New Volkswagen Beetle Convertible opens up

[Speedster]

Bhtooefr, thanks for the reply. The DOHC engine then explains how VW gets 140 HP, more torque, and a little higher redline than the old ALH engines.

 

[kjclow]

Most fuel efficient bettle of 21st century?? FYI to VW, it started in 2001, not 2011 so the ALH and PD beat it

What it says it that it is the most fuel efficient beetle, not the "new beetle".

 

[bhtooefr]

Actually, that's not all.

Two big parts of it are the displacement, and the higher boost.

Your ALHes ran 15 psi stock.

The BHW (2004-2005 Passat TDI) was a 2.0 instead of a 1.9 (bored out from 79.5 to 81), and had 134 hp @ 4000, and 247 ft-lbs @ 1900. It ran 20 psi stock, IIRC. The higher RPM here actually has very little to do with the larger bore - the ALH was simply detuned, and the AFN (Mk3 - essentially an AHU with a VNT turbo and bigger nozzles) and ASV (Mk4, beefed up internals as compared to the AHU/AFN and ALH, but there wasn't actually a need for the beefed up internals, given that the AFN didn't have them, it was just nice to have, and otherwise almost identical to an ALH with bigger nozzles) did 110 hp @ 4000.

The CBEA, CJAA, and CKRA are also 2.0, but DOHC instead. 140 hp @ 4000, 236 ft-lbs @ 1750-2500 (although the bottom-end is worse than even the ALH, let alone the BHW). It runs 22 psi stock.

So, the fun fact... when you make an engine breathe better, it actually reduces turbulence at low RPM, which reduces efficiency of the burn, giving you less low-end torque, and moving the powerband up. This is why gas engines have variable valve timing (not that useful on a diesel) and lift (potentially VERY useful if you want pulling-a-skyscraper-off-of-its-foundation torque, instead of just stump pulling torque, on a diesel) - the Valvelift-equipped 1.8TFSI makes 236 ft-lbs of torque all the way down to 1400 RPM, and then can hold that all the way to 3700.

 

[JimTDI]

29 city and 39 hwy? Ugh! My 2001 Beetle gets 45 city and hwy. That sounds like a step backwards.

I thought that exactly when I read that! Big step backward!!

 

[Sky King]

It looks like a PT Cruiser and a Neon mated and this was the result.

 

[donDavide]

Rear axle

That comes from VW's press release, though.

My understanding is that it's like the Jetta - 2.5 and TDI get the solid beam, 2.0T gets the IRS.

I was behind a Beetle and did see it was a solid beam. So your statement is correct.

 

[cattlerepairman]

I was behind a Beetle and did see it was a solid beam. So your statement is correct.

It is this kind of positioning that drives me crraaaaazy. On the one hand, VW positions the TDI model of anything "upmarket" (you never get a TDI in the lowest trim level possible) and adds all sorts of fluff options into the "basic" TDI (to cloud the true markup for the diesel, methinks) but your customer selectable "options" are exhausted by playing with rim size. There is not much "option" the customer has about critical elements of the car, such as the suspension choice, once an engine is selected.

In other words, if you want IRS, buy a 2.0T - or a different manufacturer's car.

VW has the parts in the bin for this very model car - what not let the customer select them? I am sure they can come up with pricing.

 

[kjclow]

While I agre the it would be nice to have more options, it would also be hard on the dealer for all cars to be custom. In all of the new cars I've bought (10 0r 11), I have never ordered one and always bought ones sitting on the lot.

 

[bhtooefr]

The other thing would be for a lot more things being dealer installed options - for instance, the rear suspension is six bolts to swap in a whole IRS assembly.

SIX BOLTS.

 

[John McMillin]

Did I read that right? A dash-mounted stopwatch? Just what I need for one-handed zero-sixty runs? Honestly, a miniature rally chronometer would be about as useless, but more stylish. Say, isn't there an app for that?

 

[tdi90hp]

It is this kind of positioning that drives me crraaaaazy. On the one hand, VW positions the TDI model of anything "upmarket" (you never get a TDI in the lowest trim level possible) and adds all sorts of fluff options into the "basic" TDI (to cloud the true markup for the diesel, methinks) but your customer selectable "options" are exhausted by playing with rim size. There is not much "option" the customer has about critical elements of the car, such as the suspension choice, once an engine is selected.

In other words, if you want IRS, buy a 2.0T - or a different manufacturer's car.

VW has the parts in the bin for this very model car - what not let the customer select them? I am sure they can come up with pricing.

IRS in my Golf TDI. Dont need no 2.0T.....just sayin...

 

[Sky King]

I was at the dealer today picking up some bolts I ordered and getting a new battery (under warranty 50% ) A salesmen came out and started talking to me about the 2013 Beetle. He said the TDIs were not out yet but that they would probably get 50 to 55 MPG on the highway. I wonder if those guys know how often they make a fool of themselves. OR....am I mistaken ??

 

[kjclow]

I would have asked him to give you a free service if he was wrong.

 

[Sky King]

I would have asked him to give you a free service if he was wrong.

Maybe it was a 2012..... I wasn't paying much attention. He said the ride was unbelievable. I just thought, yea, kinda like the fuel mileage. Poor people that don't know and get duped by these salespeople....it's a shame.

 

[Dunno513]

If you believe everything you hear, you deserve to get duped. No pitty from me on that subject.

