Here’s the SUV that Volkswagen will build instead of the Beetle

The manufacturing of the iconic car by Volkswagen, the Beetle, is ceasing in Mexico soon, and the company has made an announcement that it will be placing another model to replace it at the factory. The car is a small SUV which is being sold in China as of now. It is called the Tharu and is similar in size to the Rogue Sport. The car will be placed in the same league as the Tiguan.

The built of the model is made on an identical modular platform as other VW cars including Atlas and Tiguan. It will be re-engineered to match the standards of safety and refinement expected by VW’s American customers. Specifications of the model and exact make have not been made public as of now, but it is being sold currently with a four-cylinder gasoline engine.

The car will be sold across North and South America and will be known as the Tarek in a few markets. No name has been disclosed for American markets. Production will begin in 2020 at the Puebla facility in Mexico, following the debut of the 2021 model.

The Beetle name is being shelved for now. 23 million Beetles have been sold across the globe for the last three generations. The move to replace the model comes after sales in the US have dwindled from 43,000 in 2013, to 14,000 in 2018.