Teen drivers may be anxious to get behind the wheel but the choices their parents make can greatly improve their chances for survival if they get into a car accident. The insurance institute for highway safety suggests larger used cars over smaller less expensive models for young teenagers.

Their studies find size and weight are important factors when it comes to occupant crash protection. This helps mitigate another teenage driving trait, their lack of experience. For these reasons the IIHS has compiled a list of 115 vehicles rated as either good or best choices. All of which come in under 20,000 dollars. All of the options also scored well on the institutes safety test’s.

Volkswagens view of the future now includes another pick-up truck. But without their most iconic car.

VW unveiled the Tarok concept at the Sao Paulo international motor show. The compact 4 door cab seats 5 and comes with a 147 horsepower 4 cylinder TSI engine.

The most interesting feature is a variable length bed. A hatch to the cabin folds down for loading long intems. A production version Tarok launches soon in the Brazilian market but it’s unlikely to come to the US.

The VW Atlas Tanoak concept truck show this past spring at the new York international auto show is much larger than the Brazilian Tarok. However VW has not said when or if an Atlas based truck will be made here.

Meantime, VW will stop producing the iconic beetle. Atleast for now. The original people’s car designed by Ferdinand porche went into production in Germany in 1938. Sales in the US began in 1950, ending in 1979.

Then the new Beetle arrived in 1998 and was redesigned again for 2012. VW says the Beetles fate is part of their focus on family oriented vehicles and electrification. Two new final edition models will mark this bugs last chapter.

Production ends in Mexico July of next year. And that’s it for this week’s Motor News.