2011 New York Auto Show: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Revealed

The inside is nice, but it could be from any VW/Audi car. Is it man enough for me? No.

so its a gti with different fenders and more headroom?

Really if they want butch...then go look at all those 1970s bugs people modded. Give it flared rear wheel arches, heavily rear-biased AWD, the inline 5 cylinder turbo standard and make it looks like it's a bug on steroids. Essentially, think JCW Cooper, but even more aggressive.

@lostboyz: Yeah, but it isn't plaid on the inside.

I don't really think too much about the manly thing, being an older man. It mostly applies to younger men who are not yet secure about a lot of things, including their manliness.

I like the looks of the Beetle-- especially the interior. That alone would get me interested. Of course, it is pretty much a showy thing and not very practical. I am sure the GTi has much more room in it.

I like the fresher design elements of the interior. The new steering wheel and dash design are great, and it's miles ahead of the current model.

Should be interesting to see in person. It's definitely a sportier look. It will remain to be seen if it translates well on the road.

Manly enough? Not manly enough? Lots of insecurity by some posters.

It looks well updated to me. Nice looking version of the Beetle.

PTC, I haven't seen anyone really bag on the car's new look. It does look better. Just think if they want to really appeal to the GTI/Scirocco crowd and have it retro, then go all out. Go crazy with it and make it look nightmarish.

No bud vase in the dash. BIG plus.

I don't need my car to be a man. I am a man. Elvis could drive a pink Caddy and men didn't question his masculinity, they were jealous of it and its affects on women. He made the car work for him, not the other way around, as is so often the case now (I'm lookin' at you, dime-store cowboy in a Lariat).

All that silliness aside, nice Beetle, a much better update than the last, and strong hints of the first Porche:
http://www.sunsetclassics.com/1965-porsche-356/images/porsche_356C.jpg

Is it just me or does that steering wheel look tiny?

I hope this is built on the Golf platform and not the Jettas. If so, it should be a nice driver. The restyle is subtle but the car does look better. Not loving the tailights though.

It does not looks like they have tried hard enough hide golf/gti roots of the car. 2.0T and 2.0TDI is a great move, but first will not sell as it will be too expansive. 2.5L is fail as usual, especially with 5-speed. It even gets worst milage than Golf.

It does look better, but the size is all wrong. The New Beetle was already too big, and now they've gone and made it bigger. VW just trying to offer two cars in the same segment, a practical boring one, and the quirky stylish one.

I like the looks, but I don't get the size. Why have it compete in the same segment as the Jetta and Golf? Why not make it the answer to the Mini and 500?

I like it a lot, but I agree that it is a little too big. stoovt001 hits the nail on the head: give me a competitor for the MINI and 500.

I have never been a far of the Beetle, but gotta tell you, I really like this new design, for sure.

I own a Miata. I'm not worried about appearing 'manly' -- whatever that means.

I like the redesign -- especially the interior. It's more crisp, clean and upscale looking all around (out and in). Add to that it's definitely fresher and more modern.

As already mentioned by others above, I have trouble seeing where it fits in the VW line-up. It's a less practical Golf/GTI. Heck, it's a less practical Scirocco which already plays the role of 'less practical GTI.' And I like the looks of both of those cars -- so the design appeal of this isn't enough to sway me into wanting one someday. Maybe if it did something unique? But really it doesn't. It'll find a few takers though. Chipping away at that Toyota sales/production lead I guess, one niche at a time.

Guys who choose their cars by how "manly" they are will be much happier when they finally accept who they are and come out of the closet.

lol, good to see that some people are secure in their manhood... i liked the last beetle, it was more cohesive in its styling. if you had to be gay to have one, then i'd have wild mansex for the limited edition AWD VR6 RSi.

this one seems a bit oddly shaped in comparison, but it is nice. love the fact you can have a 2.0T with it. i do agree with others that it needs to be special in some way beyond just quirky looks... but then again, the car was wildly successful here because of its quirky looks.

