Volkswagen is still taking some interesting ideas and making them a reality. The latest to come from the Germans is the production go-ahead on the 2016 Beetle Dune, which is set to hit showroom floors in the third quarter of next year.

The looks are right on the money, but performance of these Beetle Dunes will be a far cry from the Baja Bugs of yesteryear.

The design VW went for with this car is somewhat interesting, but also somewhat “meh.” It’s been spruced up with 18-inch Canyon aluminum wheels and 245/45R18 all-season tires, and the track width has been extended just a hair over a half of an inch. The ground clearance is a hair under a half of an inch higher than stock models, too.

A rear spoiler has been fitted, as has a diffuser that also acts as a “skid plate,” according to the press release. The drivetrain remains the same as the base Beetle: a turbocharged 1.8-liter inline four with direct injection, generating 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, motivates the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Volkswagen clearly wants people to associate the Beetle Dune with the Baja Bug. But we know which one we’d rather drive in the desert…

Add on some dashing stickers and a choice of three colors including Sandstorm Yellow, Pure White, and Deep Black Pearl, and the 2016 Beetle Dune is … well, it’s just another Beetle gussied up in nice trim and little else. No lifted suspension, no limited-slip differential, no roof-mounted oil cooler – there’s nothing to speak of that really makes this a spiritual successor to the good ‘ole Baja Bugs of yesteryear, despite that being the supposed goal of this new model. It’s more of a wink-and-nod offering than a true, honest-to-goodness desert runner. If someone wants a new Volkswagen to be capable of running through silt and whoops with ease, he is going to have to take it upon himself.

Hardly anyone expected Ford to strike a nerve with the truck community when it unleashed the Raptor back in 2009, but strike a nerve it did. Is it too much to hope VW could do the same with a kitted-out, lifted, and RWD-layout Beetle? Tell us what you think in the comments below.