In the model’s 70-year history, 22 million air-cooled Beetles were produced at VW’s factories worldwide. They were cheap and reliable, with the marketing slogan for years claiming “it will run and run and run.”
Created in 1938 on the orders of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler who wanted to give every German family a vehicle, this first Volkswagen, or people’s car, entered mass production only after World War II. It quickly became the symbol of the German industrial miracle and a car of choice for the first post-war generation that rebelled in the United States and Western Europe against the tight social corset of the time.
The Beetle has enjoyed cult status since then but its relatively old technology meant sales began to fall in late 1970s. VW replaced it with another hit, the Golf, and it recently also released a modern version of the Beetle this time loaded with all the newest technology but priced well above what could be considered appropriate for ‘people’s car’.
To celebrate the Beetle’s rich heritage, two special models will join the lineup for its last model year. The Final Edition SE and Final Edition SEL.
Available in coupe and convertible body styles, the Final Edition models include exclusive equipment and unique upscale décor elements designed to send the Beetle off in style. Models also draw inspiration from the first-generation Beetle’s final run in Mexico, where the vehicle is assembled.
The 2003 Última Edición (last edition) models were only available in two colors, beige and light blue. Today’s Final Edition models will feature two unique colors: Safari Uni, a reinvention of Harvest Moon Beige, a color from the New Beetle and Stonewashed Blue, a nod to the 1970 Jeans Bug and most recently seen on the 2016 Beetle Denim. Final Edition models are also available in Pure White, Deep Black Pearl, and Platinum Grey. Convertible Final Edition SEL models in every exterior color except Safari Uni are available with a unique Brown soft top.
Final Edition coupe models feature standard chrome treatments like the Última Edición models, in addition to body-color side mirrors, heated washer nozzles (all standard features across the Beetle Convertible lineup), as well as a sunroof. Final Edition SEL models are equipped with Bi-Xenon® headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs), LED taillights, and fog lights. All Final Edition models replace the typical “Turbo” badge on the tailgate with a “Beetle” badge.
Unique wheels complete the exterior transformation of Beetle Final Edition models. Final Edition SE models feature 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with a 15-spoke design. Final Edition SEL models are shod with 18-inch white aluminum-alloy wheels in a disc design that is reminiscent of the Última Edición’s body-colored steel wheels fitted with chrome hubcaps and whitewall tires.
Inside, all Final Edition models are equipped with standard KESSY® keyless access with push-button start, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel with unique “Beetle” clip, stainless steel pedal caps, Climatronic® automatic climate control, gloss black center console, a unique Safari Uni color dashpad with the classic kaeferfach glovebox or “Beetle bin” that harkens to the color-matched interior treatments in the Última Edición, and three-color ambient lighting. Final Edition SE models feature cloth and leatherette rhombus-pattern seats, while SEL models offer standard diamond-stitched leather seating surfaces.
Final Edition SE models feature a Composition Media infotainment unit with a 6.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display, Bluetooth® technology for compatible devices, USB multimedia port, Voice Control, and Volkswagen Car-Net® App-Connect smartphone integration. Final Edition SEL models upgrade to Discover Media infotainment with navigation, Car-Net Security & Service, and Guide & Inform, as well as Fender® Premium Audio.
All 2019 Beetle models, both convertible and coupe, are powered a 2.0 liter TSI® engine that puts out 174 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. All models are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Prices will be shared when it arrives in our showrooms.
