Sales of the base model will be wound down, but the Golf R and Golf GTI models, manufactured in Germany, will continue to be imported into the U.S. as the Puebla plant transitions to new products, including the Taos subcompact crossover.

VW said it hoped the shortage would end by March but warned it may persist into the second quarter.

Group brands including VW, Audi, Porsche, Skoda and Seat all saw sales fall last year as the COVID-19 pandemic hit demand. However deliveries of electric cars rose.

The EV maker added 40 sites to its European network in 2020.