IN ITS 73-YEAR history, the Beetle has evolved from the hippie ride of choice to a cute girlie car. Now Volkswagen is reinventing it again.

The company introduced an edgy new design today for its signature model, giving it a flatter roof, a less bulbous shape, narrowed windows and a sharp crease along the side. Gone is the built-in flower vase on the dashboard.

It’s the first overhaul since 1998, when Volkswagen came up with the New Beetle. VW, which wants to triple its US sales of cars and trucks over the next decade, says the changes will appeal to more buyers, especially men.

But the changes could also anger fans, who love the little four-seater for its huggable curves and perky attitude.

VW’s lead Beetle project manager for the US, Andres Valbuena, says the 2012 model will have a navigation system, a significantly larger trunk, more luxurious materials and ambient lighting. Valbuena said:

It ties in more with our other products. It’s more upscale.

The 2012 Beetle goes on sale this autumn. VW won’t yet say how much it costs.

The design is based not on the New Beetle but on the original Beetle, which was created in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, came to the US after World War II and became a counterculture favourite because of its low cost and unusual look.

In 1968, a Beetle with a mind of its own, Herbie, starred opposite Dean Jones in the hit Disney movie The Love Bug.

In 1998, the company introduced the New Beetle, an overhaul of the original that became a huge hit. Buyers swooned over its cute, rounded styling.

Valbuena says VW believes the new design stays true to the name but will broaden the car’s appeal beyond the 1998 version, which appealed heavily to women. In focus groups, men liked the more aggressive design.

In addition to an upgraded, 170-horsepower, 2.5-litre gas engine, VW will offer a sportier, 200-horsepower, turbocharged gas engine — Volkswagen hopes it will appeal to guys — and a fuel-efficient diesel.