Frank Welsch, Volkswagen's R&D boss stated that the current Beetle will not be replaced and will go out of production after this generation. At Geneva, Welsch announced that the production version of the VW ID Buzz electric concept will replace the Beetle.
"Two or three generations is enough now" for the Beetle, said Welsch. He said the car was "made with history in mind; but you can't do it five times and have a new new new Beetle".
Welsch also confirmed that the T-Roc convertible would replace the Beetle cabriolet. The role of a 'heritage' model in the future for VW would be served by recreation of the iconic Microbus. "With MEB [the VW Group's electric car platform], you can do a bus and be an authentic vehicle with the original shape, and steering wheel mounted like the original. You can't do that with an engine in the front. The shape you see on the concept is realistic," said Welsch.
"People asked when production starts on the car, so we decided to go that way. Better to have that than having five generations of a new Beetle. We had all these Microbus concepts in the past but all were front-engined. The physicality of bringing it on MQB or PQ-something to life does not work."
The production version of the ID Buzz is due to go on sale around 2021-22.
