2011 Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L 6AT FWD (170 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Volkswagen opened a new chapter in the Beetle history book when it simultaneously launched the 2011 Beetle in Berlin, New York, and Shanghai, making a strong comeback to the market for one of the most beloved nameplates in the world.

While the world was still affected by the financial crisis that started in 2007, the German automaker considered it was time to move on with the Beetle. The previous generation, known as the New Beetle, was introduced in 1997 and stayed on the market until 2010, when the last cars left the assembly lines from Pueblo, Mexico. That model was produced on the PQ34 platform used by the Volkswagen Golf Mk IV. The 2011 Beetle was based on the A5 PQ35 underpinnings, shared with the sixth generation of the Golf. It was a leap forward for the attractive German car, which based its success on the story of the famous 1939 VW Beetle, produced in over 20 million units. However, the 1998 New Beetle barely reached one million units, but the car manufacturer had higher hopes for the 2011 Beetle.

Volkswagen’s styling department was led by the Italian designer Walter de Silva, who had a difficult task: to create a new original. As a result, he started with a front fascia that didn’t even need a badge to tell the world that it was a Beetle. The valanced fenders that flanked the curved hood and the round headlights adorned by LED daytime running lights looked like a reinterpretation of the original model brought to modern-day standards. It was a proof of retro design at its finest. Lower, on the bumper, the broad opening in the apron was crossed by a chromed horizontal slat that separated the parking lights and the available fog lamps.

From its profile, the 2011 Beetle carried over the idea of a curved greenhouse, described as an arch, and sloped down towards the end of the vehicle. Like the New Beetle, its successor came with a tailgate. That was not part of the original plans for the 1939 Beetle since that model had the engine in the back. In the modern version, the engine and transmission were at the front. At the back, the automaker installed large, tear-shaped taillights that resembled the shape of those installed on the original Beetle.

Inside, the automaker installed a dashboard that was more related to new cars while still resembling the retro-inspired theme of the vehicle. Fronting the driver was a rounded instrument cluster where the speedometer took center stage and was flanked by the rev counter on the left, while on the right was probably one of the most oversized fuel level gauges ever installed in a passenger car. To keep up with the year when the vehicle was launched, the automaker offered an infotainment unit placed atop the center stack featuring navigation on a color screen. While it wasn’t touch-sensitive, it could be accessed via the buttons that flanked it. Front seats were comfortable and mild-bolstered, while in the back, the 2011 Volkswagen Beetle featured a 50-50 split-folding bench seat suitable for two adults. However, the low roofline affected headroom for taller occupants.

The 2011 Volkswagen Beetle could be equipped with an unusually wide range of engines, depending on the market. In the U.S., the base model came with a 2.5-liter inline five while a 2.0-liter turbocharged was available. In Europe, on the other hand, the German automaker offered it with other powerplants, all turbocharged, fueled by gasoline or diesel. Customers could get the car with a five- or six-speed manual gearbox or a six or seven-speed automatic transmission.