VW Says �More Masculine� 2012 Beetle will Appeal to Men

Volkswagen is confident that a higher percentage of men as well as younger consumers will buy the 2012 Beetle compared to its predecessor when U.S. sales start in September.
VW of America�s Vice President of marketing and strategy Rainer Michel told Autonews that �a more masculine appearance, including a higher beltline, and 20 more horsepower for the base model, should do the trick�.
While female buyers accounted for more than 65% of the previous Beetle�s sales, Michel believes that the percentage for the all-new 2012 model will be split between the two sexes.
He also predicts that the new model will attract younger buyers as well and that the average age of Beetle owners will fall dramatically from 58 to 36 years old.
At launch the Beetle will be available in the US with two gasoline engines: a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine with 170HP and a turbocharged 4-cylinder with 200HP. Prices will start from $19,765 for the 2.5 and $24,165 for the turbo.
Next spring will see the addition of a diesel variant while Autonews reported that a convertible model will be launched in the summer further increasing the Beetle�s appeal.

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Volkswagen New Beetle With Black Turbo Launch Edition

The upc?ming 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is being billed as a substantial departure fr?m the cutesy car it replaces. And if y?u have been waiting f?r your chance t? put your name down f?r one ?f the first examples t? hit the road, here it is. Called the Black Turb? Launch Edition, this limited-run V?lkswagen will represent the first 600 examples ?f the new Beetle t? hit American dealerships.

Packing a 200-h?rsepower 2.0-liter TSI inline-f?ur with dual-clutch transmission, the launch edition is distinguished by such t?uches as 18-inch all?ys packing upsized brakes with red calipers, a rear spoiler, f?glights, and includes an interior bundled with tri-c?l?r ambient lighting, Bluetooth and iPod c?nnection, eight-speaker s?und system, an extra glovebox, aluminum-all?y pedals and sport seats upholstered in cl?th.

The special Beetle is the first m?del t? use Volkswagen's new Vehicle Pre-Order (VPO) pr?gram, available for pre-?rder online now f?r a $495 refundable reservation fee that will be applied t? the purchase price ?f $24,950, plus a $770 destination charge.

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