#PinkBeetle

The 'Fresh Fuchsia' coloured limited-edition Beetle will go on sale in the US this fall and will be offered in coupé and convertible forms.

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Volkswagen is taking the concept of social mobility quite literally with its latest limited edition vehicle, the #PinkBeetle, the first car with a name that doubles as a hashtag, in the anniversary year of the original VW Beetle.

The limited-edition Beetle will go on sale in the US this fall, making it a 2017 model, and will be offered in coupé and convertible forms. But whether people prefer roof up or roof down motoring, it will come in the same unique ‘Fresh Fuchsia' metallic pink paint finish on the outside and very much on-trend fuchsia-tinted plaid seat inserts on the inside.

Considering the negative publicity still being generated on social platforms as well as in the traditional media regarding dieselgate, the company is being bold in launching a car with a name specifically designed for trending on Twitter or Instagram.

However, it has done the sensible thing in terms of powertrain. The #PinkBeetle will be offered solely with a 1.8-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and six-speed automatic gearbox offering 170hp.

As well as a perky engine and pink and black contrasting exterior and interior elements, owners will get VW's latest generation infotainment system -- the MIB II -- as standard, complete with a 6.3-inch touchscreen display. It responds just like a smartphone's screen to swipes, taps and pinches and also gives users access to the company's suite of dedicated apps.

Perhaps most importantly for potential owners is that the car will offer Apple Car Play and Android Auto compatibility for seamlessly syncing the latest-generation handsets from both operating systems to the dashboard. Moreover MIB II supports Mirror Link so that those with older handsets or a Windows Phone can also access their apps via the car's infotainment system.

News of the latest limited edition Beetle arrives as Volkswagen presents its US sales figures for May 2016 and they show that overall sales have fallen significantly to 28,779 cars (down 17.2% year-on-year).

As VW looks to clean up its brand and to save costs, one of the models that may well fall under the axe is the Beetle all of which may make the new model a sound future investment.

A return to strength of its core business could mean Volkswagen won't have to rely on its better-selling Currywurst sausages.