The round Volkswagen logo is one of the most easily recognizable carmaker emblems, together with the Mercedes-Benz star and the Chevrolet bowtie. Messing with it would be akin to Coca-Cola introducing the ill-fated New Coke, but VW still wants to hone the logo to be ready for the electrified future.

As Bloomberg reports, Volkswagen's chief marketing officer Jochen Sengpiehl said the new logo will debut next year. The idea behind the refresh is to make Volkswagen's image "more colorful," for it to gain back the "emotional appeal" the marque has lost by trying to be "too German," according to Sengpiehl. Partially, the image has also been affected by the diesel scandal, but Sengpiehl says that's not the sole reasoning behind the logo update. In the coming months, VW will select the creative agency that will be tasked with the work.

Still, we believe the classic logo is too important for VW to completely rework, so expect a light, slightly more futuristic design with a different font on the "Volkswagen" text under it. For example, Toyota and Lexus signify their electrified vehicles with a blue effect on the logos, so maybe Volkswagen will go for a nuanced approach like that. The logo reportedly must be suitable both for car exteriors and touchscreens alike, so rather than a physical badge, maybe it'll just light up.