Should we be concerned, or is it too early?

[Pushing Fifty]

I tried to put this in Latest News, but the org said I was unauthourized......

Anyway, here is what I've observed:

2012 Beetles arrived at dealerships back in October. Granted, I don't live in a major metropolitan area, but the same 3 Beetles in stock are still sitting at my local dealership's lot and are now being offered for one dollar over invoice.

In addition, I've seen all of 2 new Beetles on the road since October. We'll get updates in a few days, but as of Nov 30, 2011, only about 3100 Beetles had been sold in the US. If you count Canada & Mexico, it was a little over 4000.

I would have thought the launch of the latest Beetle would have stirred much more interest! Maybe not like it first did back in 1998, but still enough to have sold 10,000+ units by now.

Well, it turns out that there are two issues. First of all, I may have missed the boat when it comes to what I thought would sell. In a nutshell, I would have guessed that 90% of 2012 Beetle buyers would opt for the Base 2.5 with automatic. This is apparently not the case. Many people on the Tex want Turbos, manual transmissions, sunroof, Navigation, etc, and a lot of them are still waiting for theirs to be produced. For whatever reason, the factory has only churned out about 1/3 of what has been ordered. But....if the sales figures thus far reflect these unfilled orders, then, however you look at it, VW will only sell about 20,000 Beetles a year. I would have expected 40-50K!

Second, there is another alleged issue: Power windows not working properly. Has anyone else heard this? If this is true, it would really suck for Beetles to once again deal with bad Consumer Reports reviews... Sadly, John Q Public views CR as Gospel. (IMO, they are Japanese-biased, but it doesn't matter what I think).

I'm really hoping that these are not early indicators that the latest Beetle will be a flop. I was hoping this car would literally double the size of the water-cooled Beetle community, but it seems to be off to a slow start.

Thoughts?

[Fowvay]

The Beetle has had a slow start for a few reasons that go beyond public perceptions and desires.

1) Volkswagen delayed the launch of sunroof models due to the hatch hitting the roof under weird circumstances.

2) Limited availability of "launch editions"

3) The Economy

4) ?????

5) Profit!!!

[dnyed]

All of the ones at my dealer have sold, but I have not seen any on the road yet.

[digitalputty]

Since launch, I have seen ONE on the road - a black 2.0T. I drove the white 2.0T with Automatic back when they first came out (mine was in the shop so, I drove the white one around for 48 hours). The dealer here in Greeley, Colorado had the white one still listed on their website for a while (it isn't listed anymore but I swear I saw it on their lot before Christmas). They have 5 2012 Beetles. All 2.5L. They had a Salsa Red one for a while (not sure what engine) and it is no longer on their website.

I hope they aren't a flop. I want to buy a NEW one in 2015 - using MOSTLY cash.

[TennesseeBug]

I've only seen one on the road here - it was a black one. I can't say for sure if there are any on local VW lots as I've not looked for them.

I will say that the gentleman from whom I bought my NB was selling it because he had 'ordered' his 2012. Black, 'vert, turbo is what I remember him saying. He said he was told it may be ready January 2012 but that it could be longer. So he fits the profile of 'ordering one and waiting for it to be made'.

As a side note, I'm glad he sold his NB....to me!

[VDubYah]

I have only seen three on the road. All this past week. 1 yellow, 1 dark gray, 1 red

[SMG]

I haven't even seen one in person yet.

[Pushing Fifty]

I started a simliar thread to this topic a little while ago, but it drifted far away from the subject I was trying to discuss,so I'm trying this again.

As of Dec 31, less than 6000 of the latest Beetles have been sold in the US. There are stories of delayed order fulfillments and issues of limited production. The Puebla plant is said to only be churning out about 1/3 of what they are capable of and that the Beetles that ARE being produced are the least desirable trim levels. In turn, this would explain why the same 2102 Beetles that arrived at my local dealership in October are still sitting there.

I didn't expect the launch of the 2012 Beetle to be as spectacular as it was in 1998, but nevertheless, I thought people would be snapping these up at a much faster rate than they are, even with the limited inventory. In fact, I would have guessed that the most popular 2012 Beetles would be the Base 2.5s with automatics. Except for hardcore enthusiasts, the average Beetle customer would not insist on a Turbo or, for that matter, pay the $6000 premium. Therefore, sales of this latest Beetle are anything but spectacular.

Some have already suggested that the 2012+ generation won't even fare as well as the 98-10 models. If this is the case, I fear that the water-cooled Beetle community could be all but dead in about 5 years or less. Does anyone here share this concern or do you think I'm being paranoid?

