2011 VW Beetle, Bigger and Sportier

The Bug is back – but don’t you dare call it cute! An almost unbelievable 73 years since the Beetle made its worldwide debut, Volkswagen has gone for a tougher look for its MkIII model.

To emphasise its global appeal, the striking new car was simultaneously unveiled this week in Shanghai, New York and Berlin. Simply dubbed The Beetle (dropping the ‘New’), this third-generation model moves away from the soft, cutesy styling of the current model. Instead, the new machine gets a much sportier, coupé-like stance, while retaining the original’s classic proportions.

This means the loss of one the car’s most talked-about features: the dash-mounted flower vase! A VW spokesman explained why: “Clearly the current car’s styling was aimed at the feminine side of the market, and the vase didn’t really fit with this model’s sportier appearance.”

The dynamic styling changes are particularly apparent at the back, where the squared-off rear light clusters now sit flush with the boot lip. Meanwhile, on the most powerful turbo petrol versions, a fixed rear spoiler and twin exhausts add an extra dose of aggression to the styling.

However, despite looking more compact thanks to shorter front and rear overhangs and a lower roof, the Beetle is much bigger than before. It is now slightly longer than the Golf, having grown by 152mm. This should address a criticism of the current car by freeing up more space in the cabin and boot; the latter increases from 209 to 310 litres.

At the front, semi-circular LED strips are integrated into the rounded lights, and the steeply raked screen is mounted further back than before. The squared-off bumper, similar to the latest Passat’s, gives the car a much more masculine face, and 19-inch alloys fill the flared wheelarches.

A powerful new range of four turbos backs the beefed-up looks. The petrol line-up comprises a 1.2 TSI 105, 1.4 TSI 160 and 197bhp 2.0-litre, while the diesel is the ultra-efficient 1.6-litre TDI from the Golf BlueMotion, which makes 65.7mpg. Each unit is available with VW’s slick seven-speed DSG gearbox.

The car is claimed to offer genuine driver appeal, with the top-end Sport-badged petrol versions fitted with VW’s torque-vectoring XDS differential as standard. This brakes the inside wheel in tight corners. Inside, quality has been greatly improved. There’s a far more driver-oriented feel, and sporty touches such as the carbon-effect dash and central instrument pod all add to the effect.

Some retro additions feature, though, with the double-layered glovebox instantly recognisable to owners of the air-cooled original. At launch, there will be three simplified trims to choose from: Beetle, Design and Sport. Yet VW claims there will be a wide scope for personalisation whatever the spec, with more revealed closer to the official launch.

We won’t see the Beetle on UK roads until next January, but when the car does arrive, it will sit just below the equivalent Golf in the line-up. Expect prices to range from around £14,000 for smaller-engined Beetles to more than £22,000 for fully loaded Sport models.