It's hard to approach the status of the Beetle. Only a couple of cars on the road have similar lifetime sales numbers and few have the instantly recognizable shape of the Beetle. The New Beetle arrived in 1998 as a modern car based on the Golf platform with modern technology and a fairly high price. With the engine up front this time around, the New Beetle featured a relatively spacious interior with a large hatchback cargo area. In 2006, Volkswagen updated the styling by shortening the hood and adding creases to the fascias and fenders. Powertrain options have been reduced to the 2.5L inline 5-cylinder and the fuel-sipping 1.9L TDI. The TDI model is rated at 37 City/42 Highway by the EPA. Pricing has settled around $20k. In today's market, Scion, Hyundai, and Kia provide the kind of value that the original Beetle was known for, but a unique combination of heritage, style, utility, and fuel economy should help keep the Beetle on some shopping lists.

What Changed:

150 hp 2.5L 5-cylinder engine becomes standard. Outside edges of the curved fenders are flattened adding additional lines to the profile. Front and rear fascias are updated. On the inside, the instrument cluster updated.