2012 Volkswagen Beetle

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The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle would like us all to forget some things--that it ever had "new" in its name, that it ever had a bud vase on its dash, that it ever occupied more parking spots at more sororities at more of our nation's colleges than actual pledges did. That's, like, totally possible, right?

This time around, the Beetle wants to be your bad bromance, and it gets things rolling with sheetmetal that's been butched up and pulled taut. If the flat-top roof, the unsubtle Turbo stickers and the red-painted calipers didn't clue you in, we'll just point to the place on the dash where the flower pot used to live.

Now, the base Beetle doesn't live up to that hype, but it's fine for the kind of commuting chores that won't tax the generic acceleration of its five-cylinder engine and the bobbly handling generated by its torsion-beam suspension. Fine, as long as the middling gas mileage doesn't steer you into a MINI Cooper or a Mustang instead.

Check off the Turbo boxes, and now, we're talking. This is the punchy Bug, with VW's omnipresent, heavy-breathing four-cylinder flipping out 0-60 mph runs under 7.5 seconds while it doles out some not-unpleasant whining and growling. VW's dual-clutch transmission passes the winding-road test with flying colors, even if it bogs a little from a dead stop. A touch of body roll here, a quick crank of electric steering there, and the composed Beetle Turbo feels like it has much more potential than its B+ average indicates.

The Bug's even a little more practical now. VW says it has more room than before, and it's felt in the front two seats, though the extra space seems to spread out all to one side: the console's still close, the door panels farther away. The back seats can be endured by adults, but skimpy leg room means this is still a classic 2+2, no EPA-standards sedan like the BMW 3-Series two-door. Trunk space gets better on paper--so why could we only stuff it with two roll-aboards?

At its most clever, the Beetle recognizes how the digital world has changed cars, at least in entertainment features. Safety gear lags a bit, with no rearview camera linked up with the available navigation, but every Beetle can have a USB port, Bluetooth audio streaming and a classy Fender-penned sound system with some epic midrange talents.

The Beetle name has sold more than 20 million vehicles, over more than half a century. But for the past decade, it's been tougher and tougher to get overwhelmed by history alone, tougher to give the old New Beetle a pass for lackluster performance and aging kitsch. Now the likeable Beetle's become way more interesting to drive--and we're more than ready to take on diesel and R versions, cars that probably will outpace the newest Beetle Turbo as the best Bugs yet.

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2012 Volkswagen Beetle to start under $20,000

Although still sporting the same basic shape that gives the Beetle its iconic and instantly identifiable uniqueness, Volkswagen has done some fairly extensive metallurgy to differentiate the 2012 model from the car it replaced.

Despite a more upscale look, the Beetle is aiming to snag value-minded buyers with a starting price of just $18,995 plus $770 destination. That sub-$20,000 price will get you a basic model that still uses the same 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine used in the outgoing model, matched to a five-speed manual transmission.

Step up to the 2.0-liter TSI model and its 200 horsepower, 207 lb-ft of torque, and your base price will start at $24,165, with another $5,000+ of option potential. VW has yet to announce pricing for its third and final engine, a 2.0-liter TDI diesel.

What we know
Designed to both sportier and more fuel efficient than before, the new Beetle looks like a squashed version of the outgoing model, which has actually been out of production since last year. Riding on a version of the A5 architecture that underpins the Volkswagen Jetta, the Beetle shares little more than powertrains with the outgoing car.

The “cathedral” domed roof of the first New Beetle is gone, replaced instead by a still characteristically bug-like roof that, although more conventional, hardly looks like anything else on the road. Bug-eyed headlamps return, while the tail lamps have been stretched out. Some models will use a rear spoiler mounted just below the rear window. The Beetle retains its cargo-friendly hatchback shape and its cartoonish bulging fenders.

Some markets will see Xenon headlamps with LED running lights as an optional extra.

Inside, the look is considerably more mature, with the outgoing car’s decade-old styling themes a thing of the past. Switchgear follows VW convention, although available accessory gauges mounted at the top of the dashboard hint at the car’s newfound sportiness. VW hasn’t released exact trim specifications for North American models, but we’d expect to see a reasonably large range of options that include the automaker’s leather-like vinyl trim, heated seats, navigation and, of course, a full range of safety features.

