We wouldn’t exactly call this design evolutionary by any means. Yes, it does extend (literally) the previous exterior design but it does not take it to the next evolutionary step. More space for rear passengers? We have a New Beetle. It’s a 2000 GLX 1.8T model. Rear seats are tight even for small children but opening the space up will not have me interested. The New Beetle life span should have been 10 years. You can’t take such an icon, remaster it and remix it for years only to go on tour with a new new remix…
The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen New Beetle will undergo an evolutionary styling change when production begins next year.
Spy photos of the car reveal that all of the sheet metal has been replaced, but the overall design remains retro.
The redesigned 2012 New Beetle shares a platform with the Volkswagen Golf. It will continue to be assembled in Puebla, Mexico.
In an interview last October, Stefan Jacoby, then CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, said the next-generation New Beetle would have more space for rear-seat passengers. But the overall dimensions of the vehicle would not change significantly.
Jacoby said the major complaint about the current car — aside from its age — is the cramped rear seat. Few changes have been made to the current New Beetle since it debuted in 1998.
New Beetle sales peaked at 83,434 in 1999 and have plunged considerably since then. VW sold 14,085 New Beetles last year in the United States, a 47 percent drop from 2008. Through September, sales are up 27 percent from last year to 14,747.
- Automotive News
Looking for more? Have a look below.
- Volkswagen New Beetle to gain a masculine identity?
- Volkswagen announces the 2010 New Beetle Coupe and New Beetle Convertible Final Editions
- Volkswagen introduces the New Beetle ‘BlackOrange’ series
- Volkswagen announces special edition New Beetle Convertible called Blush
- 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle.. revealed
