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The Volkswagen New Beetle was the cute car that started the retro-futurist design craze, which is still going strong. It was a modernized version of the legendary VW Beetle and struck a chord with consumers who had grown tired of standard conservative car designs and had fond memories of the “Bugs” from their youth.

Now on sale in the North American market for more than a decade, the Volkswagen New Beetle hasn’t really changed. It’s still a good car, but it’s not as functional as other offerings in its class. Buyers also have little reason to pick up a new New Beetle over a certified pre-owned model.

Current Volkswagen New Beetle

The Volkswagen New Beetle is available as a two-door hatchback or a two-door convertible. Although the front-wheel-drive compact is based on the previous-generation Golf platform, it has less interior space than the Rabbit (and most compacts in its class). The front seats are roomy, but the same can hardly be said of the back. Trunk space is tight and even more limiting on the convertible. The convertible comes with a manual-folding top (and a glass rear window) as standard. A power top is available as an option.

Overall, options are few. The New Beetle is loaded with standard equipment, including air-conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, full power accessories, faux leather seating and a CD/MP3 stereo with satellite radio and auxiliary audio jack. A 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine provides 150 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. Traction control and stability control are standard on all models, as is a five-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic is optional.

In road and comparison tests, we found the Volkswagen New Beetle to be a fun car to drive. It isn’t a spirited experience, but excels at what it was built for — cruising and being seen cruising in. The engine revs smoothly and pulls well, though no one will mistake it for lively. The suspension is on the soft side of sporty. Those interested in the convertible should be aware that rearview visibility is poor with the top up (small rear window) and down (stacked soft top).

Past Volkswagen New Beetle Models

Technically, the Volkswagen New Beetle is still in its first generation, but that’s not to say there haven’t been changes since its launch for 1998. Earlier models (up to 2005) used GL, GLS and GLX designations to reflect the various trim levels. From 1998-2005, the base engine was a 115-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder. A 100-hp 1.9-liter Turbo Direct Injection turbodiesel was also offered (the TDI trim) until the end of 2006, when it failed to meet new emissions regulations.

Until recently, turbocharged gasoline engines have been a big part of the New Beetle’s trim lineup. Sold from 1999-2006, the New Beetle 1.8T was powered by a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder, which put out 150 hp. For 2002, VW added the Turbo S trim to the coupe lineup. It was equipped with a retuned 180-hp version of the 1.8T turbo engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The Turbo S was discontinued after 2004, while the current 2.5-liter engine showed up for 2006.

Throughout the years, Volkswagen has released several special-edition models, including limited-edition colors and trim packages. For 2002, VW added a Sport edition, which essentially was a 1.8T with a five-speed manual, 17-inch wheels and a leather interior. The convertible was launched for the 2003 model year.

 

 

Engine
Type 2.5L, 5-cylinder, in-line
Bore 3.25 in (82.5 mm)
Stroke 3.65 in (92.8 mm)
Displacement 151.3 in3 (2,480 cm3)
Compression ratio 9.5:1
Horsepower 150 @ 5,000 (110 kW @ 5,000)
Maximum torque 170 @ 3,750 (228 Nm @ 3,750)
Fuel requirement Regular unleaded
Firing order 1-2-4-5-3

Performance
0-60 mph (Manual/Automatic) 8.4 sec / 8.6 sec
Top Speed* (Manual/Automatic) 126 mph / 125 mph
*Maximum speed electronically limited in U.S. Obey all speed and traffic laws.

Engine Design
Arrangement Front mounted, transverse
Cylinder Block Cast iron
Crank Shaft Steel, six main bearings
Cylinder Head Aluminum alloy, cross flow
Valve Train Double overhead camshaft, chain driven with automatic tensioner, four valves per cylinder, maintenance free hydraulic lifters, single coil valve springs
Cooling System Water cooled, water pump, cross flow radiator, double electric PWM controlled radiator fan
Lubrication external gear pump, chain driven, oil cooler
Fuel / Air Supply Sequential multi-point fuel injection (Motronic)
Emissions Bin 5 EPA Federal Emissions Concept, PZEV emissions concept for California, OBD II, ORVR (On-board Refueling Vapor Recovery), EVAP (enhanced evaporation system) standards for USA, 3-way catalytic converter. Two oxygen sensors for Bin 5 and three for PZEV