A vertical glovebox mounted flush with the dashboard is designed to hark back to the original Beetle, although the new car has an extra unit mounted below for additional storage. Try as we might, we can’t locate a bud vase. A panoramic moonroof and a Fender-branded audio system will also be on the options list, depending on trim level.

Trunk space is actually up despite the decreased roofline; VW says about 10.9 cubic feet of luggage can be sequestered away behind the second row.

A new outlook
Globally, VW will offer the Beetle in three different themes – Beetle, Design and Sport. In other words, “basic,” stylish” and “performance-oriented.”

In North America, three engine options will be available – a 2.5-liter five-cylinder used in just about every VW product on these shores, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder.

The five will power most North American Beetles. Rated at 170 horsepower, this engine will be capable of 22/31 mpg with a six-speed stick and 22/29 with a six-speed automatic. Fuel economy won’t take much of a hit with the 2.0-liter turbo gas motor, which will be rated at 200 ponies and 207 lb-ft. of torque. VW says that the car will average 25 mpg combined, the same figure as the five-cylinder manual car. That engine will also be paired with a locking front differential called XDS. Designed to help improve high-speed traction, it is one of several performance credentials that set the new car apart from its predecessor.

Meanwhile, the turbodiesel will be the fuel miser Beetle at 29/40 mpg (33 combined). Both six-speed manual and six-speed automatic gearboxes will be available.

2012 VW Beetles should begin arriving in dealers late this summer after production begins at the automaker’s Puebla, Mexico, assembly plant.

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2011 New York: Why VW’s New Beetle Must Challenge Ford’s Mustang

2012 VW Beetle

The 2012 VW Beetle was announced Monday morning as part of a dramatic three city debut in New York, Berlin and Shanghai.  After the drapes dropped and speeches were spoken, I had the opportunity to chat with Kevin Joostema, VW of America’s General Manager of Product Marketing & Strategy.

Joosteema heads the team charged with selling this new Beetle in its most important market in the world.  Make no mistake, though the global tri-city reveal highlighted the importance of China and Europe, America is where it’s at when it comes to 21st century Love Bug.

According to VW, over 26 million Beetles, including the original and New Beetle launched in 1998, have been sold around the world. Over 6 million of those were purchased in the United States, the Beetle’s single largest market. This also put America – and Joostema’s team – in the driver’s seat when it came to the new model.

2011 MINI Goodwood Edition

But our market is filled with plenty of tough competitors.  Who does Joostema see as the Beetle’s chief competition? His answers may surprise you.

“Our chief competition will be with the Mini, in terms of how emotional it is, its life cycle, and breadth of line – the many options and models it offers. Not so much the Fiat 500 – that car is new, doesn’t have as much history (in America), and is at a lower price point,” he added.

“It may sound strange, but honestly, but we need to target Mustang V-6.  Not from a cross shop perspective, because we know they will not be cross shopped. But we have the same mindset for the buyers.  And what we want is what the Mustang has – the loyalty.  The range. The market of one,” he said.

2011 Ford Mustang V-6

“We need to play on those same emotions, and also take on the Japanese sporty coupes, like the [Scion] tC.  And we need see about the new Civic Si [which also makes its debut at the NYIAS]…” Joostema continued. “And we need to be participating in the same field in terms of customization.”

So will the Beetle have special models, similar Scion’s limited edition “Release Series”?

“Absolutely,” said Joosteema without missing a beat. “We call it ‘active lifecycle management’ and we’re looking at the Scion’s approach, but also Mini with the Mayfair and Camden edition.”

“Maybe we do a Surf Model or Baja Model,” Joostema mused.

The reason for all of the increased hype? VW is not content to let this Beetle flounder about without support. For all of its cute nostalgia, the 2012 Beetle is critical to VW of America’s oft cited mission of hitting annual sales of 800,000 by 2018.

2010 Scion xB Release Series 8.0

“The Beetle is a key component of the goal to hit 800,000 – oh absolutely,” said Joostema. “Put it this way; getting from 500,000 to 800,000 will be done by something else, but the Beetle is key to getting from where we are now to 500,000 because it can give us growth in other markets – access to a new, younger buyer who might then continue on with the brand…”

So what does this all mean? You won’t just be seeing Turbos and Cabriolets in the months and years to come, but a whole range of colorfully customized Beetles roaming the streets.  More tomorrow from the 2011 New York International Auto Show.

