID.3\u2019s interior felt too hollow and low-quality in places where it mattered, cheapening the brand\u2019s image.<\/p>\n<p>Both of these criticisms will soon be fixed. While the updated ID.3 (named Neo) keeps its fax machine name, the interior is said to be significantly overhauled. Other names will remain in place, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/spy-shots\/volkswagen\/id-4\/\">the ID. Tiguan tagline expected to replace the ID.4<\/a> after Sch\u00e4fer confirmed a return to real names for all its cars at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/features\/opinion\/munich-motor-show-2025-review\/\">2025 Munich motor show<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_082.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-259670\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_082.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x0\/vw_schafer_082.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1040x0\/vw_schafer_082.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, though, we\u2019ve already seen the interior of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/first-official-pictures\/volkswagen\/id-polo\/\">ID. Polo<\/a> (pictured above) that launches later in the year, and it comes with far more physical buttons for climate controls and driver aids. Hurrah.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step two: focus on \u2018people, not features\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Those are Sch\u00e4fer\u2019s exact words. \u2018Before we start developing a car, we actually ask ourselves: \u2018who is actually going to drive this car?\u2019\u2019, he says before providing an example of a nurse who works shifts and looks after her kids. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018Our teams did something new where they made comics of her life with her using her car, and something clicked within them. That changed everything in the way we would do development faster, more focused and much closer to reality.\u2019<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step three: become \u2018master of the matrix\u2019 again<\/h2>\n<p>Other than British Leyland, the Volkswagen Group is perhaps best known for how much it part and platform-shares between its brands. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-reviews\/volkswagen\/polo-hatchback\/\">VW Polo<\/a> is also a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-reviews\/skoda\/fabia-hatchback\/\">Skoda Fabia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-reviews\/seat\/ibiza-hatchback\/\">Seat Ibiza<\/a>, for example, while the Golf has long spread itself across multiple body styles and brands over decades.<\/p>\n<p>The reasserted aim with True Volkswagen is to \u2018bring technology from higher segments and make it accessible to the lower ones,\u2019 in Sch\u00e4fer\u2019s words, and keep leaning on the huge scale of the Group to maximise what can be done with one platform. Sch\u00e4fer claims the the brand and Group are doing that again with MEB Plus \u2013 the front-driven electric car platform that starts with cars like the VW ID. Polo and the recently revealed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/first-official-pictures\/cupra\/raval\/\">Cupra Raval<\/a> (pictured below). It\u2019s said to be better packaged than the original MEB architecture and improves the tech on board.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/231420\/480x0\/cupra-raval-16.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-259272\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/231420\/480x0\/cupra-raval-16.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/231420\/720x0\/cupra-raval-16.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/231420\/1040x0\/cupra-raval-16.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The advantages of our platforms hasn\u2019t only been about scale, though,\u2019 Sch\u00e4fer tells us. \u2018It\u2019s the flexibility of MQB, and now MEB Plus [which is also used by Cupra for the Raval and the new Skoda Epiq] and the upcoming SSP [Scalable Systems Platform].<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Because of our size, we have historically had quite sizable R&amp;D operations that are very cost efficient in places like Mexico and Brazil, or at Skoda and Seat,\u2019 he adds. \u2018But we have been using them somewhat inefficiently because everybody has been working for themselves. We are changing that.\u2019<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step four: keep Andy Mindt cranking out design hits<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Perhaps one of the car industry\u2019s biggest bromances is the one between Sch\u00e4fer and VW design head Andreas Mindt (pictured below, middle), with Thomas speaking highly of the enthusiastic head of design and how he envisioned VW\u2019s significant course correction.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_086.jpg?scale=down\" alt class=\"wp-image-259674\" data-interchange=\"[https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/480x0\/vw_schafer_086.jpg?scale=down, (default)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/720x0\/vw_schafer_086.jpg?scale=down, (medium)], [https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/186259\/1040x0\/vw_schafer_086.jpg?scale=down, (large)]\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I remember my first design meetings that I had regularly on a Monday evening,\u2019 says Sch\u00e4fer. \u2018Those early meetings were, shall we say\u2026 frustrating, because I kept thinking: \u2018oh my God, this is not Volkswagen!\u2019 And then, in December of 2022, I met Andy Mindt and my life changed in the first conversation we had.