2012 Volkswagen Beetle In Pictures

VW Design Chief Klaus Bischoff described the new Beetle: “The Beetle is now characterized by a clean, self-confident and dominant sportiness. The car not only has a lower profile; it is also substantially wider, the front hood is longer, the front windshield is shifted further back and has a much steeper incline. All of this creates a new dynamism,”

The new Beetle no longer has the "cathedral ceiling" dome roof of the previous generation. Instead, the roofline is sportier and sleeker. VW says this will not impact driver and passenger headroom.

The new Beetle comes with a wide range of interior personalization options, including several different audio configurations.

VW integrated a rear spoiler to the back of its new Beetle, giving it a sportier, meaner look. The spoiler comes standard on the 2.0L TSI engines with 200 HP models.

VW says that the trunk is significantly larger, offering 10.9 cubic feet of space, more than enough to haul your stuff around.

Chief of design fr VW branded vehicles Klaus Bischoff with his new baby.

Red has always been a popular color for Beetle

Press conferences in New York, Berlin and Shanghai speak to the global popularity of the Beetle

VW has paid homage to the original Beetle in many ways. Here, you can see the body style panels in the dashboard and doors. The original Beetle had a sheet-metal interior dash that matched the exterior color of the car.

The 2012 Beetle is less bulbous and full of arches, compared with the 1999 New Beetle, and sportier looking to appeal more to men and a global audience.

The backseat of the original Beetle, as well as the new one, is not very forgiving. It is a car seemingly meant for single people, or couples, who have to ferry the occasional child.

The whole interior design of the Beetle is far sportier and more attractive than the 1999 New Beetle, and light years ahead of the original, of course.