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2012 Volkswagen Beetle: Lady Bug Pitches The Flower Vase, Goes Butch

Earlier this week, Volkswagen officially revealed the all-new 2012 VW Beetle. After months of teases, the slightly more relaxed silhouette and softened 'Beetle dome' wasn't so much of a surprise. Yet the exterior details, which come across as less soft and carefree, more sporty and aggressive, hint that this is no love bug.

And then there's the interior. The original New Beetle came with an interior that looked nothing—absolutely nothing—like that of the Golf, Jetta, or GTI with which it shared some underpinnings. However, the new version of the Beetle trades off the distinctive for a sporty but somewhat ordinary looking instrument panel.

Out with the flower vase, in with the Fender sound system

Processing the design decisions, it's hard to ignore that Volkswagen is clearly trying to make the new (note the lower case) Beetle more butch. The outgoing New Beetle has, for years, landed near the top among vehicles purchased by (and driven by) women, and the flower vase might have had something to do with it.

That flower vase is now gone, replaced by an available modern navigation system, a large glass roof, and a sound system co-developed with the guitar-and-amp maker Fender. If VW has its way, it's a lady bug no more.

But is it losing its charm in the process? Earlier this week, in a live chat, we started to tackle such questions, and it's worth thinking about the mark that the New Beetle has made on car culture. It's essentially the car that kicked off (at least for the U.S.) the whole retro-styling revolution, with a host of 'deliberately retro' or 'retro-fashionable' models like the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Chevrolet HHR, and the Mini Cooper following suit.

Of those, the one that had the most ordinary interior—the Chevrolet HHR—has never clicked as a must-have vehicle and has been relegated to fleets, largely.

Women felt like flower girls; men felt like Pee Wee?

The New Beetle rolled out for 1998, which proved perfect timing to both capitalize on aging, empty-nester Boomers who felt nostalgic for a time of patchouli and flower power—but what made it such a lasting, phenomenal sales success is that it also appealed strongly to the daughters (and sons) of that generation.

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2011 New York: Why VW’s New Beetle Must Challenge Ford’s Mustang

2012 VW Beetle

The 2012 VW Beetle was announced Monday morning as part of a dramatic three city debut in New York, Berlin and Shanghai.  After the drapes dropped and speeches were spoken, I had the opportunity to chat with Kevin Joostema, VW of America’s General Manager of Product Marketing & Strategy.

Joosteema heads the team charged with selling this new Beetle in its most important market in the world.  Make no mistake, though the global tri-city reveal highlighted the importance of China and Europe, America is where it’s at when it comes to 21st century Love Bug.

According to VW, over 26 million Beetles, including the original and New Beetle launched in 1998, have been sold around the world. Over 6 million of those were purchased in the United States, the Beetle’s single largest market. This also put America – and Joostema’s team – in the driver’s seat when it came to the new model.

2011 MINI Goodwood Edition

But our market is filled with plenty of tough competitors.  Who does Joostema see as the Beetle’s chief competition? His answers may surprise you.

“Our chief competition will be with the Mini, in terms of how emotional it is, its life cycle, and breadth of line – the many options and models it offers. Not so much the Fiat 500 – that car is new, doesn’t have as much history (in America), and is at a lower price point,” he added.

“It may sound strange, but honestly, but we need to target Mustang V-6.  Not from a cross shop perspective, because we know they will not be cross shopped. But we have the same mindset for the buyers.  And what we want is what the Mustang has – the loyalty.  The range. The market of one,” he said.

2011 Ford Mustang V-6

“We need to play on those same emotions, and also take on the Japanese sporty coupes, like the [Scion] tC.  And we need see about the new Civic Si [which also makes its debut at the NYIAS]…” Joostema continued. “And we need to be participating in the same field in terms of customization.”

So will the Beetle have special models, similar Scion’s limited edition “Release Series”?

“Absolutely,” said Joosteema without missing a beat. “We call it ‘active lifecycle management’ and we’re looking at the Scion’s approach, but also Mini with the Mayfair and Camden edition.”

“Maybe we do a Surf Model or Baja Model,” Joostema mused.

