Volkswagen production in Türkiye back on the table: Doğuş Otomotiv signs letter of intent
Doğuş Otomotiv has signed a letter of intent with Volkswagen Group companies to assess whether Volkswagen-brand passenger cars can be built in Türkiye; investment size and timing have not been disclosed.
In a filing to Türkiye's Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) on 30 October, Doğuş Otomotiv announced that it had signed a letter of intent with Volkswagen Group companies. Under the letter, the feasibility of producing Volkswagen-brand passenger cars in Türkiye will be assessed. The size of the investment, the location and the timetable were not disclosed.
This is not the first time Volkswagen has looked at Türkiye: in 2019 a plant of around 1 billion euros with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles was planned in Manisa and a company was set up. The project was halted in 2020, citing global demand and pandemic uncertainty.
According to Dünya newspaper, expectations of a large new greenfield car plant in Türkiye remain, but no new factory has materialised yet. BYD's incentive process for its Manisa investment was suspended in early 2026 because the expected progress was not made, and Chery's feasibility work has not turned into a concrete production decision. German and Austrian media have also discussed lower-capital assembly options for Volkswagen; none of these is an official statement.
What does this mean for a molder?
A new passenger car programme creates demand for local supply of large plastic parts that need high-tonnage machines — interior trim, door panels, bumpers and consoles. For now, however, there is only a letter of intent; planning capacity investment before the decision, model and local-content ratio are clear would be premature. Automotive suppliers should watch Doğuş's next KAP filings.
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