Federal 50 state approved LEV II ULEV-T2 BIN5: LEV II / T2 EVAP: 150hp. Multiport fuel injection, air injection, three-way catalyst, 2 heated oxygen sensors. OBD II

QZEV 50 State approved LEV II SULEV + ZEVAP / T2 EVAP: 150hp. Multiport fuel injection, three-way catalyst, 2 heated oxygen sensors OBD II

Electrical System
Alternator - V/A 14 volts / 140 A
Battery - V/Ah 12 volts / 60 Ah
Ignition Digital electronic, with two knock sensors

Drivetrain

Drivetrain Front wheel drive
Transmission Gear Ratios:1
1st man / auto 3.78/ 4.04
2nd man / auto 2.12/ 2.37
3rd man / auto 1.36/ 1.56
4th man / auto 1.03/ 1.16
5th man / auto 0.84/ 0.85
6th man / auto NA/ 0.67
Reverse 3.65/ 3.87
Final I 3.647/ 3.87

Steering
Type Rack and pinion, power assisted
Turns (lock to lock) 3.04
Turning Circle (curb to curb) 35.8 ft (10.9 m)
Ratio 15.6:1

Body, Chassis and Suspension
Type Unitized construction, bolt-on front fenders
Front Suspension Independent McPherson struts, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers,
23 mm integrated stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension Independent torsion beam axle, coil springs, telescopic gas pressurized
shock absorbers, 18 mm stabilizer bar
Service Brakes Power assisted, dual circuit, vented 280 x 22 mm front discs and 232 x 9 mm
solid rear discs
Anti Lock Braking System Standard, all four wheels, 3-channel with electronic brake pressure distribution
Parking Brake Mechanical, effective on rear wheels
Wheels 6.5J X 16” alloy wheels 6.5J X 17” alloy wheels
Tires 205/55 R16 H, all-season tires 205/55 R17 H, all-season tires
Drag Coefficient 0.38

Interior Volume - SAE
EPA Class Sub-Compact
Seating Capacity Four
Passenger Volume 81 ft3 (2.3 m3 )
Cargo Volume 12 ft3 (0.3 m3)
Cargo Volume (rear seat folded) 27.1 ft3 (0.77 m3)
Volume (Manual/ Automatic) 46 ft3 (1.30 m3) /35.1 ft3 (1.00 m3)
Head Room (Manual/ Automatic) 38.2 in (970.3 mm) / 36.7 in (932.2 mm)
Shoulder Room (Manual/ Automatic) 52.8 in (1,341 mm) / 49.3 in (1,252 mm)
Leg Room (Manual/ Automatic) 39.4 in (1,001 mm) / 33.5 in (851 mm)

Dimensions
Wheelbase 98.8 in (2,508 mm)
Front Track 59.4 in (1,508 mm)
Rear Track 58.8 in (1,494 mm)
Length 161.1 in (4,091 mm)
Width 67.9 in (1,724 mm)
Height 59 in (1,498 mm)
Ground Clearance 4.6 in (118 mm)

Weights
Curb Weight 2,884 lbs (1,308 kg) 2,965 lbs (1,345 kg)
Front (Manual/Automatic) 1,852 lbs (840 kg) / 1,922 lbs (872 kg)
Rear (Manual/Automatic) 1,032 lbs (468 kg) / 1.043 lbs (473 kg)
Payload (Manual/Automatic) 722 lbs (350 kg) / 772 lbs (350 kg)

Fuel Consumption*
City mpg (manual / automatic) 23 / 23
Highway mpg (manual / automatic) 31 / 32
*EPA fuel mileage are estimates only. Your fuel consumption may vary.

Capacities
Engine Oil (with filter) 6.3 qt (6.0 L)
Fuel Tank 14.5 gal (55.0 L)
Cooling System 10.0 qt (9.5 L)
Wiper Fluid 2.0 qt (1.9 L)

EXTERIOR

Antenna
Integrated antenna in front windshield
Roof mounted satellite radio antenna

Anti-Corrosion
Fully galvanized sheet metal
Body Panels
Additional exterior chrome applications

Brake Lights
Mid-mounted 3rd stop lamp

Bumpers
Body color bumpers

Doors
2 doors
Anti-intrusion side door beams
Body color door handles

Fenders
Plastic front and rear fenders

Fuel Tank
Fuel cap with string attachment and notched edge

Glass
Tinted glass, green

Grille
Body color grille

Horn
Dual tone horns

Lights, Front/Rear
Daytime Running Lights (DRL).
Headlights-on warning tone, upon opening of driver’s door when ignition key is removed
Projector lens halogen front headlamps with light weight, chip-resistant polycarbonate lenses
Side blinkers integrated into side exterior mirrors

