Report: VW still planning hybrid powertrain for next-gen Beetle

While the all-new Volkswagen Beetle isn't officially scheduled to make its debut until next year's Detroit Auto Show, information has trickled down the pipeline providing hints of what we can expect. Reports suggest that the vehicle will feature a radically different design and a host of new powertrains that will likely include a hybrid setup similar to that found on the company's New Compact Coupe (NCC) concept, which debuted at last year's show in the Motor City.

Though we aren't exactly certain how VW plans to apply design cues to the next-gen Beetle to make it radically different from the current model, we are fairly confident that the hybrid powertrain from the NCC will carry over pretty much intact. On stage in Detroit, the NCC was motivated by a 1.4-liter TSI inline-four, pumping out 150 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque. Couple that with a 20-kilowatt electric motor with a li-ion battery pack and output is boosted by 27 hp to reach a total of 177 ponies. VW estimates that the NCC concept would average 45 miles per gallon, so we'd expect the hybrid Beetle to at least match that number. Of course, we'll have the full story this January when the next-gen vehicle debuts in Detroit, but in the meantime, you can feast your eyes on renderings of the upcoming Beetle found here, here and here.



[Source: Autocar]