A high-ranking Volkswagen official has revealed that the Wolfsburg-based brand will not replace the Beetle when the current generation’s lifecycle ends, finally confirming the end of the road for the Bug.
VW revived the Beetle nameplate back in 1997, before moving on to the current generation in 2011. In South Africa, the Beetle has already been discontinued, with the arrival of 50 units of a limited-edition R-Line derivative serving as something of a swansong.
According to Autocar, Frank Welsch, who holds the position of VW brand board member responsible for technical development, said that the Beetle would go out of production with this present generation.
Welsch told the British publication that “two or three generations is enough now” for the Beetle, adding that the vehicle was “made with history in mind”.
“But you can’t do it five times and have a new, new, new Beetle,” Welsch said, adding that the upcoming production version of the ID Buzz concept – billed as “a Microbus for a new era” – would take the Bug’s place as the VW line-up’s retro-styled model.
The executive furthermore explained to Autocar that the upcoming T-Roc convertible would essentially fill the gap left by the Beetle cabriolet.