Mirrors
Body color mirror housings
Driver and passenger side power exterior mirrors, heated

Tires
205/55 R 16 H, all-season tires
225/45 R17 H, all-season tires
Temporary use spare tire
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Wheels
6.5J X 16” alloy wheels “Mali”
7J X 17” alloy wheels “Versus”

Wipers/Washer
Two-speed windshield wipers with variable intermittent wipe feature
Heated windshield washer nozzles, front

INTERIOR

Air Conditioning
Air conditioning, CFC-free

Alarm/Anti-Theft
Anti-theft vehicle alarm system for doors, hood, trunk lid, radio, and starter, with warning LED in door top sill and with audible and visual activation
Immobilizer III theft deterrent system

Armrest
Front center armrest adjustable/folding with storage compartment

Assist Handles
Large assist handle in instrument panel above glove box

Cupholders
Cupholder solution for front and rear

Defroster
Electric rear window defroster
Electric side mirror defroster/defogger

Doors
Reflectors in front doors
Door sill protectors

Doors/Side Panels
Integrated armrests in front door panels
Integrated armrests in rear side panels
Molded door trim

Floor Mats
Front floor mats

Instrument Cluster
Brake pad wear indicator
Illumination of controls and gauges - blue, with red indicators
Safety belt reminder
Speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip odometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator (if equipped with optional automatic transmission), warning lights

Keys
Folding keys (2) with radio-frequency remote transmitter for central locking, eyelet
Valet key

Lighting
Glove box light
Interior front center dome light
Reading lights front

Locks
Automatic locking feature (doors lock automatically when vehicle reaches 8 mph). Dealer can disable feature or program to unlock when ignition key is removed. Doors unlock automatically upon airbag deployment
Driver and passenger door mounted power lock/unlock switches for central locking system s s
Remote central power locking system with selective unlocking and key operated convenience open and close feature (windows)
LED locking indicators on top of door sill

Mirrors, Interior
Dual driver and front passenger visor vanity mirrors, illuminated with cover
Mirror control pad with joystick control

Power Outlets
Two power outlet (SAE size) in center console

Radio/Audio
Premium 5.5 in dash single CD Radio with MP3 format capability, satellite radio preparation, 6 speakers, control capability for CD changer, theft-deterrent warning light and coding system
Auxiliary input jack
Premium Sound
SIRIUS® satellite radio
CD Changer Prep

Remote Releases
Manual fuel filler door and electronic hatch release

Restraint Systems
Driver and front passenger front airbag supplemental restraint system
Driver and front passenger head/thorax side airbag supplemental restraint system
Emergency locking retractors for all seating positions
Safety belts pre-tensioners with load limiters, front seats only
Front 3-point safety belts, height adjustable
Rear outboard 3-point safety belts
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)
Child seat lower anchorage points with markings, rear seating positions
Buckle switch (sensor which deploys airbag depending on safety belt use)

Seating, Front
Front seats, fully reclining, height adjustable, with adjustable (height & angle) lockable head restraints
“Easy Entry System” allows front seat to move forward for easy access to rear seating area
Heatable front seats

Seating, Rear
One piece folding rear seat

Steering Wheel
3-spoke padded steering wheel
3-spoke padded leather wrapped steering wheel
Height adjustable and telescoping steering column
Steering wheel deformable/collapsible upon impact
Theft-deterrent steering column

Storage, Interior
Two front cupholders and one rear cupholder
Front door storage nets
Front seatback magazine/storage pocket
Soft opening (silicone dampened) glovebox, lockable with interior shelf for owners literature
Sunglass holder located above rearview mirror
Storage compartment inside front center armrest

Trim (Details)
Plastic shift knob
Plastic handbrake grip
Leather brake handle
Leather shift knob

Trunk/Cargo Area
Luggage compartment cover, one piece, lifting, removable
Fully carpeted lined luggage compartment
Grip on inside of trunk lid to assist closing

Upholstery
Leatherette seat trim

Ventilation System
Pollen filter

Windows
Power windows with pinch protection. Front windows with automatic one-touch feature, operable from driver’s side only

