Produced since the 1930s, the Volkswagen Beetle became one of the most popular passenger cars in the world, particularly noted for its uniquely round look. For a brief period in the 1990s, Volkswagen stopped production. The German automaker, however, resurrected it as the "New Beetle" in 1998, with a convertible introduced in 2003 to join its classic coupe body style. The 2006 New Beetle is one of the model-year entries of this reincarnation, notable for symbolizing a major point of refinement for the popular economy car.
Trims
Until 2005, the main trims for the New Beetle were the GL, GLS and GLX. With the 2006 New Beetle, however, those trims were scrapped to make way for the following, in order of ascendancy: the 2.5L, 2.5L PZEV, TDI, 2.5L Convertible and 2.5L PZEV Convertible. TDI--an abbreviation for "Turbocharged Direct Injection"--denoted the New Beetle trim with Volkswagen's diesel engine, while PZEV--"Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle"--stood for the vehicles with no evaporative emissions from its fuel system.
Other Changes
Apart from the trim retooling, Volkswagen introduced a brand-new 2.5-liter 150-horsepower five-cylinder engine, an Electronic Stabilization Program with brake assist as standard equipment, revised the front bumper, made the wheel arches sharper, slimmed down the front turn signals and gave the headlights more of an oval shape. The automaker also updated the single-bezel instrument cluster inside the vehicle, which contained a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and LCD screen.
First Generation or Second Generation?
The 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle is generally considered as belonging to the first generation of production for the vehicle, with the second generation scheduled to commence on 2011. This entry, however, received enough major changes and additions for some people to actually consider it as the debut of the second generation rather than a mere refinement of the first.
Reception
The 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle--and indeed, previous entries of the first generation--appeared during a period of renewed interest in the early incarnation of the vehicle with its egg-shaped design. That was not enough, however, to generate significant sales. It also did not help that the 06 New Beetle, like its predecessors, was not a performance stalwart, and car editors noted that it was not as functional as other vehicles in the economy car category.
Price
The original manufacturer's suggested retail price for the 2.5L and 2.5L PZEV trims of the 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle was $17,180, while that of the 2.5L Convertible and 2.5L PZEV Convertible trims was $22,120. The TDI was slightly higher than the 2.5L trims, with an MSRP of $18,390. As of 2010, Kelley Blue Book estimates the price value range of the '06 New Beetle at around $12,000 to $14,000.
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