Spy Photos of Next Generation Volkswagen New Beetle

By Nick Kurczewski | Road & Track | Photos by CarPix

Spy photographers have captured images of the next generation New Beetle coupe undergoing road testing in Germany. A lower roofline and re-profiled tail offer hints that Volkswagen is planning to boost the retro appeal of the next Beetle, while also providing a welcome increase in usability and rear passenger comfort.

The New Beetle has always been about nostalgia. Unfortunately, our complaints about the current model sound like we could be writing about the original Beetle, which lasted in the U.S. market until 1980. A cramped rear seat, dated chassis, limited cargo room, and recent sub-par safety ratings have seen the competition go flashing past VW’s retro machine during its 13 year production run.

That’s right, the New Beetle has been on sale (and virtually unchanged) since 1998. If you love the rounded looks and have loads of happy Beetle memories, this comes as great news. But if you’re looking for an economy car that is fun to drive and has a premium feel to it, there are many better choices out there. The Mini Cooper, Scion tC and even the latest version of the VW Golf all make the New Beetle feel its age.

At a glance, these spy images don’t look dramatically different from the current new Beetle. Take a closer look and you’ll spot a longer and lower greenhouse that is less rounded than before. This should offer a much needed increase in rear headroom. The test mule also appears to have a longer tail-end, the rear screen is more vertical than before and there is a noticeable increase in rear overhang.

The new tail treatment should be far more practical, especially when it comes to cargo room. The 2010 New Beetle offers a miserly 12 cubic-feet of luggage space. A 2010 VW Golf is only fractionally better (12.4 cu-ft), but its wide-opening hatch and squarer shape of the cargo space is more convenient to use.

Engines will come from the Golf, which means a 170-bhp 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine will be standard with a choice of 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. At present, the New Beetle convertible is an automatic-only offering. We’ll see if that holds true when the newest New Beetle officially arrives early in 2011.

It will also be interesting to see if VW sticks to its recent ‘more for less’ pricing philosophy. The recently updated Jetta and next year’s New Midsize Sedan (most likely badged a Passat) are aggressively priced – in the case of the 2011 Jetta, the base model costs thousands less than the cheapest version of the outgoing model. The current New Beetle is priced at $19,440, a not insignificant sum for a car that puts a premium on form instead of function.