Exclusive: first spyshots Volkswagen new New Beetle
Wednesday October 6 2010 - Hans
The original Volkswagen Beetle, the icon, the rear-engined bubble car, continued in production for more than sixty years. However, its caricature, the so called New Beetle, starts getting old and will have to be replaced by a new model some time in 2012. We doubt it’ll be named the New New Beetle...
The current model was first introduced in 1994. Production of the New Beetle started officially in 1998 in limited numbers and peaked in 1999 with 83,434 sales in the U.S. alone. Now, a decade later the car that is long overdue for a fresh face has finally been spied in testing. The photos our spies captured reveal the all-new greenhouse of the car completely uncovered, as VW apparently thought slapping on modified front and rear fascias from the current New Beetle would be enough to throw us off their trail.
More space
What a mistake. Judging from the images we dare saying the next Beetle will grow in length but will become lower than today’s model. Doing that, VW seems to realize what the CEO of the VW Group of North America, Stefan Jacoby, said about a year ago: He announced more backseat space for the new model that VW intended to increase the masculine appeal of the vehicle.
Engines
Engine-wise we expect the German automaker to carry-over the lineup found in the Jetta, including a base 2.0-litre four-cylinder good for 115 horsepower, an optional 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, a 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine for those looking for sport, a 2.0-litre TDI diesel for those looking for a blend of longevity and fuel economy, and there may be even a hybrid model as well.
