Volkswagen will introduce the most fuel-efficiency version of the Bug ever at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, where it plans to unveil the 2013 VW Beetle TDI.
The move is no surprise. While most makers are still debating whether or not to add oil-burners to their line-ups, the Germans have scored big success stories with the technology – especially Volkswagen, which currently produces about 75% of the diesels sold in the U.S.
While the maker is keeping details close to the vest in order to have a few secrets to reveal in the Windy City expectations are that the Beetle TDI will share the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-four as the diesel versions of the Golf, Jetta and new Volkswagen Passat. That would translate into something around 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque.
The maker is expected to offer buyers a six-speed stick, as well as an option six-speed DSG gearbox.
Rated at 43 mpg in the Passat (while, curiously, the highway ratings are just 42 mpg in the Golf and Jetta), the Beetle TDI should be in the 40+ mpg range.
Expect to see a price premium similar to what VW is charging for diesel options on the Golf, Jetta and Passat, which should mean something north of $5,000 above the current Beetle base price of $20,565 (including destination charges).
(Clean diesel sales growing faster than hybrids – and outpacing the overall U.S. car market. Click Here for more.)
The TDI powertrain will also be offered when the cabrio version of the Beetle hits market , which would make it the only diesel convertible in the U.S. — at least for now. But the good news for fans of the high-mileage technology is that a number of manufacturers are beginning to embrace it and we could see quite a few more alternatives by mid-decade, including a Chevrolet Cruze diesel and at least one of more Mazda models using the diesel version of that maker’s new SkyActiv technology.
For those who want a more conventional powertrain, VW will continue to offer the 2013 Beetle with a 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-five and a 200-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4.