The Volkswagen Beetle (A5) was introduced for the 2012 model year.
Volkswagen unveiled the redesigned Beetle on 18 April 2011 at auto shows in Shanghai and New York, but marketed the production car as a 2012 model. It succeeded the Volkswagen New Beetle, which had been sold from the late 1990s through the early 2010s.
The A5 retained the recognizable Beetle theme while adopting a lower, wider and longer body. It used Volkswagen’s PQ35 platform, shared with contemporary Volkswagen Group vehicles, and kept a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. The model was produced at Volkswagen’s Puebla plant in Mexico.
The “A5” designation can also create a date mix-up: the car’s production began in July 2011, while its model-year identity was 2012. A convertible followed for the 2013 model year. Volkswagen eventually ended Beetle production in July 2019, closing the modern model’s run after several special editions and engine choices.