When most people think of the Volkswagen Beetle they think of the round and “cute” Beetle of the past few years. The type of car that you’d see a teenage girl driving around town, the type of car a man wouldn’t want to get caught dead in. That is changing. The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle looks absolutely spectacular. The look is more like a Porsche 911 or an Audi TT than its previous weak and roundish image that was more like an obese Pillsbury doughboy than a car. The roundness has been smoothed into a more refined and curvy/sleek look that just looks...well fast. It’s like the ex who went out and hit the gym after you broke up with them only to come back looking, to put it bluntly, really hot. So good in fact that you could forget their past craziness and imagine a “fresh start”. The re-design of the Beetle is that good.
In addition to its new look the Beetle is also producing some performance enhancements as its standard 2.5L in-line 5-cylinder engine produces 170hp with 22/31mpgs (City/Highway). The Beetle comes standard with a variety of practical options and interior features that make it more practical than some of your other coupes with its split folding rear seats, auxiliary input for portable audio players, customizable 17-in alloy wheels, leather steering wheel, and eight speaker audio system. Additional options include the popular “kaeferfach” glovebox, Bluetooth connectivity, iPod connectivity, heated front seats, three-color interior lighting, and leather seats. What makes this great is that for all of the performance and additional features the Beetle remains competitively priced at $18,995.
If you want more horsepower, try the 2.0L TSI in-line four-cylinder turbocharged engine. This engine gets 200hp and 207ft-lb of torque with 22/30mpg. This model comes with all of the options from above including the additional extras plus extra dashboard gauges, 18-in wheels, and alloy pedals. This comes for the still affordable price of $23,395.
If fuel efficiency is more your thing, Volkswagen is making a TDI clean diesel model that uses a 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder diesel engine that gets 140-hp and 236ft-lb of torque. This will be able to get 40mpg (highway) and that makes it the most fuel efficient Beetle ever made.
All in all, the new Beetle regains its classic “peoples car” designation with its new look and upgraded features.
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