Volkswagen is teaming up with MTV to give the "21st Century Beetle" a global launch.
Volkswagen has some big plans in store for the upcoming launch of the long-awaited Beetle replacement – and it is turning to MTV to ensure that it hits as many potential buyers as possible in its target audience.
The April 18th unveiling will actually take place in three cities: Shanghai, Berlin and New York, with concerts being broadcast from each event and featuring an assortment of artists including the wildly popular Black Eyed Peas. MTV expects collective highlights to be the most widely distributed version of its World Stage program ever aired – and carried live on the Internet.
“In the context of this marketing alliance, we are taking the new Volkswagen directly to customers and fans of the Volkswagen brand – and we are doing it globally,” said Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and Volkswagen Brand Passenger Cars. “We are certain that the car’s one-of-a-kind styling combined with the latest technology will be very well received by customers.”
Dubbed the “21st Century Beetle,” Volkswagen’s new small car will attempt to pump some life back into a line that has faded to little more than an asterisk on the sales charts over the last several years. Equally important, the maker hopes to build popularity for the next Beetle on a global level. The outgoing model initially drew strong demand in the U.S. but failed to click back in Germany and the rest of Europe.
The new version visually blends the half-moon styling of the current Beetle with the longer snout of the original Volkswagen Bug.
While specific details will have to wait for the first of the three unveilings, in Shanghai, industry sources anticipate the base version of the 2012 VW Beetle will offer a 2.0-liter inline-four gas engine. A larger, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine is also in the works, as are one or more diesel powerplants. A five-speed manual gearbox will come standard, with an optional 6-speed automatic.
An R-spec Beetle, rated at 270 horsepower, is reportedly under development, as well.
The 2012 Beetle is expected to remain a front-driver, with no talk of all-wheel-drive. But there could be some surprises when the MTV cameras start rolling.
The Shanghai event will be hosted by various MTV VJs, and will be followed by the World Stage events in New York – with the Black Eyed Peas – and Berlin, where Belgian duo 2manydjs will headline.