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Good news, Beetle fans. While the rumor mill has been planning its wake, VW has been busy developing the next-generation Beetle.
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In a roundtable interview at the 2015 New York auto show, Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, member of the board of management responsible for product development at Volkswagen, explained to C/D that the Beetle is an integral part of the brand’s identity, and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Neusser referred to the Beetle as a historical icon of the brand, and claims that it appeals to consumers who desire a vehicle “focusing on the expressive and lifestyle elements of automobile ownership.” To that end, Neusser says the automaker should be doing more with the model, and cited the four Beetle concepts from New York (Beetle Pink Edition concept, Beetle Convertible Denim, Beetle Wave concept, and Beetle R-Line concept) and the soon-to-be-released Beetle Dune as examples of this school of thinking.
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- VW Beetle Dune Concept: Beefier, Ground-Clearance-ier, and Headed for Production
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- Bug Out? Beetle Could Be Killed as VW Re-evaluates Its Two-Door Offerings
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- VW Beetle Full Coverage: News, Photos, Reviews, Pricing, and More
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Scheduled to debut in approximately thee years, the next Beetle will be built on VW’s ubiquitous MQB architecture, which opens up the possibility of an EV or hybrid powertrain. Neusser said the automaker is working with its partners to increase energy capacity of battery cells and is exploring the use of cells with a solid electrolyte, but research of the latter is still in the initial stages.
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from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1ClCw7S
via Agya
