VW promises 'more courageous' design

• Scirocco and Tiguan point to VW future
• Four-door CLS rival planned
• 'Bolder' Beetle on the way, too

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Volkswagen needs to be 'more courageous' with design, the company's product chief, Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, said in an exclusive interview with UK journalists at the Los Angeles motor show.

Cars such as the new Scirocco sports hatchback shown at Paris in September and the Tiguan compact 4x4 on view in Los Angeles give a clue to VW's future thinking.

Bernhard admitted VW is also working on a Passat-based four-door coupe to rival the Mercedes CLS.

'We have to shape our own destiny rather than trying to fit in with everyone else,' he said. 'The fun-to-drive part of our cars has to be on the surface.'

Despite the diversification of the brand with the Scirocco, Tiguan and four-door coupe, VW will not be stretching into other new market niches. 'That's as far as it goes,' Bernhard said.

Instead, VW will concentrate on adding more excitement to the replacements for its current range while working on ways to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

VW wants to increase the number of so-called premium cars it offers, starting with the next Touareg full-size off-roader, although no decision has yet been made whether there should be another luxury saloon to replace the slow-selling Phaeton.

Bernhard also confirmed there will be a replacement for the Beetle that is 'bolder' than the current retro car.

On environmental issues, VW has already announced a tie-up with Mercedes and Audi to develop ultra-clean diesels under the Bluetec label, and will expand its range of TSI petrol engines – some with superchargers and turbochargers; other solely with turbos.

The company will also expand use of its twin-clutch semi-automatic DSG gearbox for transverse-engined front-wheel-drive cars and gradually phase out conventional automatics altogether.

By 2009 a petrol-electric hybrid engine will be available for the Touareg as well as the related Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, although initially this will only be for America.