\u2019 Sch\u00e4fer tells of how Mindt quickly sketched how VWs should look like and how he interpreted the brand, and Thomas was hooked.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject show-for-medium-up hide-for-xlarge-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mindt and his team are the creative vision behind the ID. Polo, upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/first-official-pictures\/volkswagen\/id-cross\/\">ID. Cross SUV<\/a> as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/first-official-pictures\/volkswagen\/id-every1\/\">ID. Every1<\/a> concept car that previews a circa-\u00a315,000 city car due from 2028. These cars are all clean looking, tidy and feel like premium products \u2013 even in segments that don\u2019t command a premium price.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Subhead: Step five: don\u2019t f*** up the Golf again<\/h2>\n<p>The Golf over its more-than-50-year history has not had a perfect record by any stretch. But, when the Mk8 arrived sporting a similarly fiddly and low-quality interior to the ID.3, it felt like the perennial hatch was at its lowest ebb yet. Both Mindt and Sch\u00e4fer are in the middle of making sure that never happens again.<\/p>\n<p>As we write this, the brand is in the middle of shaping the design of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/spy-shots\/volkswagen\/golf\/\">its Mk9 Golf<\/a>, which reportedly isn\u2019t due until at least 2028 and has the whole car industry waiting for VW to make its move.<\/p>\n<p>Is Sch\u00e4fer worried? \u2018Not at all,\u2019 he smirks. \u2018We have this debate frequently, we look at design models and the ideas of the design team and it\u2019s usually quite fun. For the Golf, the first shot that I saw\u2026 I was already saying \u2018wow\u2019. And we actually showed it to our management team in December in Berlin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mpu-inject hide-for-medium-up\">\n<div class=\"mpu-ad advert\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u2018It\u2019s difficult, right? Because the Golf has to be a proper Volkswagen but you don\u2019t want it to look retro. But with this one, I\u2019m already thinking: \u2018yes, wow, cool.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<aside class=\"about-author\">\n<h2 class=\"about-author-heading\">About the author<\/h2>\n<div class=\"about-author-inner\">\n<div class=\"main-author-summary-container\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"main-author-image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/jake-groves\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/14234\/120x120\/jg5.jpg?quality=90)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"main-author-name-container\">\n<div class=\"main-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/jake-groves\/\">Jake Groves<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"main-author-job-title\">News Editor<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"main-author-byline\">Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR&#8217;s Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake&#8217;s day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR&#8217;s news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he&#8217;s not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he&#8217;s usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"column show-for-xlarge-up xlarge-2 xlarge-pull-10\">\n<figure class=\"author-info clearfix\">\n<p>\t\t\t<a class=\"author-image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/jake-groves\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/car-images.bauersecure.com\/wp-images\/14234\/85x85\/jg5.jpg?quality=90)\"><\/a><figcaption>\n<p class=\"author-name\">\n\t\t\tBy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/author\/jake-groves\/\">Jake Groves<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"author-quote\">CAR&#8217;s news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"column xlarge-10 xlarge-push-2 disqus\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a id=\"commentsExpander\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carmagazine.co.uk\/car-news\/industry-news\/volkswagen\/thomas-schafer\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon fi-comments\"><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"link-text disqus-comment-count\" data-disqus-identifier=\"article-wp-186259\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"commentsSection\">\n<div id=\"disqus_thread\"><\/div>\n<p>var disqus_shortname = &#8216;carmagazine&#8217;;<br \/>\nvar disqus_developer = 0;<br \/>\nvar disqus_identifier = &#8216;article-wp-186259&#8217;;<br \/>\n\t(function () {<br \/>\n\t\tvar dsq = document.createElement(&#8216;script&#8217;);<br \/>\n\t\tdsq.type = &#8216;text\/javascript&#8217;;<br \/>\n\t\tdsq.async = true;<br \/>\n\t\tdsq.src = &#8216;http:\/\/&#8217; + disqus_shortname + 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As well as managing the news content thatu2019s published on CARu2019s website, Jake also helps to build the news-based content in the Agenda section of CARu2019s monthly print magazine u2013 planning how new cars, big industry stories [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[239,226],"class_list":["post-1879743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-carmagazine-co-uk","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1879743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879743\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1879743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1879743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1879743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}