Talking at an trade spherical desk throughout the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Present, Volkswagen opened up about the potential of bringing again its most iconic mannequin, the Beetle. Sorry to any of the counterculture hippies in our studying viewers, however the Beetle would not look like the corporate’s primary precedence proper now.
“Bringing a model of the insect [the Beetle] out right here [the United States] could be fairly helpful from a picture perspective, however there additionally must be a enterprise perspective,” mentioned Andrew Savvas, Chief Gross sales & Advertising Officer at Volkswagen North America. “Beetle was extraordinarily profitable at launch – very profitable right here in North America, in actual fact – however vehicles like that taper off [in sales] as nicely.”
GTIs & Rs Over Bugs?
This information is likely to be disappointing to anybody who’s been patiently ready for VW to revive the Beetle, which has now been discontinued since 2019 after being relaunched in 1997. Although the Beetle is not the appropriate product for North America proper now, American VW fanatics shall be delighted to listen to that different eminent subvariants might lastly be expanded within the US.
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“Might one thing like [the Beetle] come again as a restricted version sooner or later? Perhaps, however I would be pushing my bosses to deal with issues like GTI or the R model to assist construct our model, somewhat than bringing again the insect [the Beetle]. It might not be my precedence within the brief time period. Let’s take the robust and exquisite vehicles we have got, and bringing iconic halo variants just like the R Line or the GTI into these issues. That is the place our power is.”
– Andrew Savvas, Chief Gross sales & Advertising Officer at Volkswagen North America
VW followers residing within the US are painfully conscious that the corporate has typically reserved its sportiest and most enthusiastic fashions for the European market solely – vehicles just like the Passat R36, Touareg R50, and Scirocco R. Whereas Savaas did not outright affirm that the GTI and R monikers will lastly increase to extra automobiles within the US market, it is no less than one thing the corporate will contemplate.
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Volkswagen is promising “big enhancements” with new fashions, together with to the styling.
Extra Halo Merchandise
Throughout the spherical desk, the VW executives spoke glowingly concerning the ID. Buzz, the corporate’s latest arrival within the US lineup and a halo mannequin for the model. Additionally they elaborated on how the corporate wants to supply extra merchandise that faucet into folks’s feelings, like the unique Beetle and Sort 2 Bus.
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The corporate is planning main refreshes and updates to 5 fashions.
“Now we have merchandise just like the Buzz, that are completely nice halo merchandise. We’re continually debating what alternatives now we have going ahead to convey extra Halo merchandise to North America to construct the model as a result of that is what differentiates us and builds worth for our clients,” mentioned Thomas Schäfer, Chief Government Officer of Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles and a Member of the Board of Administration of the Volkswagen Group.
“You consider the long-lasting moments within the American counterculture and the half that Volkswagen performed. Only a few manufacturers can do this, and now we have to faucet into that,” Savvas added. “Issues just like the Buzz will do this and clearly GTI does that as nicely, as a result of that is what sends goosebumps into folks. That, to us, is our power, that we’re a enjoyable to drive product, however we’re ingrained within the tradition of this excellent area, and we have to work arduous on these in that house.”
