Its been a good few years since the well known good old Volkswagen Beetle was refreshed. Today at the New York Auto Show, this is exactly what VW decided to unveil, the objective was simple and as quoted below by VW's global marketing director Luca de Meo.

Bring back the spirit of the original, i.e., make it affordable, tough, and easy to use; reconnect with the emotion of the car; and bring the shape and concept of the original into the 21st century.

Apparently the new redesign has been in the works since 2007 where they took the original beetle and completely redesigned it from scratch, it may not look very different from the ones which we see out on the streets at present. But there have been a number of subtle differences to its shape to make it more appealing to not just women, while trying best to maintain its traditional distinct looks.

New features for the new Beetle includes LED daytime running lights, bi-xenon headlights, an integrated rear spoiler, and larger wheels (up to 19in will be available).

The engine options will be three turbocharged petrol units, with 103bhp (1.2), 158bhp (1.4) and 197bhp (2.0), and a pair of turbodiesels with 103bhp (1.6) and 138bhp (2.0) � all aiming to create a more sportier image.

VW's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will be offered as an option; in the mid-spec petrol it returns 47.9mpg and emits 139g/km of CO2. But the greenest petrol model will be the 1.2; equipped with stop-start and battery regeneration, it will return 51.4mpg and emit 129g/km CO2.

The diesels should manage 65.7mpg and 112g/km (1.6), and 57.6mpg and 129g/km (2.0).

The 2012 VW Beetle will go on sale this summer sometime in September or October, "priced very competitive in the mainstream of the marketplace".

[via NYTimes]