REPORT: Next New Beetle will have bigger back seat
2009 Volkswagen New Beetle – Click above for high-res image gallery
The "New Beetle" was a smash hit when it debuted in 1998, and the cutesy little Bug immediately jumped to sales of 83,434 the next year. Over the next 10 years, however, Volkswagen left the spiritual successor to the original Beetle out to dry, and sales have steadily dropped down to near nothingness. AutoWeek is reporting that Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of VW of America, confirmed at a press event in Germany that a long overdue redesign of the New Beetle is coming in 2012, and packaging will be vastly improved.
The current back seat of the New Beetle is a real problem being far too small and uncomfortable for a vehicle in the small car segment. Jacoby says the next Beetle will have a larger rear quarters and better packaging, without growing much beyond its current dimensions. Jacoby says the Beetle will also be used by VW as a kind of low-cost halo car, showing that the German automaker has returned to its roots of building cars for the people.
It's great that VW is finally getting around to making the next New Beetle, but with 14 years between redesigns, we're thinking VW needs to knock the next little Bug out of the park if it once again wants to catch the eye of the car-buying public.
Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
[Source: AutoWeek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
MazdaMatt 7:08PM (10/12/2009)
I lost my virginity in the back of a '99. Just move both front seats forward and there was enough room for certain recreational activities.
Headroom was lacking, though.
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Farris 7:20PM (10/12/2009)
Depending on your definition of virginity, I lost mine in the back of my 02. Let's just say that yes, there's lots of "head"room.
A bigger backseat would be nice, though. A lot of my friends complained anytime we took a road trip (I always drove because I had the most reliable car with the best mileage because I had a TDI).
Bob-omb 10:06PM (10/12/2009)
You guys lost your virginities in Beetles? I thought *I* was super gay, but wow!
geo.stewart 8:48AM (10/13/2009)
T M I
tcc3 11:30AM (10/13/2009)
cue the Mallrats jokes.
Hike15 7:13PM (10/12/2009)
Did anyone else read this and forget that new beetles have a back seat at all? But anyways, Maybe v-dub can sell the new beetle as more of a mini competitor
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Visnick 7:15PM (10/12/2009)
I didn't realize they had one. Never seen anyone in the back of one
Bob-omb 10:05PM (10/12/2009)
The leg room isn't as much of a problem as the head room. They won't be able to keep the Beetle shape if their goal is a livable back seat.
Joey Mazz 12:39AM (10/13/2009)
The Beetle as a trendy mini-competitor would be a bad idea based on their new marketing strategy. They need to make it both roomier, more practical, but also simpler and more affordable in order to remake it as the people's car. However, If they do go for the trendy/sporty angle, I hope they return the car to a rear-engine platform (they could get the hardware from porsche).
geo.stewart 8:47AM (10/13/2009)
their problem is that you might as well get a golf if you want a back seat and usable space.
they bring out all these cannibalization stats for arguments against the Scirocco stateside and yet this thing still lives.
tcc3 11:31AM (10/13/2009)
I usually leave mine down. Its like a roadster with a huge trunk.
yournamehere6785 7:19PM (10/12/2009)
my mother has one. it has the longest dashboard i have ever seen. you could add 18in of rear leg room if they used a standard sized dash. not an exaggeration
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Rich 7:22PM (10/12/2009)
Ah, but do you know what's under the dash?
Come on, did you ever try to replace the plugs on that thing?
Taylor. Yes, Taylor. 8:25PM (10/12/2009)
I know! The dash is so weird! The whole car is just awkward.
-Taylor
tcc3 11:33AM (10/13/2009)
Yeah, man the engines under there.
3n1gma 7:21PM (10/12/2009)
The beetle would be the perfect VW electric car. Maybe in 2012?
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Rich 7:21PM (10/12/2009)
About time. Great for infants and toddlers, not so sure about loss of virginity, but not good for adults more conventionally inclined, especially those over 5' tall, or those with legs.
The roofline of the New Beetle is all wrong. Too much "cab forward", too little driving experience. I mean, the first generation had a sun visor perfect for the windscreen, but which only barely extended beyond the A pillar in the sideways position. Totally useless.
Maybe they could truly reincarnate the Beetle with a tweaked version of the MR layout in that 2 seater TDI thing they were touting a while back. Kinda obvious how I want it tweaked...
Alternatively, just stick with the Golf platform, and shift the arc of the roofline back more in line with the original Hitler-penned design. It makes much more sense that way.
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The Other Bob 9:40AM (10/13/2009)
"Hitler-penned design." That cracked me up.
Now there is a sales slogan.
Rich 9:49AM (10/13/2009)
Well, for a long time, it was believed that Hitler sketched out the plan elevation of the oval shape with four similarly rounded mudguards, and told Porsche to run with it.
What actually happened is that a guy called Josef Ganz designed the thing at least ten years before Hitler saw it, and had tried and tried to sell his "Volkswagen Maikäfer" (VW May Beetle). The regime took his design and arrested him on trumped up charges. Yeah, he was a Jew.
I was kinda hoping someone would google it and "discover" the truth to counter my facetiousness.
Mental Issues 7:27PM (10/12/2009)
It seems that even VW has given up on caring about the current New Beetle - just look at the badly photoshopped press photos. I love how the first two have the same background image.
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