The car will launch in mainstay-selling 2-door hatchback sedan form. Like the car it replaces, the 2012 VW Beetle will be built exclusively at the company’s Puebla, Mexico complex, which is also the only plant in the company’s global system that turns out the Jetta compact sedan and wagon. What could change is the platform itself, as the 2012 VW Beetle is expected to move to the much-modified architecture of the larger, redesigned 2011 Jetta sedan. This could account for the fresh Beetle's larger dimensions. That height reduction stems from a flatter roofline that will be a major visual change for the 2012 VW Beetle.
The 2012 VW Beetle arrives in dealerships this fall. Volkswagen has combined retro and modern design cues in styling the 2012 Beetle.
The 2012 VW Beetle is also a bigger car, measuring 3.3 inches wider and 6 inches longer than its predecessor. Available features include 19-inch wheels, a panoramic moonroof and a rear spoiler.
The prior-generation Beetle's interior aged remarkably well, but it was time for an update, and the redesigned 2012 Beetle provides it. The base 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine works with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
Both the diesel and turbocharged gas engine team with a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The 2012 VW Beetle will be fully redesigned. Highlights include slightly more aggressive styling, an updated interior and the return of turbocharged and diesel engines.
Then there was the vehicle sequel, the 1998 New Beetle. Now for 2012, there's finally a new Beetle to replace the New 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 gloveboxes.
The 2012 VW Beetle will first be available in the limited-edition Black Turbo launch edition model, which features the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine matched to VW's dual-clutch automated manual transmission. Transmission choices, depending on the engine, include a five-speed manual, a six-speed automatic and a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual.
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 turbodiesel engine.
