After becoming the one name in the global automotive industry to be sold and driven more than any other, the Volkswagen team is finally calling an end to the Beetle. The 2019 model year will signify the final year for this car and the Beetle will be offered in SE and SEL Final Edition models to give us a couple choices as we say farewell to this venerable shape. The Beetle has been one of the most highly recognized cars around the world and it has lived as a car that invokes thoughts of fun, activity, and affordability around the world.

The Final Models of the Beetle

In 2003, Volkswagen changed the characteristics of the Beetle to a front-engine model in favor of the long-time rear-engine versions. Now, the Beetle will finally bow out to make room for other models in the VW lineup. These final edition models of the car will be offered in a pair of colors that give us a nod to those final rear-engine versions with Safari Uni and Stonewashed Blue being the two colors offered. If you opt for the convertible model, you can choose every color the Beetle comes in and enjoy a brown soft top.

Exterior Features

The Final Edition coupe models will receive chrome accents, body-color side mirrors, heated washer nozzles, and a sunroof. The SEL trim will add xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, and fog lights. SE models will make use of 17-inch 15-spoke aluminum wheels while the SEL models receive 18-inch white aluminum wheels with chrome hubcaps that give the look of the old air-cooled Beetle and the steel wheels that were once used for this car. These exterior items make it easy to enjoy what this final edition of the Beetle will offer.

Getting Under the Hood

Every Final Edition model of the VW Beetle will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s attached to a six-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain is good for 174 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque while being rated for 26 city/33 hwy mpg. This powertrain makes it easy to enjoy the Beetle, but a manual transmission would have given us a bit more of a reminiscent feeling in this final edition of the car.

Going Inside the Beetle

The Final Edition models of this car will enjoy the benefits of cloth and leatherette upholstery, rhomboid seat embroidery for the SE and diamond stitched leather in the SEL. You’ll also see a leather-wrapped steering wheel, enjoy keyless entry, push-button starting, automatic climate controls, a gloss black center console, a Safari Uni colored dash pad, three-color ambient lighting, and more. The SE receives a 6.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, Bluetooth, a USB port, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, while the SEL receives the addition of a built-in navigation system.

Get Your Beetle Now

The production of this Final Edition of the VW Beetle is scheduled to end in July 2019 to bring an end to what this nameplate has offered for many years. We may never see the Beetle again, or we may see it as a new EV that’s part of the future of Volkswagen. Right now, we are only able to mourn the end of a long era of driving fun and excellence.