The (New) New Beetle. Totally New.

It's funny that Volkswagen still calls it the New Beetle. I mean, ok.  It doesn't have an air-cooled flat four in the back.  But it's 2011 - you can't call something "new" that debuted in 1998, seriously.  The New Beetle has lead an interesting life - it really kicked off the popularity of the retro trend when it debuted, selling vast quantities of cuteness to soccer moms and sorority girls for a while.  But nothing that's a "style of the moment" stays popular forever, and that's certainly true of the New Beetle.  It was one of those cars where all the people that wanted one bought one pretty early on, and then they kept selling them anyway.

A facelift in 2006 made the Beetle a little more modern and a little less round looking, but it didn't exactly kick-start slow sales of the cutemobile.  The New Beetle Convertible helped, sure; but it still went out of fashion anyway.  Many people doubted that VW would replace the New Beetle with anything at all, until spy shots of New-New Beetle prototypes started showing up a while ago.  Turns out they will continue the Beetle, only with a slightly different angle.

Volkswagen debuted the 2012  Beetle (I suppose New-New Beetle sounds silly) at the New York Auto Show today, and while you can tell it's a Beetle, there's something... different about it.

Primarily, it's not so damn cute any more.  I mean, the rounded headlights, arching roofline, and fine details give it an air of friendliness, but there aren't the goofy proportions that made the original New Beetle so cute, and so useless inside.  The biggest difference is the roofline: what was once a smooth arc is now stretched out, flattened a bit, lower and sleeker.  The front end isn't as much of a bubble.  The tail lights are more serious-looking too.  According to VW, they were attempting to broaden the appeal of the Beetle's styling to a larger audience - that is, to make it not so embarassing for a male with dignity to drive one.  I have to say, mission accomplished.  It's still an attractive car, but now that's on its styling merits instead of its obnoxious cuteness.

A lot of the difference stylistically comes from the proportions.  The  Beetle is significantly larger than the car it replaces.  Length is 4,278mm (152mm longer), 1,808mm wide (+84mm), and 1486mm tall (12mm shorter.)  The track width front and rear as well as the wheelbase is increased.  Luggage capacity is about a third larger by volume, and the Beetle now has a split-folding rear seat for practicality.  Let's see - a longer, wider, lower Beetle - no wonder it looks a little bit like an Audi TT.  The proportions actually give the Beetle something of a muscular stance, which the New Beetle definetely lacked, even in RSi or Turbo S form.  Another benefit will hopefully be the ability to put full-sized humans in the back seat; the New Beetle's sharply curved roofline meant that although Shaq could fit comfortably up front, the rear seat was best left to his posse of legless midgets.

Where's my flower vase?!?

Looking inside, it's gotten a lot more serious too.  The whole layout is entirely new, but the first thing of note is what you don't see: a flower vase.  It's gone.  If this was your primary reason for buying a New Beetle, you might want to look elsewhere for your dose of cute.  Like a Mini Cooper.

Mechanically, the Beetle is all-new, which is a relief as the New Beetle (this is getting confusing, I admit) was based largely on the MKIV Golf chassis that ran from 1999-2005, although it did receive the MKV Jetta's 2.5L I5 later in life to replace the 2.0L 8v and 1.8 Turbo engines.  The new one is based on the current MKVI Golf chassis, and shares most of it's underpinnings with it - presumably it's independent rear suspension as well, which is something the New Beetle lacked.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHotQJAiHhA

In Europe, the Beetle will be available with a choice of four engines- three gas and one diesel.  At the bottom rung is a 1.2L Turbo I4 with 105bhp, then a 1.4L TSI with 160bhp, and at the top of the range is the GTI's 2.0 FSI Turbo motor, with 200bhp and 207lb-ft of torque.  The diesel is Volkswagen's 1.6 TDI, with 105bhp and an impressive 65.7mpg combined (54mpg US cycle.)  In the US, the Beetle should be available with 3 powertrains - the 2.5L iron-block I5 from the previous New Beetle as a base engine, the 2.0T 200bhp for the Sport, and the 2.0L 140bhp TDI as an additional option.

This marks the return of the powerful turbocharged engine to the Beetle, which was last available in 2005 with the 150bhp 1.8T.  The new 2.0T is an almost universally loved powerplant, and in the Beetle it's mated to a DSG twin-clutch automated manual gearbox, and also includes VW's XDS electronic brake-lock differential, which distributes torque actively between the front wheels to minimize torque steer and plowing.  With this powertrain, the Beetle might actually be a fun car to drive as well as look at - imagine that!  If the availability of a 2.0T in the Beetle Sport wasn't enough, rumor has it that VW is working on a Beetle R for the US market, which may feature the Golf R's 260bhp derivative of the 2.0T engine, along with further chassis tweaks and a more aggressive look.

The Beetle is quite a surprise to me, personally.  I didn't expect it to return in the first place, but especially not in such a desirable form.  It seems as though all the things I didn't like about the outgoing New Beetle have been fixed - lack of a good powertrain, poor interior space utilization, and the "I wouldn't get caught dead driving this chickmobile" styling.  I'm actually excited to drive the Beetle when it comes to the US.  Stay tuned for more details on what form the Beetle will take when it hits US shores as they debut.