The reason for all of the increased hype? VW is not content to let this Beetle flounder about without support. For all of its cute nostalgia, the 2012 Beetle is critical to VW of America’s oft cited mission of hitting annual sales of 800,000 by 2018.

2010 Scion xB Release Series 8.0

“The Beetle is a key component of the goal to hit 800,000 – oh absolutely,” said Joostema. “Put it this way; getting from 500,000 to 800,000 will be done by something else, but the Beetle is key to getting from where we are now to 500,000 because it can give us growth in other markets – access to a new, younger buyer who might then continue on with the brand…”

So what does this all mean? You won’t just be seeing Turbos and Cabriolets in the months and years to come, but a whole range of colorfully customized Beetles roaming the streets.  More tomorrow from the 2011 New York International Auto Show.

View the original article here

2012 VW Beetle: Marketing Says It's Not a Chick Car

Believe it or not, I actually know a male, allegedly with genuine cojones, who owns a VW New Beetle--with an automatic no less! So naturally you’re thinking he’s some kind of sissy, or doesn’t know what a real car is, or doesn’t appreciate what driving and being a car nut is all about. Sure, you’d mostly be right. And I can imagine all the comments you’re making, questioning this person’s manhood (I am perhaps the guiltiest of all of you in that respect).

And at the New York Auto Show VW goes and gives us the brand new 2012 VW Beetle, complete with turbocharged engines, an optional Fender stereo system to blow the wax out of your ears, and possibly cause hearing loss. No more flower vase, a mean looking interior meant for drivers and with optional carbon fiber trim, no less. And let’s not forget that flattened roofline, with stronger character lines around the wheel wells, a meaner front face, and some attitude with big wheels to top it all off.

You see, VW was upset that this car was so overwhelmingly purchased and driven by females and that any male associated with the car had his manhood questioned. Based on the demographics of VW New Beetle owners (55% of which are women, the other 45% probably metrosexuals concerned with the curse of puffy eyes and too much red meat) we can see why the term “chick car” stuck. This was not what the VW marketing department or its sales force wanted. Such shame! It’s a chick car! We have to make men lust for the car so they do irrational things like set up websites dedicated to it, so they race it, so they can use it to make up for the lack of intimacy they would normally be getting from their significant other. 

VW had a mission, they decided to redesign this latest version, drop the word “New” and make sure it will appeal to males. Young males. How do I know?

They said so at the reveal and marketing people never lieThey plan on using MTV to pitch the car to youthThe carbon fiber trim and turbocharger

Now let me get to the updated Beetle ad being played all over on the web. It is the Beetle in the jungle, Black Betty-tuned commercial we all saw during the Super Bowl, and now we can see what the newest Beetle looks like. Frankly, I think the commercial is the weakest link of the car’s introduction. And this from a company that planned on blowing us away. According to Tim Ellis, marketing VP at VW of America, “People are waiting for the car and the advertising,” Mr. Ellis said. “We don’t intend to disappoint them with typical car advertising. It will be iconic, proud, daring and above all, fun.”

This ad is not a great start, I have to say. Why weren’t we wowed with an ad that knocked us off our chairs. Give us an Apple McIntosh 1984 memorable commercial. Give us something other than warmed over ads and make sure it makes us either laugh, have a water cooler moment like the Darth Vader Passat ad, or make sure every corner of the Web, magazines, blogs and TV are plastered with cool ads.

Make me proud, VW. Make me want the Beetle. The looks are a great start, and I am the target market (+/- 10 years) who adores fun cars. So make me want it with great ads.

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Next VW Beetle to debut in NY, Shanghai

Thursday, Mar 17th, 2011 @ 5:05 p.m.

Volkswagen has been teasing its next-generation New Beetle for some time now – including a teaser commercial during the Super Bowl — but the German automaker will finally reveal the next Bug at two different auto shows next month.

According to the latest report, Volkswagen will debut the next Beetle nearly simultaneously at the New York and Shanghai auto shows. The New York Auto Show kicks off on April 22 while the Shanghai Motor Show begins on April 19.

Following its April debut, the new New Beetle is expected to arrive in VW showrooms this fall. A convertible version of the Bug is also in the works, but VW will likely launch that model sometime in early 2012.

Check back for live images of the New Beetle as Leftlane heads to the Big Apple in just a few weeks.

References
1.’Volkswagen Beetle…’ view

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