More manly’ Bug gets in shape

Prepare to fall in love with the Bug again! Auto Express has learned that Volkswagen is planning an all-new Beetle... and it’s dropping the present car’s cute curves for an altogether more sporty and striking look.

The new styling direction has come about because VW wants to attract more male customers to the model. A company insider told Auto Express that the current variant is considered too feminine and needs to have a stronger shape.

Going up against revived classics such as the MINI and Fiat 500, the new Beetle is due to arrive in 2010. We’ve produced an artist’s impression to show you how the car is tipped to look. And, as you can see, it’s much more assertive, mixing a coupé-style low roofline with chunky pillars, a squared-off waistline – similar to the latest Audi TT’s – and a wider stance.

Our insider said that the firm’s design department wants the newcomer to have “cleaner and meaner surfaces”, but he admitted that the project was not an easy one. “The architecture is timeless – to make it right is difficult,” he told us. “But unlike with the MINI, you will be able to tell the difference between the present model and the new one.”

Design proposals have already been submitted to the VW board for approval, and these include a cabin with better packaging, offering more space for occupants and luggage. Under the skin, the fresh model will be based around the modular chassis of the new MkVI Golf. As well as the coupé version shown here, there is likely to be a convertible variant, too.