bradley emmanuel

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.