The Volkswagen Beetle is the people's car and VW has revealed it to as many people as possible with joint launches in Shanghai, New York and Berlin.

Seventy-three years after the original Beetle was unveiled, the new car is longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model. There is also a longer wheelbase for more passenger room, while the roofline has been extended back to create more rear headroom to make the Beetle more practical.

The interior of the new Beetle is more retro than before, with coloured panels and a glovebox that take their cues from the original model's. VW says there will be three trim levels for the car, covering Beetle, Design and Sport.

Engine choice for UK buyers will include three petrol motors and a single 104bhp 1.6-litre turbodiesel. The diesel will come with stop-start and battery regeneration to offer 65.7mpg average economy and carbon dioxide emissions of 112g/km.

Petrol engines are taken care of by a 104bhp 1.2-litre TSI, 1.4-litre TSI with 158bhp and a 197bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol. Volkswagen has yet to confirm performance and economy figures for the petrol range. However, it has said that the 197bhp petrol engine will come with an electronic differential lock as used in the Golf GTI.

Sales of the new VW Beetle will start early in 2012 in the UK, and prices and specifications will be confirmed closer to then.

Alisdair Suttie - 18 Apr 2011