I think its a substantial improvement, but I am 23 and would still not drive a Beetle. I like the interior a lot though, it looks much better! Its fresh and stylish. The outside is slightly more masculine, and some men may choose this over a Mini Cooper, yet I would not. Its still very feminine due to the last gen's reputation to be taken seriously as a male sports car. And DUMP and replace the 2.5 liter already, its CRAP !

the 2.5 is a good engine... reliable, great engine note, torquey, and decent gas mileage. probably cheap as hell for them to make. don't knock it, it works.

The last New Beetle probably sold on style, I don't see why this one will be any different. Sure you can get a Golf or GTI with the same powertrains and similar size, but they don't look anything like this car. I don't think functionality is the primary motivator here.

Nice interior design, and slick-looking steering wheel.

Stop knocking the 2.5! Everyone loves to trash this engine, but it has great torque, sounds throaty, and IMO beats the pants off the 1.8 and 2.0L compact car engines it was designed to compete with. The new Focus and Sonata four-bangers are starting to make it look a bit dated, but they just came out in our market. They will need a better base engine in the next generation, but for now it is a powerful and likely cheap way to go.

Don't like the view from the back but at least it has better looking wheels than the GTI.

Um...how is the 2.5 powerful? Acura's 2.4 makes 200 HP. Hyundai's 2.4 also makes 200 HP. So how is it the sad 2.5 in the VW is powerful? Like the 2.5 in the Mazda5/3, this engine is long beyond its prime and needs to be put down in a field. It's neither powerful nor efficient.

Overall I like the looks of this car. It is a great improvement over the last "new Beetle". I'm hoping it will have decent handling. As for the 2.5 5 cylinder engine I wish VW would tune it it a little better to bring a little more HP to the table and make it sound better. The TTRS has this same engine with a turbo making 360 HP.I cannot see why VW can get at least 200 HP out of this engine. As for the 2.0 TSI I really think VW should bump it up to 230 HP. It already gets 256 with the R32. VW is clearly holding back here.

Design is fine. Using the up! platform for a smaller version of Beetle using the introduced styling would be a better choice IMHO.

I have to wonder how many people have actually tried the 2.5L engine. I had an '06 Jetta with a 5-speed and the 2.5L 5cyl, and it was a torquey, relatively sonorous engine that got good mileage. The engine note was much more aggressive than a 4, and I liked it. Sure, there are brand new engines that may make this engine seem outdated, but they're brand new. This engine is good, and works for the moment and the price. New engines don't just happen, you need a few years and some real $ to develop one. I'm sure VW will do something of the sort in the near future. After all, they were using DI regularly long before many other companies.

Also, again, don't knock the 2.0TSI until you try it. First off, VW is not going to rate their 2.0T higher as they have to keep it below Audi's 2.0T for image's sake, which is rated at 211HP and 257lb-ft. Second, if you drive a VW equipped with the 2.0TSI, you really won't be wanting for more power, and you will also think the numbers are a little underrated. The 2.0TSI and 6-speed manual move my 2010 VW CC really impressively, especially considering that it is not exactly a small car. I've actually gotten several compliments from passengers who are highly impressed with the acceleration of the car, amongst the many other nice features of it.

Going back to the styling of this Beetle, I saw an original parked in a driveway this morning, and the roofline and overall styling of this model is much more in keeping with the original than the last gen car. I think this car looks great, and will probably sell more because there is more substance to this generation where the last relied heavily on kitsch and campiness (special hi-po models not withstanding).

I agree about the 2.5, we have it in an 07 Rabbit, and it is has a lot of grunt, a nice note, and decent mileage (no better or worse than many other 170hp engines) and it cruises at low RPM on the highway. I think a lot of people who have never driven VW engines don't realize how well they drive. Everyone always slams the 2.0 liter 115hp motor. But the thing makes peak torque at 2600 RPM and has a relatively flat torque curve up to redline, and it makes more torque than horsepower. The result is that you don't have to rev the snot out of it in every day driving and it works well. the 2.5L is the same way. When we got the rabbit and were testing other cars nothing had the smoothness of the 2.5--don't knock it till you've tried it.