I honestly thought that the water-cooled Beetles would eventually become as iconic as the old air-cooled models, but if even LESS 2012+ models are sold than their 98-10 predecessors, what could happen instead is that the modern-day Beetle will be about as classic as a Chevy Cavalier. Thus, the question of the day is this: Will VW continue to make Beetles for the few diehards who acknowledge the automaker's roots, or will today's Bugs join the ranks of forgettable cars, like Chevettes, Horizons, Fairmonts, Cordobas, Contours, Intrepids, Neons, etc?

[iluvmyVersa08]

One reason I'm not first in line for one here is the price tag. I want the same or more features as my current car, and the prices here are much higher to buy a brand new Beetle. In fact, I have yet to see even one 2012 Beetle on the roads here. Could be why the same silver 2012 has sat on VWs steps for months.

[dnyed]

I have not seen any on the road either, but all of the ones I saw at the dealers have been sold. Trust me, I would spot it if there was one near me.

[iluvmyVersa08]

Originally Posted by dnyed

I have not seen any on the road either, but all of the ones I saw at the dealers have been sold. Trust me, I would spot it if there was one near me.

The VW near my house has had a silver one on the steps for months. Most recently a yellow one was put inside the showroom but they are not budging.... At $29k before tax for the top model, I'm gonna wait a bit. Add 13% tax and all other dealer fees and it's very very costly.

[IndyTom]

Bah Humbug. The Beetle has been an Icon for over 74 Years. No other car even comes close to the impact that the "Käfer"/Beetle had over the years. Sure people are cautious buying new cars because of the general state of the economy. But that doesn't mean that Volkswagen or especially the "Beetle" will ever go away. How can anyone dare compare the Beetle with a Chevy Chevette or a Neon. Come on, are you for real? Might as well throw in the Gremlin while you are at it. The Beetle will never be forgotten. It is a symbol of the first "People's" car in Germany with the name "Volkswagen" which later the people gave this Volkswagen the "nickname" Beetle and the rest is "History" and it always will be regardless of slow sales or slacking economy. The Beetle will continue to sell. A lot of people will buy used "New Beetle's" for the first time. People that have New Beetle's now will probably buy a Used 2012 Beetle a few years down the road since a lot of us can't afford a Brand New Car. It just isn't cost effective. Heck, when you drive it off the lot it depreciated about 5000 Dollars or more which is true with any New Car. A week later you couldn't sell it for the price you just bought it for. On another note. Volkswagen had record sales in the US in 2011. Sales were up 23.3% and they expect their sales to rise another 20% in 2012. Last year they sold over 443,000 cars in the US. This year that number is suppose to be over half a million cars. You also forget that the US isn't the biggest or only buyer of Volkswagen's and Beetle's.
Heck China buys them up faster than they can make them.
While the rest of the world is in an economic slump, China is experiencing a HUGE economic BOOM and they are buying everything in sight. And then there is Europe where Volkswagen Group is King. Volkswagen along with it's other divisions like SEAT, Skoda, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti,Lamborghini, (Porsche 49%+), Scania AB, Man Se... are the largest Auto manufacturer in Europe and soon the world.
They won't let their ICONic Beetle die. Even if they would quit production of the Beetle right now. The Legend and Icon will live on generations to come and will forever remain in the history books regardless of how the 2012 Beetle sells or will sell.

[Pushing Fifty]

See, the whole thing is this: VW DID let the Beetle die in 1979 in the US, and we Bug lovers had to endure 19 long years without a new one. Thus, I want to assume that VW realizes the mistake they made by killing it the first time around. Now that it's back, and a second generation has just been released, I don't want a repeat of 1979 in, say, 2017 or 2018. See what I'm saying? That's what I was getting at. I agree that they're pricey, but that didn't stop people from paying $4000 OVER MSRP in 1998 for the privilege of having one of the first ones, either. And I don't think of water-cooled Beetles as Gremlins or Citations, either, but some air-cooled snobs regard any Beetle built after 1998 just like any other disposable car. To some, the Packard was an iconic car. So was the LaSalle, but they are now both obsolete. I just don't want the same thing to happen to our beloved Bug, just because the engine's in the front now, and they actually have heat..

I know that the glory days of the 1960s are over, but, in a nutshell, even if the 2012+ Beetle is a slow-seller, I want to be reassured that VW will still make new ones forever, and NOT do what they did in 1979. Call it a bit peculiar, but there's just something psychologically disturbing about owning a car that has run its course and is now discontinued. I would feel much better if VW announced that the Beetle will never be in danger of being dropped again.

As an example of where I'm coming from, I went to the Bi-annual New Beetle GTG in Roswell, New Mexico last summer, and it was a blast. Complete strangers made me feel like I was a member of a family, and the event made me realize just how special and unique this group is. But sadly, this event began back in 2000 and the turnout has been shrinking ever since. I believe someone said that in the beginning, some 500 NBs made the pilgramage. You know how many were there in 2011? 37! I'm really hoping that the launch of the 2012 Beetle will not only bring these numbers back up, but also that it will result in many many more water-cooled Beetle-specific clubs and events everywhere.

