By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National October 15, 2009Vehicle Overview
The New Beetle is Volkswagen's retro-themed two-door hatch, and it's also offered as a convertible. The Beetle comes in one well-equipped trim level, and it competes with other premium small cars, such as the Mini Cooper.
(Skip to details on the: New Beetle Convertible)
Changes for 2010
There are no significant changes for 2010.
Exterior
Nothing else on the road looks like the modern-day Beetle and it's one of the taller compact cars on the market.
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Daytime running lights
- Power/heated mirrors
- Optional sunroof
Interior
A bubble-shaped roof gives the four-passenger New Beetle a strong visual kinship to the original model. Unfortunately, this design infringes on rear headroom, and backseat legroom is limited. The rear seatback folds down for additional storage space.
The Beetle has 81 cubic feet of passenger space, and there's 27.1 cubic feet for cargo with the backseat folded.
- Standard imitation leather upholstery
- Standard leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter knob and parking-brake handle
- Standard air conditioning
- Standard cruise control
- Standard power windows, locks and keyless entry
- Standard heated front seats
Under the Hood
The Beetle has a more powerful base powertrain than the Mini.
- 150-horsepower, 2.5-liter five-cylinder with 170 pounds-feet of torque
- Standard five-speed manual transmission (hatchback)
- Optional six-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift function and sport mode (standard on convertible)
Safety
- Standard side-impact airbags
- Standard antilock brakes
- Standard electronic stability system with traction control
- Standard security system
New Beetle Convertible
The New Beetle convertible is offered in one trim level with similar content as the coupe. The convertible's fabric top rests on the back of the car; it doesn't fold into the body. Automatic pop-up rollover supports behind the rear seats are standard, and a wind blocker is optional.
Except for a slightly narrower rear seat, the four-passenger New Beetle convertible's interior looks nearly identical to the hardtop's. Trunk capacity is a modest 5 cubic feet.
- 150-hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder with 170 pounds-feet of torque
- Six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift function and sport mode
- Imitation leather upholstery with leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Power mirrors, windows and locks
- 10-speaker premium audio system Back to top
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Joe Bruzek | Cars.com National | December 30, 2009 |
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | October 15, 2009 |
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