TECHNICAL

Battery
Battery box, hard shell box around the battery for protection

Body Panels
Crash optimized front end

Brakes
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Power assisted front vented disc brakes, rear solid disc brakes

Emissions
Bin 5 EPA Federal Emissions Concept
PZEV - Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle emissions for California
OBD II
ORVR - On-board Refueling Vapor Recovery
EVAP standard for Federal
PZEV Zero EVAP standard for California

Engine
2.5L 150 horsepower, 170 lbs-ft torque, 5-cylinder, in-line, 4V

Side Impact
Anti-intrusion side door beams
Protective padding inside side doors

Steering
Power assisted rack and pinion steering

Suspension
Independent front McPherson struts, stabilizer bar
Independent track correcting torsion beam rear axle with integrated stabilizer bar

Traction Control
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) s s
Engine Braking Assist (EBA) prevents compression-induced skidding in slippery conditions
Electronic Stabilization Program with brake assistant (HBA)

Transmission
5-speed manual transmission s n/a
6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic®
Cable shift mechanism - manual transmission only
Clutch starter interlock for manual transmission. Vehicle will not start if clutch is not depressed
Hydraulic clutch for manual transmission

The Volkswagen Beetle was not Adolph Hitler’s idea. But he was involved.

Even while Ferdinand Porsche was designing fantastic Mercedes touring cars and racers, long before Hitler was elected to power in Germany, he was conjuring up schemes to mass-produce an affordable car.

Born in 1875, Porsche was already acquiring legendary status when he joined Jacob Lohner & Co. in 1898 and was nearly a certifiable genius when he left that company to go to work for Astro-Daimler (maker of Mercedes) in 1905. And it was his series of wildly successful racing cars and the astounding Mercedes SSK road cars while at Daimler that brought him world recognition. When he left that company to start his own design bureau in 1931, he was Germany’s best and best-known engineer; and maybe the world’s.

Daimler was never enthusiastic about building a small car and Porsche always had been. So, newly free, Porsche went out looking for a company who’d buy his idea for a popular small car. Motorcycle maker Zündapp approached him first and Porsche worked on a rear-engine car powered by a radial engine. But the radial engine’s inherent problems were insurmountable and the project was cancelled. So Porsche moved on to another motorcycle manufacturer, NSU.

At NSU, Porsche developed the “Type 32″ with a rear-mounted, air-cooled flat four (similar to aircraft engines Porsche had designed at Daimler) and a steel body that at least suggested the Beetle yet to be. But even though prototypes of the Type 32 were built during 1934, it turned out that NSU was barred from producing cars because of an existing contract with Italy’s Fiat. So the Type 32 was stillborn.

Hitler became chancellor in 1933 and at 1934’s Berlin Motor Show made a speech promoting development of just the sort of car Porsche wanted to build, and afterwards arranged a meeting with Porsche. From that meeting came the general outline for the Beetle and a commitment to build it. Prototypes quickly took shape and in 1938 the cornerstone was laid for a new factory to build the car in the new town of “KdF-Stadt” (called Wolfsburg now).

Hitler called the new car the “KdF-Wagen” — the “Strength Through Joy Car” — after the Nazi-led KdF (Kraft durch Freude) movement that was supposed to look after the working people. Hitler’s name for the car wouldn’t last and, at the cost of the most destructive war in history, neither would Hitler.

But Porsche’s passion, the Beetle itself, would survive into the 21st century — easily and by far, the longest production run of any single car design ever. It would evolve constantly, but always be the Beetle. Though “Beetle” was never the car’s official name.

The War Years (1941-1944)

Ferdinand Porsche hated the name KdF-Wagen (he naturally preferred Volkswagen, the informal name under which the car had been developed). But even when only prototypes were skittering about in 1938, the nickname “Beetle” was already being applied by the public (the name appeared in a New York Times article that year). Considering the car’s shape, how could it be called anything else?

Known by Porsche as the “Type 60,” the very first production-ready Beetle debuted at the 1939 Berlin Motor Show a few months before German troops invaded Poland. As every subsequent air-cooled Beetle would be, the Type 60 rode on a chassis that was basically a stamped steel pan with the 1.0-liter (actually 985 cubic centimeters) overhead valve, flat-four engine located in the back making just 23.5 horsepower. Paired with that engine was a four-speed manual, non-synchromesh gearbox that sent power to the rear wheels that hung at the end of some rather treacherous swing axles. The front end used a trailing arm and torsion bar system that was rugged, if not particularly supple, and the steering was by a worm gear. The braking system consisted of four dinky, mechanically operated drums.

