2012 vw beetle

Volkswagen is currently preparing the next generation Beetle city car. It will be previewed by a concept version in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show with a production version to follow in 2011.

The 2012 Beetle will be built on a new chassis with wider tracks and a longer wheelbase and will feature MacPherson struts suspensions at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. Engine line-up will include a 105bhp 1.2, a 160bhp 1.4 and a 210bhp 2.0 liter. The US market will also get a 170bhp 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. Diesel line-up will include the new 105bhp 1.6 and a 140bhp 2.0 liter.

In an interview with AutoCar, a Volkswagen insider said: "It is more contoured, with additional structuring and defined feature lines used to help to break up the simple surfacing and unadorned character of the current model. The screen angles are less extreme and the roof structure is less rounded than it is at the moment."