Introduced early this year at the Detroit auto show, the Dune represents VW’s own modern representation of the Baja Bug. It is based on the R-Line model, stretched in all directions with Audi Allroad-style plastic around the wheel arches and along the bottom of the bumpers.
Power is provided by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine borrowed from the GTI. Sending 210 horsepower to the front wheels, the powerplant promises to complete a 62 mph sprint in approximately 7.5 seconds.
VW unveiled a similar concept in 2000, but it did not carry the idea through to production. The revival and seemingly production-ready modesty of the latest concept raised hopes that the Dune will finally be heading to showrooms.
“While it remains a concept car, everything about it is feasible,” the company notes. “It is practically a production vehicle.”
If it does receive a final greenlight, the Beetle Dune is expected to arrive for the 2015 model year.
Leave a Reply