[IndyTom]

There are no guarantees in life. I wouldn't speculate if the Beetle will be around in 2017 or 2117. Heck, if Nostradamus is right we won't have to worry about anything past 2012

Sure the Beetle's were selling much stonger when they were first reintroduced in 1998. They were absent for a very long time and the Baby Boomers reminisent about the days when they had a Bug in College or in High School. Younger Generations picked up on that as well and really liked the cute little New Beetle. Back in 1998 most people had jobs and money in their pockets and the economy was doing pretty well around the turn of the new Century/Millenium. Lot's has changed since then and things are different today. The New Beetle has been around for almost 14 years now and a lot of people have gotten used to the cute and rounded style and design. Now look at the new 2012 design. Some people actually Hate it and prefer the older New Beetle over the new edgier look. It's kinda like you give your cute little Chiwawa some steriods and out comes a (No not Pit Bull) just a somewhat stranger and uglier looking dog. Or the Pretty woman next door starts to work out and now has more muscle's than you do. Some find that attractive, most don't. My point is that a lot of people don't like the new shape of the 2012 Beetle since they have gotten used to seeing the nice rounded cute New Beetle on the streets for the last decade. Making drastic changes to the look of the Beetle was a Big Risk by Volkswagen. It will appeal to some but not to others. It will take time for them to be seen and for people to get used to that look. It is over 7 1/2 inch longer and 3 3/4 inch wider than the previous models. If it doesn't take hold there will be more than likely another revision of the Beetle and this time sooner than 13 years. In the meantime enjoy the Beetle you have whatever generation it may be. Watercooled or otherwise.
Only time will tell what the future holds.

[Cadenza]

Sales could be better if it wasn't for the snags in production. Even if things went smoothly, it would be hard for sales to reach 50k units per year in the USA. The interest isn't strong enough. On top of that, the stagnant economy is taking its toll on US consumers. The Beetle is at least $2-3k too expensive across the board.

Fiat is laying off workers due to slow sales... they sold only ~20k of the 50k sales mark.

As for Mini, sales have dropped Y-o-Y except for the new Countryman...

[Pushing Fifty]

I confess ignorance in regard to the economy. I haven't been paying much attention, but I do recall how good it was back in 1998. Mainly because by 2000 or 2001, my wife and I lost about $175,000 of our retirement savings........

As for preferring one generation of "modern-day" Beetle over another, I like them both.

[pdoel]

I dunno. Seems silly to me to be panicing that the 2012 Beetle is a failure, and that this is going to completely kill of the Beetle community in a few years.

I've seen 3 Beetles on the road, which isn't bad, for such a short time period of it being out. The Passat has been out about as long, and I've only seen one. It normally takes a while before you start seeing new models.

As for the communities? There are still huge original Beetle communities out there, and that hasn't been sold in the US in 32 years.

[IndyTom]

I am with pdoel, There will be Beetle fanatics and followers long after we are all wormfood

[Pushing Fifty]

Originally Posted by pdoel

As for the communities? There are still huge original Beetle communities out there, and that hasn't been sold in the US in 32 years.

True, but I hope the water-cooled Beetles will catch up some day. Admittedly, 14 model years so far and 1.5 million built is a good start. I do feel a bit more confident after reading Indy Tom's prediction that, if for some reason, this more masculine Beetle fails to meet sales expectations, (whatever those numbers may be; I don't even know) VW would probably restyle it again.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Pushing Fifty

True, but I hope the water-cooled Beetles will catch up some day. Admittedly, 14 model years so far and 1.5 million built is a good start. I do feel a bit more confident after reading Indy Tom's prediction that, if for some reason, this more masculine Beetle fails to meet sales expectations, (whatever those numbers may be; I don't even know) VW would probably restyle it again.

This might be an interesting article:
Can Volkswagen Reignite Beetlemania?

The Beetle will live on and on and on. Kinda like the Energizer Bunny What future form it may take. Who knows.
But I am sure that some will hate it and others love it. Personally I am not a Huge fan of the design changes but I do love the new drivetrain and the mechanics of the beast. The 2.0 Turbo has great potential in the tuning and modding segment and the soon to be released Beetle 2.0 TDI will be the most fuel efficient Beetle ever that along with 236lbs of torque which is amazing. Some of the technology that goes into these beetle's would have rivaled some Italian Sports cars just a few years ago. So like the 2012 Beetle or not, it is here to stay at least for now. After seeing a few more on the road I am sure they will grow on us and we will eventually give in and buy one when the price is right.