New Volkswagen Corrado: our most wanted cars 2026

Volkswagen wants you to know it’s doing is hardest to once again become the brand everyone loves, by returning to its old ways. That’s why the new ID. Polo will have a more functional and higher-quality interior than the firm’s other recent cars, and will wear a much-loved, long-serving nameplate instead of an anonymous number on the bootlid. 

But one tradition Volkswagen hasn’t brought back – at least not yet – is building a sexy sports coupé to debut its latest powertrain technology. This bright idea is what gave us the Scirocco in the seventies, and its successor, the cult Corrado (my personal favourite), in the late eighties.

For those unacquainted with the Volkswagen Corrado, the chunky yet frankly gorgeous 2+2 sports coupé was based on the contemporary Golf hatch, but faced off against cars such as the Honda Prelude, Porsche 944, BMW 3 Series and even the original Audi Quattro Coupé. It was offered with a choice of engines, but the most important was the now-legendary VR6. 

Despite being adored by critics and driving enthusiasts at the time, the Corrado was expensive and sales were slow, so it was axed in 1995. But if the once uncared-for Vauxhall Frontera can return from the dead, then why can’t the Corrado? Especially when Volkswagen has some new stuff it needs a showcase for.

For starters, the German giant is preparing to launch its first range-extender (REx) powertrain in Europe. Such a set-up uses a small petrol engine solely to generate energy for one or more electric motors that actually drive the car’s wheels, meaning it offers the flexibility and range of a hybrid with the responsiveness and effortless power delivery of an EV. 

We have some idea of the performance a range-extender can deliver within the VW Group. Just look at the Cupra Tindaya concept, which featured a set-up just like this with nearly 500bhp, all-wheel drive and a 0-62mph time close to four seconds. 

A new Corrado could also use Volkswagen’s next-generation Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) architecture, which is being introduced in the next few years. It’s been designed for EVs but can accommodate combustion power as well. Range-extender powertrains, specifically.

I’m sure the bean counters at Volkswagen will want all this innovative (and costly to develop) new technology to be introduced in a family-friendly hatchback or SUV, but a new Corrado project would be the perfect excuse for the engineers and designers to let their hair down and make something unexpected, and sporty. Plus, it would give the brand’s line-up an exciting but attainable halo model to challenge the new Prelude, which is also hybrid-powered.

The name Corrado will mean nothing to the younger generation, but to win over passionate petrolheads and V-Dubbers that might want to buy a new one, the modern interpretation would need to stick very closely to the original’s athletic and iconic silhouette. Our exclusive image shows what that could look like, with a kinked window line rising towards the rear, a trapezoidal C-pillar and short rear deck with a large active spoiler.

Of course, VW’s design boss Andreas Mindt and his team would want their own spin on the thing, hence the less blocky front end with sharp LED lighting, more pronounced yet carefully sculpted bodylines, and a full-width lightbar across the rear. A set of BBS wheels with razor-thin spokes completes the look. 

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