Overview
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Description
The New Beetle’s slightly improved looks for 2006 retained the car’s fun-to-drive retro appearance that caused eager fans to gobble up the original. The front seats provided plenty of comfort and remained set well back of the windshield, making the vehicle better than most small cars in protecting occupants in a front-end collision. The base 150-horsepower five-cylinder engine provided reasonable performance and considerably more torque than the previous 115-horse four-cylinder. Unfortunately, tighter emissions regulations forced the optional 1.9-liter turbo-diesel out after the 2006 model year. The fold-flat rear seat nearly tripled the New Beetle hatchback’s otherwise diminutive cargo space. Convertibles offered less trunk room, but buyers didn’t seem to mind. Build quality for both models was excellent.