The scheme surrounding the car was that ordinary Germans could pay five reichmarks a week for savings stamps that could eventually be turned over for a Beetle. But no Beetles were ever delivered to anyone with a full book of stamps.

The German army needed a light utility vehicle, and that need would overwhelm the Beetle during the war years. The Type 62 Kübelwagen was basically a lightly modified Beetle chassis fitted with a new four-door convertible body and wearing 18- instead of the Beetle’s 16-inch wheels for better ground clearance. The Kübelwagen’s distinctive shape would become as identified with the Wehrmacht as the Jeep was with the American army.

Even though the factory’s production would be dedicated primarily to Type 62 and Type 82 Kübelwagens, and the amphibious Type 128 and Type 166 Schwimmwagens during the war, there were still a few Beetles being turned out for use, almost exclusively, by Nazi party officials. In fact, between July 11, 1941 (the date when production officially began) and August 7, 1944 when production ceased under pressure of Allied bombing, 630 Beetle sedans and 13 cabriolet convertibles were built. During roughly that same period, somewhere around 50,000 Kübelwagens and 14,000 Schwimmwagens were built.

With the war over in May of 1945, the Beetle could have sunk into obscurity as an artifact of the darkest chapter in German history. No one could have predicted it would instead lead the industrial renaissance of a democratic West Germany.

Oh yeah, at this point, no one had yet formally used the name “Volkswagen.”

Rebuilding (1945-1949)

Germany was in desperate shape after the war and cleaved into four sectors, each administered by one of the victorious allied nations. While the American, British and French sectors would be recombined to form West Germany, the Soviet sector became the police state of East Germany. Fortunately for automotive posterity, the KdF-Wagen factory, which was in relatively good shape for a factory that had been bombed, was in the British sector.

After surveying the damage, the British military government saw potential in the factory and the remaining stock of half-finished cars and sundry pieces. And the government itself needed transportation. So in August 1945, the British ordered up 20,000 Beetles. Also around that time, and since the KdF movement vanished along with the Nazis, the name of the town of KdF-Stadt was changed to Wolfsburg, the KdF-Wagen became, once again (and for the first time officially) the Volkswagen, and a new company, Volkswagen GmbH (managed in trust by the British until 1949), was formed to build the Beetle.

The very first post-war Beetles were essentially leftover Kübelwagen chassis fitted with the Beetle sedan bodywork (Kübelwagen bodies had been built in Berlin and that tooling was destroyed during the war). Production started in December 1945 and by the end of the month 55 cars had been built. These first cars were powered by a 1.1-liter (1131cc) version of the flat four originally developed for the Schwimmwagen.

Despite intense material shortages, production continued into 1946 with few changes to the Beetle. There’s a lot of variation in those ‘46 Beetles, however, as the factory cobbled together things like headliners and door panels from whatever materials it could scrounge together. Despite the onerous conditions, the 10,000th Beetle came off the line in October of that year.

Export sales started in 1947 when 56 Beetle sedans were sent to the Netherlands. Bringing in critical foreign currency, 4,464 Beetles found homes in some place other than West Germany that year. Also that year the engine output leapt from 24 to a throaty 25 hp. Hey, it was a start.

The big change at Volkswagen for 1948 wasn’t in the Beetle itself (though engine output skyrocketed to 30 hp), but in the management of the company as Heinrich Nordhoff took over running the plant. Transferring over from Opel, Nordhoff was no fan of the early Beetles and was convinced that it needed to become more refined if the company was to survive. Nordhoff was the driving force behind the push for constant improvement without abandoning the basic design that would define Volkswagen in the public’s mind.

While a few Beetles had come over to America along with returning servicemen as early as 1947, the first official exports to the continent started in 1949 as VW introduced a Deluxe “export model” Beetle. The Deluxe had such extravagant equipment as more color choices, chrome bumpers, headlight rings, door handles and hubcaps (initially the Standard model was also sold in the U.S.).

The ‘49 Beetle sedan featured a new instrument panel with a single gauge in front of the driver and, in a leap of faith, deleted the hole for a hand crank to get the engine going. But the biggest change in the line was the introduction of a Karmann-built convertible — which would last longer in the American market than even the sedan.

Already the Beetle was getting a little bit better every year.