With Volkswagen's emissions scandal still making headlines, nobody knows how long it will take the German automaker to turn things around. VW's credibility is shot, that's for…{"id":7934,"date":"2015-10-26T13:32:12","date_gmt":"2015-10-26T20:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=7934"},"modified":"2015-10-26T13:32:12","modified_gmt":"2015-10-26T20:32:12","slug":"can-the-new-beetle-save-volkswagens-u-s-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/26\/can-the-new-beetle-save-volkswagens-u-s-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the New Beetle Save Volkswagen’s U.S. Sales?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With<\/span>\u00a0Volkswagen’s emissions scandal<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0still making headlines, nobody knows how long it will take the German automaker to turn things around. VW’s credibility is shot, that’s for sure. The company\u00a0has been known as an innovator for years, earning them what seemed to be a die-hard fan base. We’ll see just how die-hard VW customers truly are in the coming years, as they deal with recalls and plummeting re-sale values. That said, the Germans are hoping to enter the second half of the decade on the right foot. VW recently unveiled several new models, and perhaps the most exciting is the Volkswagen Beetle Dune, expected to be released in early to mid 2016 for the 2017 model year.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new Dune is a revamped\u00a0Beetle that’s been lifted and given fatter\u00a0tires. The current Beetle’s core demographic has been women, but\u00a0the Dune is expected to expand that base… attracting a male audience by evoking images of driving across desert sand, Baja Bug style. The Dune should resonate with the adventurous and “active lifestyle” crowd. And, honestly, the Dune looks perfect for trips to the beach,\u00a0or even short camping stints.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We’re not sure the new Dune will be as capable as a classic Baja Bug, but it should still be fun. (Image courtesy of\u00a0Ron Kroetz)<\/p><\/div>\n

The Dune’s DNA will really be the same as the standard Beetle. Sure, it’s getting a couple of more inches of ground clearance, flared fenders, and a slightly wider footprint… but, to say that the Dune is off-road worthy would be a stretch. Still, the Dune will be a welcome change for those that feel the Beetle is getting a little boring.<\/span><\/p>\n

So how about the engine? The Dune will feature the same 210-hp, 2.0 liter direct injected turbo four that powers the Beetle R-line. That should make the Dune a zippy little bugger!<\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, we’re excited to see the\u00a0Dune hit the streets. Will it change VW’s fortunes? Only time will tell. But, people tend to have short memories, and the Dune is likely to expand the market for new Beetles… which could have a major impact on VW’s immediate future in America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo Credit:<\/span>\u00a0Yeah! It is real: The VW Beetle Dune<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0by\u00a0<\/span>MotorBlog<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>(<\/span>CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/strong>).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Photo Credit:<\/span>\u00a0Sunset Bug<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0by<\/span>\u00a0Ron Kroetz<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(<\/span>CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/strong>).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":7945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[1341,3653,3652,3649,3650,3657,3648,74,1343,3646,1342,195,3647,3658,3656,3654,3655,3651],"class_list":["post-7934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-automotive-news","tag-baja-bug","tag-beetle-dune-2016","tag-beetle-dune-release-date","tag-beetle-r-line","tag-direct-injected-turbo-engine","tag-dune-beetle","tag-new-vw-models","tag-volkswagen","tag-volkswagen-bug","tag-volkswagen-emissions-scandal","tag-vw-baja-bug","tag-vw-beetle","tag-vw-beetle-dune","tag-vw-beetle-dune-2016","tag-vw-resale-values","tag-vw-scandal-2015","tag-vw-scandal-recall","tag-vw-turbo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t