MEXICO CITY, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's Mexico unit said it would focus on producing SUVs and the final special-edition beetle at its plant in the central state of Puebla.

The company on Thursday said it would stop producing its Beetle compact car in 2019, ending a model that looked backward to the 1960s counterculture as the automaker prepares for a future of mass-market electric cars.

Volkswagen produces autos including the Jetta, Tiguan and Beetle for North America and other markets at a factory in Mexico.

"As the plant in Puebla prepares a special final edition of this iconic model, the plant will also focus towards the production of SUV vehicles, contributing to a worldwide brand offensive in this segment" a spokesman for Volkswagen Mexico said in a statement. (Reporting by Sharay Angulo Editing by Leslie Adler)