LexFather

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090527....based-mini-mpv

According to a recent report, Volkswagen is developing a mini-MPV version of their redesigned Polo which could be launched within two years.
Although details are scarce, several statements by VW's Hans Dieter Potsch lend some credibility to this speculation. In an interview with Autocar, Potsch stated that "A mini-MPV is in an area we have under active consideration. In terms of downsizing, people will not stick to one type of small car or another." He went on to say, "We have a full product agenda. Markets change more rapidly than we appreciated before. Cutting back on R&D can place you in a troublesome position just when a recovery happens." While that's far from a confirmation, it seems logical that Volkswagen would want a piece of the mini-MPV pie.

In other VW news, work is progressing on the replacement for the dated Beetle. One insider reports that it will be more aggressive and masculine than the current model, a move aimed to attract more male consumers.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHTTTTTTTTTT...

jwong77

A more masculine Beetle? Are they serious? I'll ask my GF about that since she bought here Beetle due to its cuteness.

FKL

well the original Beetle wasn't juat for women. It's "cuteness" was only really founded in 2000 with the current model.

IS-SV

No kidding.

Many cartoon cars have a difficult time being masculine.

Faymester

Good luck with that one.

mmarshall

While, yes, the flower stalk next to the steering column is a little girly, other than that, in general, I don't see anything UN-masculine about the Beetle to start with. That's just one more of an endless number of idiotic and inaccurate stereotypes perpetrated in the automotive press. Same thing with the Eos, Miata, older VW Cabrios, non-turbo Subarus, Saabs, Chrysler Sebring convertibles, and the last-gen Toyota MR2...the stereotype of "girly", feminine", or "gay" cars. I get t***ed off every time I read that nonsense. Some of the people in the auto press that write that kind of drivel need to get a life......auto writing apparantly just isn't cutting it for them. There is no reason at all why straight males can't buy and enjoy Beetles......even the convertibles.

And guess what? That "girlie" flower-stalk in the Beetle is just a clear-plastic tube that pops right out of its housing for those who don't want it (which would probably include most males).

So, while I agree that the current Beetle is indeed popular with women (that part of the article is correct), that, in itself, doesn't make it any more of a "girlie" car than a Dodge Viper or Corvette ZR-1.

(Sorry for venting guys, but I don't like automotive stereotypes....never did. Most of them are false anyway).

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Sure. Why not?

I bet that a "more masculine Beetle" will end up looking like the new Audi TT.

bad co

A beetle on steroids will look no better than a woman on steroids, I was going to post a picture, but in theese tough times its better to keep your food in your stomach.

IS-SV

Thanks for sparing us that pic of the unhealthy specimen.

The beetle is a joke of a styling job, basically a cartoon car but still amusing. To try and imitate the functional shape of the original rear-engined air-cooled car with a front-wheel drive Golf-derived car is not very functional.

mmarshall

Agreed.....it was done for retro purposes, more than anything else. however, I personally think it was questionable to design a retro Beetle and then give it FWD and a water-cooled engine. They obviously did it to save money, using the basic Golf/Jetta platform (the old air-cooled Beetle, at the time, was still in production in Mexico and Brazil, but not built to American standards). And the enormous dash expanse, in front of the driver, is nothing like the old Beetles.

And that's (maybe) why VW didn't use an air-cooled engine for the new Beetle. It's harder for air-cooled engines to meet U.S.-grade emissions because, with air cooling, engines take longer to warm up, and you generally don't get even combustion temperatures in each cylinder, which is critical for precise emission control. That's (probably) why Porsche did away with its air-cooled engines as well.

Mr Johnson

Get used to more small vans and smaller crossovers/wagons etc. We want what Europe has? Get ready to see if you really like it.

A more masculine Beetle? Yeah, I'm not sure I get that. Do a sport model if you must but leave the "more masculine" stuff to the Audi brethren.

IS-SV

Yes, another issue that Porsche had was the 4 value head was not a good setup with the air-cooled engines, I think it ran too hot. But all that air-cooled discussion is a bit OT.

On the subject of the new Beetle styling, my preference is for honest styling that is functional and dictated by the configuration of the drivetrain. You will also see my comments on Cayenne and Panamera styling too (which have hoodlines like rear-engined and mid-engined Porsche models).

IS-SV

I don't have a problem with that. Small vans and crossovers are basically utility vehicles with very functional shapes suited to their usage. I actually liked the Scion XB (both versions) and bought one for a family member.

LexFather

This has me rolling

I find the Mazda5 to be a very nice smaller van. Sadly, everyone thinks they need a mini-van the size of a house. Look at how the Sienna and Odyessy grew and Quest and all the vans.

Japan left this segment, I am glad Mazda didn't. Its a great vehicle.