Sadly, you are not wrong sir.
I've looked at GTIs, and aside from knowing that we sort of get the "filtered" version, and creeping prices, it's all too easy to think, why shouldn't I buy a used BMW or Mercedes instead, preferrring RWD, and knowing that they were originally built with cost constraints not as low.
IMO buyers in the VW segment are very price sensitive so VW doesn't give the US market the good stuff. Ex, Dual PFI/DI
There are many companies that have discovered that relying on price sensitive customers doesn't end well. Joann is the latest victim, but they, like others in their market rely heavily on discounts and coupons to attract shoppers into their stores are playing a risky game. JCPenney was in the same boat, and found that the minute those incentives ended, so did what little loyalty their customers had.
That's not to say that the additional costs in the business case can be ignored, but it's still a questionable approach to offer compromised (at least to those in the know) product to meet a cost, versus putting the best product out there, to attract quality customers, even at higher costs, or fewer sales.
To answer the rumors of a US pullout, VW did recommit, build the TN plant, and develop more tailored product for the US market. That product, the Americanized Passat, was meant to give customers what VW thought American customers wanted -- more room, mainly -- but made compromises elsewhere. IIRC, that also carried forward with the Jetta sedan (a body style more popular in the US and China).
I think part of the problem is that VW doesn't know what it wants to be, here at least. At home, it sits at the premium end of the mainstream market, so there are higher prices, but at least they come with regular updates and the latest technology.
Here, the roots also began in history as the peoples' car, but never grew to have an identity beyond that, other than as the German, or German-engineered alternative to the Japanese marques, who are arguably much stronger in the appliance-like respects.
To most, those "German" traits aren't as important (at least without a matching badge), so it doesn't capture the mass market customer, but on the other hand it gives those who do value those traits the short shrift by keeping the models imported here a step or two behind what the rest of the world gets.
You can only trade on nostagia up to a point, and even with the latest, the ID Buzz we get here is underwhelming and too expensive.
In the end, you reap what you sow.
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