2012 Volkswagen Beetle

2012 Volkswagen Beetle

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will be fully redesigned. Then there was the vehicle sequel, the 1998 New Beetle. Now for 2012, there's finally a new Beetle to replace the New VW Beetle, though it will just be called the Beetle. With the 2012 Beetle, Volkswagen has taken a cautious approach in terms of design. The new Beetle coupe is 3.3 inches wider and 6 inches longer than the outgoing model. Inside, VW has drawn upon elements from the original Beetle, such as incorporating two glove boxes.

Later in the model year the Beetle TDI will debut, boasting VW's clean and thrifty (estimated at 40 mpg for highway fuel mileage), 140-hp turbo diesel engine. An all-new 2012 Beetle goes on sale this fall. The "2012 Beetle" was revealed at April's New York International Auto Show.

The Volkswagen Beetle is all grown up. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle has updated lines evoking those of its Audi TT cousin, including a lower roofline, integrated spoiler and LED-ringed headlamps. Also ditched is the "New" part of the Beetle name. Volkswagen of America now refers to it as the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.

Three engines will be available on the 2012 Beetle. Volkswagen's 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine makes 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, and is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder TDI diesel engine produces 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The TDI powertrain is expected to achieve 40 mpg highway, 29 mpg city and 33 mpg combined. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will be available in late September or early October 2011.

In 1998, the New Beetle was launched at the Detroit auto show. The car was as cheerful as VW's dealers, who finally had a car delivered to their lots that they could sell for way over sticker.

Beetle production will continue to take place at VW's Puebla, Mexico, plant, alongside the 2011 Jetta.
The front end draws from the horizontal lines that characterize VW's current portfolio—without abandoning the trademark round headlights, of course. Powertrain for this front-driver will come from VW's vast parts bin, with the naturally aspirated, 115-hp, 2.0-liter four likely serving as the entry-level engine for the U.S.
market. This platform's possibilities are virtually limitless: There could be an R version with some 270 hp, a return of a TDI model, all-wheel-drive versions, or a hybrid. While the entry-level Beetle will likely keep its Aisin-designed automatic, the turbocharged models will get VW's dual-clutch automated manual transmissions.