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As iconic as the Volkswagen Beetle is, it may not be long for this world.

According to a recent report from German publication Der Spiegel, Volkswagen is cutting costs and looking for ways to produce more models based on the same platforms and powertrains, like other automakers. As a result, some of its models are getting the axe, like the Eos that ends production this year. The company also has plans of cutting the three-door Polo from the lineup so that only the five-door variant is available, but the biggest news is that the Beetle could be next on the chopping block.

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The company is targeting a five-billion euro cut and by eliminating the three-door Polo alone, it saves 200-million euros. The Volkswagen Beetle was a good seller for the brand when it was reintroduced in 2002, moving 49,549 units that year. Sales peaked the following year at 56,971 and has been on the decline since. The company did see a boost in 2013 when sales reached 43,134 but last year’s numbers dropped down to 29,182.

To put that into perspective, the Jetta sold 160,873 units in the U.S. last year, nearly four times as much as the Beetle. Expand those sales figures to cover the entire world market and you can understand why Volkswagen might have its sights set on ejecting the Beetle from its lineup.

[Source: Der Spiegel via Autoblog]

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