I quite vividly remember all the hoopla about the CR and its better than PD or ALH mileage estimates by VW and the vast majority here actually bought in to it. How did that work out?

Now VW says this Beetle will beat all others... Phew...good thing I put tinfoil on my head this morning...

 

[Stealth TDI]

You must remember that the EPA revamped the way it estimates MPGs in 2007 while new TDIs were on hiatus in North America. The sticker numbers are worse on EVERYTHING beginning in 2007. And the method penalized the diesels by a substantial margin (exact number escapes me at the moment). I think the Beetle TDI will get much better than sticker. I doubt many will see 50-mpg... but they'll do better than 38 for sure!

 

[bhtooefr]

The numbers that VW claimed for the CRs in 2009, before they got the EPA estimates were relatively comparable to what they get on the NEDC cycle...

Never mind that NEDC is about as accurate as pre-1985 CAFE cycle ratings... (That is, only accurate if you hypermile.)

 

[kjclow]

Now VW says this Beetle will beat all others... Phew...good thing I put tinfoil on my head this morning...

Let me state up front that I do not work for VW but I do work in marketing. What VW said is that the TDI will deliver the best mileage of the new Beetle models. They are not saying that it will be better than the TDI engines used in the NEW Beetle. Does it read better if they say it will get the best mileage of the 2013 Beetle models?

 

[PTH]

Let me state up front that I do not work for VW but I do work in marketing. What VW said is that the TDI will deliver the best mileage of the new Beetle models. They are not saying that it will be better than the TDI engines used in the NEW Beetle. Does it read better if they say it will get the best mileage of the 2013 Beetle models?

Well put. One must read the claims of those in marketing with great care. They spend many dollars and hours wording statements in such a way as to increase the chance that you will interpret them the way they want you to (without actually saying anything false themselves).

Peter

 

[UTAH]

Well, my plan was to get a white 2013 Beetle TDI and mod it to look just like my white 2012 Turbo Launch Edition.

But, upon finding out the Beetle TDI will NOT have the IR suspension, I bailed on waiting and brought home the A3 TDI.

Bill

 

[105Uphill]

It looks like it will be the CJAA engine, not the CKRA as in the 2012 Passat. Some have suggested that the CKRA was released to address faults in the fuel system of the CBEA/CJAA, but I don't believe this was the case.

EDIT: Willy, the "New" part of the name of that old car was a bit unfortunate. We could call the current one new New Beetle or very New Beetle. It must be nice to own a "New" car for as long as one owns the car.

The A4s are still referred to as the New style. I went to a dealer last year to pick up something and that's how the parts guy still called it.

 

[bhtooefr]

Hey, some of us own 1999s that are New, yet not Beetles!

(Officially, there's no such thing as a 1999.5 Golf or Jetta, it's the 1999 New Golf and New Jetta.)

 

[105Uphill]

I was getting a key for my 99.5 New Jetta!

 

[donDavide]

Hey, some of us own 1999s that are New, yet not Beetles!

(Officially, there's no such thing as a 1999.5 Golf or Jetta, it's the 1999 New Golf and New Jetta.)

The Jetta was a 99.5, I have a friend that has a 99 A3 Jetta TDi.

 

[bhtooefr]

The official names for those models were

1999 Volkswagen Jetta (trim level) TDI (for the Mk3)
1999 Volkswagen New Jetta (trim level) TDI (for the Mk4)

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Tooef is right. VW never called them a "1999.5" in the dealerships. It was the "New Jetta."

 

[bhtooefr]

And IIRC my owner's manual is for a "1999 New Golf".

 

[RalphVa]

I WANT A DIESEL CONVERTIBLE! Two or three places on the web, some news agencies are saying the VW has promised the 2013 convertible this spring with a TDI option. I want one. My 1997 Cabrio needs a replacement.

The beetles are about 2,900 pounds, much less weight than the earlier new beetles. So, I'd think the TDI should provide about 10% better mileage than I get with my Jetta, averaging just over 40 overall.

BYW, I rented a Mazda 3 recently in Tampa. It had 13 miles on it. I refueled it with 213 miles. I was only able to stuff in 4.5 gallons. That's 44 mpg. It's hwy rated at 40. Sounds about right. The type of driving I did there would have probably registered just over 50 in our Jetta: warm, level, lots of steady speed at 50-60 mph.

 

[donDavide]

I WANT A DIESEL CONVERTIBLE! Two or three places on the web, some news agencies are saying the VW has promised the 2013 convertible this spring with a TDI option. I want one. My 1997 Cabrio needs a replacement.

The beetles are about 2,900 pounds, much less weight than the earlier new beetles. So, I'd think the TDI should provide about 10% better mileage than I get with my Jetta, averaging just over 40 overall.

BYW, I rented a Mazda 3 recently in Tampa. It had 13 miles on it. I refueled it with 213 miles. I was only able to stuff in 4.5 gallons. That's 44 mpg. It's hwy rated at 40. Sounds about right. The type of driving I did there would have probably registered just over 50 in our Jetta: warm, level, lots of steady speed at 50-60 mph.

What year Jetta?

 

[bhtooefr]

RalphVa: Don't believe anything the news media or VW says.

Unless it's your VW dealer saying "here's the keys to your new Beetle Convertible TDI!"

Until that point, it doesn't exist.